Sometimes, home improvement means
adding or replacing lights on walls. Such lights often take the
form of vanity lights for bathrooms, or wall sconces for hallways,
or anything in between from lights for entryways to bedrooms. Knowing
how to replace or install one yourself can save you a handy bundle
of money. To replace an existing wall light
with something new, modern or one that better suits your taste or
décor, you must first remove the old one. Before you touch
anything with your screwdriver however, make sure the electricity
is not running to that light. If you don't know which fuse controls
that light, turn it on and then try turning off the fuses in your
circuit breaker one at a time until the light goes off. Then, and
only then, can you safely remove the old light fixture and
replace with a new one.
Before you start, have wire caps on
hand. They're cheap and can prevent a number of accidents. For this
task, you may also need pliers, but most times, it is not necessary,
as twisting and untwisting wires can usually be accomplished
by hand.
Remove the light fixture and any bolts,
screws and nuts that hold it in place. Sometimes, fixtures
have been literally painted to the walls, so you may need to gently
pry at the edges with a flat-headed screwdriver.
One the fixture is loose, remove any
wire caps holding spliced wires together and disconnect all wires.
Note: Make sure you keep bare wire
ends separated from each other, even when the electricity is off.
Strip about ¼ to ½ an
inch of the rubber insulation from the wires of your new
fixture, taking care not to damage the copper wires inside. Match
wires to wires: white to white, black to black, and twist the ends
together, end over end. Then, twist on the wire cap and make sure
that your connection is snug.
Note: Make sure the cap covers the
entire bare area of your wire ends. If it does not, unscrew and
trim the ends of the wire a little closer.
Gently place the wires into the electrical
box, careful not to crimp or twist too much, and then guide the
new fixture up against the wall, lining up the screws with the holes
in the fixture. Firmly tighten the fixture with the nuts or other
decorative pieces that have come with your new fixture, and
then turn the fuse back on.
