How to Install a Pre-Wired Light Fixture
- 1). Turn off the circuit breaker for the fixture you will be working on. Turn the fixture's switch off as well for added safety.
- 2). Remove the old fixture if it hasn't been removed yet. Locate the black wire (hot), the white wire (neutral) and the bare copper or green insulated wire (ground). If necessary, strip off the insulation until about 1/4-inch of bare wire is exposed at the tips. Sometimes a manufacturer will put protective sleeves over the bare wires on the fixture. If this is the case, remove and discard them.
- 3). Lay the black wire from the fixture alongside the black wire on the circuit so the bare ends are together. Twist the bare ends of the black wires together and twist on the wire nut that came with your fixture. Wrap a small piece of black electrical tape around the base of the wire nut and the wires. Repeat this process with the white wires using white electrical tape.
- 4). If there is a ground wire on your fixture, repeat the process used for the black and white wires, using green electrical tape. Some fixtures, however, will have a ground screw rather than a wire. Simply loosen the screw, wrap the bare end of the circuit ground wire around it and tighten. Tug it gently to make sure it won't slip.
- 5). Bundle the wires into the fixture and attach it to the wall or ceiling. This process will vary greatly between manufacturers and styles of fixtures, so refer to your fixture's installation instructions for specific details.
- 6). Once the fixture is mounted in place, turn the switch and the circuit breaker back on.
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