How to Fix Sagging Light Fixtures

Turn on the light that's sagging, then turn off the appropriate breaker in your home’s fuse panel. When you’ve flipped the correct breaker, the light you previously turned on will shut off and be safe to access.

Position a ladder directly under the light, if necessary. If the light is tall, ask a family member to hold the bottom of the ladder while you’re on it.

Remove the cover of the light, using a screwdriver or wrench. Regardless of the style of light you're attempting to fix, the cover plate is held against the mounting bracket underneath by one or more screws or bolts, so remove them carefully. The cover of the light, which includes the light bulbs and entire lighting assembly, is connected to the mounting bracket by wires. As such, you'll need to hold it in one hand; don't let it hang by its wires.

Locate the mounting bracket, which is typically an "X" or "T" shape made of two pieces of metal crossing each other. Look at the ends of each piece to locate the screws. Because the light is sagging, one or more of these screws will have loosened over time.

Tighten the loose screws until the two crossing pieces of metal are pressed to each other firmly. Fasten the cover of the light back to the mounting bracket and tighten the mounting screws. Turn the circuit breaker back on after descending the ladder.