Things You'll Need:
- Standard and Phillips screwdriver
- Step ladder
- New light fixture (light socket)
- Wire stripper
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Step 1
Locate the circuit breaker for the socket you plan to replace. Turn it off. This can be checked by flipping the light switch to on--the light should not go on. Remove the globe and any other decorations. Remove the light bulb.
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Step 2
Check the fixture to see how it is attached. It is either attached by screws that extend through the fixture into the junction box or by a center post that runs through the fixture and is attached by a decorative nut. Remove the screws or the nut.
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Step 3
Pull the fixture away from the junction box. Insulated wiring will be exposed. Label the wires according to how they are attached. Alternatively, write down a schematic of what wires are attached to each other.
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Step 4
Unscrew the wire nuts (the plastic cone-like pieces around the splicings)that join the wires. If the ground wire is screwed into the junction box, free it from its screw. Separate the fixture wires from the wires in the junction box.
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Step 5
Check the wires on your new fixture to see that a length of at least 1/2 inch has been stripped of insulation. If they are not, remove as much insulation as is necessary.
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Step 6
Attach the wires from the new fixture to the wires of the junction box, white to white, black to black, and bare copper (ground) to the screw in the junction box. Use the old wire nuts or new ones if the old nuts are cracked or substantially worn.
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Step 7
Check to see that there are no exposed lengths of bare wire. Gently push the wires into the junction box. Reattach the fixture with its screws or the decorative nut.
