Wiring a light fixture is quite an easy task. There’s a little more to it, though, than being able to tell the hot wire from the neutral. You also need to know how the wiring in the room has been set up. This is because there are two ways to run power to a fixture–directly from the panel box, or via the switch at the wall. The procedure to wire the light fixture will be different in both cases. Take it step by step and you won’t go wrong.
What you need: Screwdriver, electric voltage tester, wire stripper, wire connector and safety goggles.
First, to determine how the wiring is set up, you need an electric voltage tester. You can get this at any hardware store for about $10. What you need to do is flick off the switch at the wall and hold the tester up to the black wire hanging out of the ceiling where the light fixture will go. This is the hot wire. If it beeps or lights up only when you flick the wall switch on, this means the fixture is wired from the switch and your job is much easier. If it beeps or lights up regardless of what you do to the switch, the power source is directly from the panel box.
If the fixture is wired from the switch
1. Locate the circuit breaker for that switch in the panel box and turn it off so there is no power running to the switch.
2. Connect the black wire of the light fixture to the black wire at the ceiling. (Connect wires by stripping about an inch of both wires and twisting the exposed ends together with a wire connector.) Connect the white (neutral) wire of the light fixture to the white wire coming from the ceiling in the same way.
3. The third wire hanging from the ceiling will be the copper (ground) wire. You must connect this copper wire to the copper wire in your light fixture. Your fixture might have a green screw in place of the copper wire. This serves the same function which is to ground the fixture.
4. Now that all three wires are connected to the light fixture you can set the light in place, turn on the circuit breaker and turn on the switch.
If the fixture is wired from the panel box
1. Turn off the circuit breaker for that fixture, so there is no power running to it.
2. You should find an additional set of black, white and ground wires hanging from the fixture box at the ceiling. These wires are to run to the switch.
3. Attach either the black or white wire (it doesn’t matter which you choose) to the hot wire from the ceiling.
4. Run the wire down to the switch and attach it to one of the terminal screws in the switch.
5. Attach the second wire to the other terminal screw. Attach the other end of the second wire to the black wire hanging out of the light fixture. By doing this, you have now run power from the panel box through the switch to the light fixture.
6. Attach the ground wire to the switch. Again, this will be either another copper wire or a green screw. (In older homes, there may not be a ground wire at the switch.)
7. Attach the white wire from the ceiling to the light fixture.
8. Connect the ground wire from the ceiling to the light fixture.
9. Turn on the circuit breaker and turn on the switch.
Automatically-controlled lights
Motion-activated and dawn-to-dusk (photocell) fixtures are easier to wire. Again, look inside the light fixture to find the black, white and ground wires. Simply connect the black wire of the light fixture to the black wire coming from the electrical power supply. Do the same for the white wire. Finally, ground the light fixture by attaching the copper wire to either the green screw or copper wire of the light.
Troubleshooting
What if you turned on your circuit breaker and switched on your light and nothing happens? Test the wires running to the switch to see if there is power.
1. If there is none, that means there is no power coming from the panel. Check the circuit breaker to see if it tripped. If it has tripped, then double check your wiring. If your wiring is done correctly and the circuit breaker has not tripped and there is still no power, then there is a problem with the breaker. You would need to swap it with another breaker, in which case you should call an electrician.
2. If, after testing, you determine the wire has power but the light does not go on, and you are certain the wires are connected correctly, then probably the switch is faulty. Turn off the circuit breaker, remove the wires from the switch and replace it.
These troubleshooting tips should solve any problems you might have in getting power to your light fixture. If you don’t feel confident, though, it’s best to call an electrician, because you don’t want to compromise on safety for the sake of saving a few dollars in labor fees.
