How to Wire a Ceiling Lamp

Wiring in a ceiling lamp will provide needed illumination to those dark areas of your home. Doing it yourself will save money and provide you with experience for future repairs. You will also be adding sweat equity and beauty into your home. Following the correct steps and making sure to heed to all safety precautions will ensure a successful install in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Flat and Phillips Screwdriver
• Wire Cutters and Stripper
• Plastic Caps
• Electrical Wire (to match the amps of the circuit you are installing into)

Instructions

1. Turn off the main electricity at the breaker.

2. Run electrical wire in the wall from where the lamp will be to your switch. Run another wire in the wall from the switch to either the nearest outlet or the breaker box.

3. Wire into the outlet or breaker box. To wire to the outlet, remove the outlet by first removing the faceplate by unscrewing the middle screw. Next, unscrew the outlet by unscrewing the top and bottom screws. Pull the outlet toward you and pull your new wire through the conduit box. Strip back about 1 inch of wire. Screw onto the outlet matching black with black, and white with white. The bare copper wire is ground and will screw onto the green screw on the metal body of the outlet.

   To wire to a dedicated circuit, you will open the breaker box. Unscrew the screws around the breaker and remove the cover from the breaker. Bring your new wire through the access holes in the breaker frame. Strip back 1 inch of wire and screw your black wire into the circuit breaker set screw. Screw the white and copper wire to the metal bar int the breaker box using the set screw. Screw back on the cover.

4. Wire in the switch only on the black line. The wire coming from the light will go on the top screw of the switch, and the wire from the power source will screw onto the bottom screw of the switch. Cap together the white wires.

5. Wire in the light by matching color--white with white and black with black. Cap the wires together if your ceiling light does not have screws for the wires to be installed to. Once done and the light and switch are screwed in place, turn your electricity on and test it.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn off the main electricity before starting.