If you have in-wall speakers that are difficult to reach, then this article is for you. We at Sound Advice have seen all sorts of in-wall speaker installations and we are here to help. Whether your speakers are installed behind a door, on an inside wall that’s near an exterior wall, or anywhere else that’s hard to get to, we can show you how to get them out safely. The blog will help to understand on how to remove in wall speakers.
Here are some tips and tricks on how to remove in-wall speakers that may be difficult or impossible to reach.
Related Article: How to build speakers into wall
Get ready to remove the in-wall speakers
The first thing you’ll need to do is get everything ready to remove the speakers. You will want to have a drill, a drill bit that matches the screw size on your speaker, and a flathead screwdriver.
How to Disassemble the Speaker
To remove the in-wall speakers, you’ll need to first disassemble it. The first step is to find the screws that are holding the speaker’s circuit board in place. Once you’ve found them, unscrew them and set them aside. The next step is to use a flat-head screwdriver and pry open the seam of the speaker. You can then take out the circuit board and set it aside with the screws. After that, you will have to cut away any wires still attached to the speaker by using wire cutters or a utility knife. Keep in mind that if you are cutting wires, you will have to make sure they don’t tangle together again when you’re putting everything back together.
How to Remove the Speaker from the Wall
First, remove the screws that attach the speaker to the wall. If you cannot find any screws, use a drill with a Phillips-head bit and slowly work your way through.
After you’ve removed all of the screws, pull out the wires gently. It’s important not to damage them so now would be a good time to have some wire cutters on hand.
Once you’ve removed all of the wires, take off any remaining attachments or brackets attached to the wall.
Finally, pull out the speaker from behind the wall and throw it away!
Removing the Speaker from Your Wall
For each speaker, you will need a set of needle-nose pliers, as well as a Phillips screwdriver.
1. Remove the screws from the back of the speaker, which are holding it in place.
2. Use your pliers to grip and twist the wires connecting the speakers to your receiver until they come free, then pull the speaker out of its slot with your hands or slide it out with a butter knife.
3. Take off any other attachments from the back of your speaker (such as brackets) and put them aside. You want to make sure that you don’t lose them when you take off the speaker itself.
4. Once all attachments are removed, gently pull on the plastic cover on both sides to remove it from around the front of your speaker unit. It should come off easily since there is no wiring attached to it.
How to Safely Reinstall the Speakers
Our first step is to remove the slot covers. To do this, you need to unscrew the screws that are on either side of the wall. Be careful not to damage the finish of your walls by using a drill with a drill bit made for soft wood. The next step is to remove the in-wall speakers from the slots. You may have to try multiple times before they come out and should use a screwdriver or butter knife for leverage. Once you get them out, you can install them elsewhere or take them to be reused. Now, reinstall the slots with new screws and coverings! There you have it! With these simple steps, you can always take your in-wall speakers out when needed and put them back up again without any worries.
Remove the speaker grille
The first step to removing your in-wall speakers it to remove the speaker grille. This way you can see where the speaker wire is coming from and have access to the back of the wire. Remove the screws holding the grille in place and gently pull it off, trying not to yank on any wires.
Remove the speaker wire
The first thing to do is remove the speaker wires from the in-wall speakers. This can be done by using a wire cutter and following the wires from room to room. The wire will most likely be connected to an electrical outlet behind a wall or ceiling. If that’s the case, disconnect it and cut it so you have enough wire length to work with.
Clean and touch up the wall
In order to remove in-wall speakers, it’s important that the surface of the wall is clean and free of old paint. If you have a textured surface on your wall, try to get rid of any bumps or texture so the wall surface is flat. Then use a putty knife or small scraper to get rid of any old paint that may be stuck to the walls.
It’s also important not to touch the speaker directly with your hands because it will leave residue on the speaker which can make removal more difficult. Make sure you wear gloves when handling these speakers as well.
Replace any cabling that you removed
If you’re removing any old cabling, be sure to replace it using the proper size cable and connectors. If you don’t, you may have intermittent or no sound once you re-install your speakers.
Replace speaker grille and cover plate
The first thing you’ll need is a screwdriver. Remove the speaker grille and cover plate by unscrewing the screws on each side of the grille. Lift the grille off and set it aside, then remove the screws holding the cover plate in place. Once you take out all of these screws, the cover plate will fall off of its own accord.
Now that your speaker grille and cover plate have been removed, you can go ahead and remove your speaker from between the walls.
If you need to cut wires in order to get at your speaker, do so with extreme caution or ask a professional for help with this step. It’s very important that you don’t damage any other part of your house as you’re cutting these wires.
No matter what type of speakers are installed in your home, this article will show you how to safely remove them from where they’re located. The tips and tricks mentioned above can help in-wall speakers that are near an exterior wall or those hard to reach due to interior obstructions or closets.
Put the speakers back in place
If your speakers are installed on the inside of a wall, you may be able to put them back in place. The speakers should be about 12 inches from the wall for ease of access and to ensure that they sound as good as possible.
What to do if there is no way to reach the speakers
If you can’t find a way to reach your in-wall speakers, then we recommend cutting them. Of course, you should call a professional if you’re not sure how to do this and they will be able to help you.
FAQs
If you have a speaker that can be replaced, then it’s an easy fix. Just reinstall the speaker and you’re all set. However, if the speaker is an in-wall recessed design, then you’ll need to replace both speakers.
This is the most common issue we see when people want to remove their speakers. If your speakers are installed on a wall or ceiling, check with your installer to see if they left a document with all of the information you need to install or remove them. If not, then it’s time to get creative.
One way is to use a stud finder and locate where the studs are in relation to where you want your speakers aligned. Then, measure how far away they are from each other across the wall. Once you’ve found this measurement, measure from one side of your desired speaker location across the wall and write down these measurements for both sides of the wall (one for each side). Now that you have these measurements, divide by two and this will give you how far apart your speakers should be placed on either side of your desired location. You may now subtract this number from your original measurement and this will give you how far away one speaker should be from another on either side of their respective walls (one for each speaker).
Conclusion
You’ll need a ladder, wire cutters, a drill, and a screwdriver for this job.
First, remove the screws holding the grille in place. Pull the speaker wire out of the wall. You may need to cut it with wire cutters at this point. Clean up the wall and touch up any nail holes with a little spackle or paint. Replace any cabling that you removed, then put the speaker grille back on and replace the screws.
Put the speakers back in place, and you’re finished!
