Wife wants me to upgrade light fixture in the hallway, how do I do it?

Question

My wife says the light in the hallway is hideous, and the only way to get her to stop nagging me is to upgrade it. I don't want to waste money on having someone else do it, how can I do this myself?

Answer 1

I recently had to fix a light in my daughter's room and I came across this video.  This guy shows you how to do the wiring, and testing of the wires and all of that electrical stuff.  It was pretty helpful and I didn't have to call up any repair guy.  Sounds like you'll have to do some rewiring if you replace that light....

you can check out the vid if you want.  pretty helpful stuff

http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/426-fix-...

Answer 2

easy.  pretty much turn off the power and match up the color coded wires.

Answer 3

Having someone else do it is not necessarily a "waste" but it is an expense. After trying to do this you may wish you had "wasted" your money.

But it is very simple, just pay attention to how the original is installed. Of course, there is more than one way to hang alight, depending on which one you purchase... just take it slow and don't start disconnecting wires...only the ones associated with the light. Usually you can just match the wire colors, but this depends on what the guy before you did.

Answer 4

Have her select the new fixture and then call a qualified professional electrician to do the work.  Safer and easier than a house fire, also faster and less hassle.

Answer 5

I don't expect I'll get best answer, but. . . .how about putting recessed lighting to add to the existing light.  My husband did this in our kitchen, and now I'm bugging him to do it in our hall (same as yours, much like a dungeon!).  I love it - your wife would too!!

Answer 6

First, make sure the power is turned off at the breaker box. Next, remove the fixture...this is usually fairly straight forward depending on the type of fixture. Follow the wiring instructions for the new fixture to wire it up. If in doubt, get a handyman or electrician in there. You don't want an electrical fire.

Answer 7

Turn off the power to that circuit at the breaker (or fuse) panel. Unscrew the old fixture and drop it down to expose the wiring connection. You may have to get someone to hold the fixture while you unwire it. Inside the junction box you will probably see the wires from the fixture connected to the circuit wires with wire nuts. Note the colors of the wires. If there is only a black and a white, no problem. Just connect the new ones the same. If there are three wires, the third is probably green. This is a ground and is connected to the electrical box somewhere. Do the same with the new one. If there is a red wire, or four wires of any colors, it might be double switched. Call an electrician.