How to Replace a Light Fixture

Changing a light fixture is a simple project that most home owners can do by themselves. The benefits are letting you update your home's decor, giving you the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself, and saving you money by accomplishing the project on your own. But many people are nervous doing this, because they don't want to do it wrong. Here's some tips for changing a light fixture on your own.

First, make sure the power is off at the breaker. Simply making sure the light switch is off is not good enough, as there is still power running to the fixture. Make sure to turn it off at the breaker, and make doubly sure that you turned off the correct breaker switch.

Next, remove the light bulbs and any shades that are on the light. Save the screws that hold the shade in place, just in case you need them later. After this is done, check what sort of screwdriver you will need to remove the actual fixture, and begin to do so. If you cannot see any visible screws, try gently turning the whole fixture. It may have hooks that allow it to screw onto itself.

Before you disconnect the wires, make sure that you have the new light's package open, have taken it out of the box, have separated the wires, and otherwise prepared it for installation. It's always very helpful to leave the old light in place while you figure out which wires on the new light need to attach to which wires coming from the ceiling. Also, you may need to switch out the mounting plate if the new fixture will not attach to the old one.

Using wire nuts, twist the wires from the new fixture together with the wires coming from the ceiling. Pull on the wire nut just a bit to make sure it's securely fastened. Once you're sure that it's secure, push the wires behind the mounting plate and attach the fixture to the mounting plate with the screws provided.

Add one light bulb, then turn the breaker on. If the light comes on, you can take it out, add the new shades that came with the light, and then add the bulbs. And you are ready to enjoy your new light fixture that you installed yourself.