Light fixtures installed in grid ceilings require extra support to be properly secured.
Suspended or drop ceilings are among the types of ceilings you will encounter while performing electrical tasks, such as installing a ceiling light fixture. These types of ceilings require a bracket for light installation because there are no solid structures in the ceiling available for mounting the electrical box, except for the grid itself. If you find yourself dealing with this type of ceiling, you can install the electrical box with a T-bar hanger.
Instructions
1. Measure the area where you want the light to set in the grid. Transfer these measurements to the ceiling tile. Hold the mounting box face down in the correct position on the tile, and trace the perimeter of the box. With a sheetrock saw, cut out the hole for the box. Set the tile aside.
2. Attach the mounting clip to the T-bar hanger. With the ends of the hanger facing down, place the mounting clip, open end first, over the hanger. Apply downward pressure on the clip until it snaps into place.
3. Attach the T-bar hanger to the mounting box. Hold the hanger over the top of the mounting box, aligning the screw hole in the mounting bracket with the screw hole in the box. Insert the supplied screw through the inside of the box into the mounting clip. Tighten the screw.
4. Place the ceiling tile in the appropriate grid location in the ceiling.
5. Hold both ends of the T-bar hanger over the ceiling grid above the ceiling tile. Align the box with the hole you cut in Step 1. Apply pressure, one end at a time, to the ends of the T-bar hanger until it snaps into place over the grid.
6. Attach a wire cable to both ends of the T-bar hanger. Secure the opposite end of the wire cable to a solid support above the ceiling grid. This provides the T-bar hanger with added strength to hold a light fixture in place.
Tags: T-bar hanger, ceiling tile, ends T-bar, hanger, mounting clip