How to Remove Fluorescent Light Cover With or Without Clips-Step By Step Guidance

Last updated on October 17th, 2023 at 09:13 pm

Do you have a fluorescent light cover and don’t know how to remove it? Don’t Worry! We are here to resolve your problem. Now a day everyone is using light cover. This light cover is also known by different names such as “Fluorescent Light Diffuser”, “Fluorescent Light Panels” or “Fluorescent Light Filter”. Some people also called these covers “Decorative Light Covers”.

As we hear the name “fluorescent lights” always a dull light comes to our mind. Most people consider that fluorescent light is one of the least attractive kinds of light. No one ever talks about the aesthetic qualities of fluorescent light.

But these decorative filters have given life to the fluorescent lights.

Why We Use Fluorescent Light Covers?

As we know that fluorescent light has some amount of ultraviolet radiation. . This reduces the Side effects of blue fluorescent light.

How Many Types of Fluorescent Light Covers are Available?

There are four types of fluorescent light covers available, which are as:

1. Wraparounds Fluorescent Light Cover
2. Flat Sheets Fluorescent Light Cover
3. Tube Guards Fluorescent Light Covers
4. Louvers Fluorescent Light Cover
5. Drop Ceiling Lights Fixture
6. Vapor Tight Fluorescent Light Covers
7. Circline Fluorescent Light Lenses
8. Cloud or Puff Lens Fluorescent Light Covers
9. Drop Dish Lens Fluorescent Light Covers

These are the most popular types of fluorescent light covers available in the market.

How Do You Install Fluorescent Light Covers?

The fluorescent light covers can be installed by two methods. Those are as follows:

1. With Clips
2. Without Clips

Some fluorescent light covers are attached with help of clips and some can attach without clips.

Why Do We Need To Remove Fluorescent Lights Covers?

There may be many reasons to remove the fluorescent light covers, which are as follows:

• Poor Color Rendering
• Poor Light Distribution
• Cracked OR Yellowing Covers
• Glare
• Headache
• Replacing the Fluorescent Light Covers With New One

The light covers need to cleanliness so we have to remove them. Or there may be the above-mentioned reason to remove the fluorescent light covers.

How To Remove The Fluorescent Light Covers?

To remove fluorescent light covers, first, you need to recognize which kind of covers you have: drop ceiling, wraparound, or flat. All fluorescent light covers are lightweight and have simple mechanisms holding them in place; these covers are also called lenses or diffusers. This means it is very easy to remove a fluorescent light fixture on your own. The tools you have to need to remove a fluorescent light cover are as follows:

1. A standard A-frame ladder
2. Screw Driver

6 Steps You Have To Follow To Remove the Fluorescent Light Cover

You have to take very simple steps to remove the cover. You don’t need so many things; you mainly need a standard step ladder to access the fluorescent light. The most important thing is to know which type of cover you are using.

The light covers are lightweight and have a very simple mechanism that you can easily remove the cover on your own. The steps you have to take are Mentioned-below:

1. Switch OFF the Power Button
2. Identify the Cover Type
3. Gather your Supplies
4. Consider Wearing Your Gloves
5. Removing the Fluorescent Light Cover
6. Replacing the Fluorescent Light Cover

Step 1: Carefully Switch OFF The Light

The first and most important step is to switch OFF the fluorescent light before removing the light cover. It can be dangerous if you would not turn OFF the light circuit. Carefully switch OFF the power button.

Step 2: Identify the Type of Light Cover

The second step is identification. This is the most important step, identify which type of fluorescent bulb your light is using, as there are different types of light covers like drop ceiling, wrapper, flat sheet, tube guards, etc.

Identify whether there are clips attached to your light cover or not.

Step 3: Gather the Supplies

After the identification, you will need to gather all the equipment you required to remove the fluorescent light cover. You just need simple equipment such as a ladder and a screwdriver. The screwdriver needs in the case of your cover have clips. Because some covers may not have springs or thumb screws.

Step 4: Make Sure to Wear Your Hand Gloves

Make sure to wear your rubber gloves to protect yourself from any kind of electric shock.

