How to Remove a Kitchen Drop Ceiling Light Panel

Kitchens with drop ceilings usually have a crisp look, hiding the light fixtures above the ceiling. Most drop ceiling kitchen lights are fluorescent tubes. Replacing tubes in your drop ceiling lights requires removing the translucent light panel. This panel is usually made of a fragile acrylic. Removing a kitchen drop ceiling light panel is generally the same as removing any other tile in your ceiling. The light panel does bend a little to give you the extra space you need to remove it from the ceiling.

Step 1

Turn off the power to the kitchen light fixture. Position a stepladder under the kitchen drop ceiling light panel.

Step 2

Push the light panel up slightly with your fingertips, allowing the panel to rest on your fingertips instead of the drop ceiling grid.

Step 3

Slide one-half of the light panel over the top of the adjacent ceiling panel. Tilt the light panel at a slight angle and pull it through the open grid under the light.

Step 4

Pull until the entire light panel is out of the drop ceiling. It might be necessary to bow the light panel slightly to get it past the grid.