Checking Clearance for Recessed Lighting
Don’t cut the hole unless you know there’s enough room for the fixture.
Patching big holes in the ceiling can be irksome, and that’s what you’ll be doing if you run into a joist, pipe, or heating duct after cutting the hole for your new recessed light. In this gem from the Fine Homebuilding Video Vault, electrical contractor Cliff Popejoy of Sacramento, California, shares a neat trick so you’ll only have a small hole to fill if you’ve chosen the wrong place.
Learn more from Cliff’s article, Retrofitting Recessed Lights.
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after putting in the initial hole in the center why don't you put a 90 degree bend in the coat hanger about 4" from the end of the wire, slip it into the hole until you can make the wire out of the drill vertical again, the lift it up a few inches and engage the drill? If it spins without hitting anything then you're good to go and don't have the other 4 holes to fill if there isn't enough clearance.