Step 5: Remove the Fluorescent Light Cover

There are many types of fluorescent light covers but in this guide, we will discuss some of the most common types of them. We will discuss the most common type available in markets. These are:

• Removing Drop Ceiling Fluorescent Light Cover
• Removing Flat Sheet Fluorescent Light Cover
• Removing Wraparound Fluorescent Light Cover
• Removing Vapor Tight Fluorescent Light Covers
• Removing Circline Fluorescent Light Lenses
• Removing Cloud or Puff Lens Fluorescent Light Covers

Removing Wraparound Fluorescent Light Cover

The wraparound light covers are used on hang-down lights. These covers are not decorative. These U shape lenses cover the bottom and side of the fluorescent lights. The edges of the lens sit on a shelf with a small clip; you can easily push this clip out of its place.

Follow the steps to remove the wraparound lights covers:

Step 1: Tightly grab from the one long side and push it upwards.

Step 2: After this, put the long side down.

Step 3: Now do the same with the other side as well.

And now you can easily remove the wraparound cover.

Removing Drop Ceiling Fluorescent Light Cover

You have seen this kind of cover in commercials, offices, malls, and institutions. These lights are placed inside the ceiling. So they can be covered by panels. The intention is that the panels can flush with lights. These frames or panels consist of two layers before unlocking the light cover. They lay flat and lock into place.

The steps to remove these covers are as follows:

Step 1: Pull the panels out and up at a 90-degree angle. After unlocking both layers, the frame will slightly open.

Step 2: Horizontally pull the frame away from the pivot side. You must do to swing the light all the way.

Step 3: So this is the right position in which the light cover will fully swing down. Swing it down. And you can now remove your fluorescent light cover.

Removing Flat Sheet Fluorescent Light Cover

Flat sheet fluorescent light covers are a little bit different from the other types of light covers. They are light in weight and flexible. Due to their flexibility, they are very easy to remove. Flat sheet covers are usually decorative.

Flat sheet covers are used in the kitchen due to their decorative nature. The steps to remove these light covers are:

Step 1: To move it out of the frame, you have to push one end to create enough gaps. These covers are flexible so you can easily bend them while inserting or removing them.

Step 2: In case of a stuck cover, softly tap around the boundary of the cover with the help of a soft hammer. This will loosen up the cover. And try again the above-mentioned procedure to remove the cover

Extra Tips for Removing Light Covers

There are some extra tips you should keep in mind while removing a light cover.

Tip 1: Clean the floor under the lamp before approaching the light cover.

Tip 2: In case of removing flat sheet covers, use your finger to hold the upper lip of the cover.

Tip 3: Use an appropriate screwdriver to lose and remove the head.

Tip 4: Use a standard ladder for better excess.

Follow all these tips and tricks consequently and you will be do it easily.

FAQs Related To Remove The Fluorescent Light Cover

Here we are going to solve some of your confusion:

How can you remove fluorescent light covers without clips?

To remove the cover use screwdriver or a wrench to twist the nut counter wise then slide the light cover away from the nut.

How can you remove a spring light ceiling cover?

To remove a spring cover, use a knife or blade to pull the spring then insert your finger in the created space and pull a bit more.

How can you remove a square flush ceiling light cover?

The flush ceiling cover slides the cover, which is fitted inside a metal track. Push the cover in the direction of the track opening, the cover will start swinging on the pivot.

How to remove your fluorescent drop dish lens light covers?

To remove the drop dish light cover is fixed with screws. Unscrew them with the help of a screwdriver and you can easily remove the cover.

How to remove your fluorescent cloud or puff lens light covers?

These covers are attached with the help of hooks or clips, simply push the cover to unhook the clips and you can easily remove the cover.

How to remove your fluorescent vapor-tight light covers?

Vapor-tight cover usually comes with clips, these clips wrap around the fixture and hold the cover. You need to remove these clips and can easily remove the cover.

Why Do Fluorescent Lights Turn Yellow?

There is a chemical coating on the filaments of the tubes, the filaments get heated every time when the light is switched ON, which causes the light to change its color and turn yellow.

Related: LED Tube light VS LED Bulb. Which is Best?

Final Thoughts

Once you know all the steps, it’s pretty straightforward to remove a fluorescent light cover. So you can easily change your fluorescent light or clean the covers. Hopefully, this article will help you out in removing your light covers easily and perfectly.