How to Install Eyeball Lights Above a Fireplace
- 1). Locate and mark the ceiling joist closest to where you're going to install the eyeball lights by using a stud finder.
- 2). Draw the outline of the lighting cans onto the ceiling next to the joist. If the manufacturer doesn't supply a template, hold a can against the ceiling and trace it. Keep the lights spaced evenly apart.
- 3). Cut holes in the ceiling with a drywall saw where you marked the lights. When doing this, make sure you don't cut into any wires placed inside the ceiling. If you don't have access to a wiring diagram for your home, look for outlets and light fixtures in the area where you're installing the eyeball lights, and turn off the power to those circuits while you work. Look for electrical fixtures in the room above where you're working as well.
- 4). Use a stud finder to find a stud in the wall where you want to install the light switch. Hold an old-work electrical box on the wall against the stud and trace it. Cut a hole in the wall with the drywall saw.
- 5). Run electrical cables from your main electrical panel to the hole for the light switch, from the light switch to the nearest hole for the lighting in the ceiling, and from there to each ceiling hole.
- 6). Strip 2 inches of sheathing off of the ends of each cable, and strip 1 inch of insulation from the individual wires in the cables using wire strippers.
- 7). Connect the wiring from the cables to the cans for the eyeball lights. Generally, you connect like-colored wires with plastic connector caps -- black wires to black wires, white wires to white wires, and green wires to green wires -- but read the manufacturer's instructions for the precise wiring instructions. Install the cans by sliding them into the holes in the ceiling and pushing the clips inside the can outward until the can is embedded in the ceiling.
- 8). Punch out the knockout holes on the back of the electrical box for the light switch, and slide the cable that leads to the lights and the cable that leads to the electrical panel through the knockout holes. Slide the box into the hole in the wall, and screw it to the stud.
- 9). Connect the black wires in the cables to the gold or brass-colored terminal screws on the sides of the light switch, and connect the white wires to the silver screws. Cut a piece of green wire from an extra piece of cable that measures 3 to 4 inches long, and attach one end to the grounding screw on the light switch. Attach the other end of the green wire to the green wires from the two cables with a plastic connector cap. Wrap electrical tape around the sides of the outlet.
- 10
Slide the wiring and light switch into the electrical box and screw it into place in the box. Screw the plate cover over the light switch. - 11
Install the trim for the lighting cans, and screw the light bulbs into the sockets. Adjust the lights to point toward the fireplace. - 12
Hire an electrician to connect the lights to the main electrical panel. Most localities require that this step be done by a licensed professional. Turn on the lights and make any needed adjustments.
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