How to Replace a Vanity Light Sconce

Replace your vanity light with one that reflects your individual style.

Gone are days of the two-light vanity fixtures with the U-shaped glass shade that covers the light bulbs. No longer must you subject yourself to the bare round bulbs in your bathroom that resemble a makeup table on a Hollywood movie set, the ones that make you feel as though you're in the middle of the Sahara Desert at noon with the sun beating down on you because of the heat the bulbs generate. Choose something different for your bathroom, and replace your vanity light sconce with a fixture that reflects your style and taste.

Things You'll Need

• Safety goggles
• Screwdriver
• Vanity light sconce
• Orange wire nuts

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Instructions

1. Turn the power off to the vanity light you are replacing by turning off the breaker in the electrical panel.

2. Remove the light shade off the vanity light sconce and the light bulb to gain access to the area where the vanity light sconce attaches to the wall. Remove the vanity light sconce to access the electrical wall box and the wiring.

3. Disconnect the vanity light sconce from the power supply wires. The power supply wires are a black and a white wire that connect directly back to the panel box. These wires are connected to the black and white wires on the vanity light sconce by wire nuts. Untwist the wire nuts from the black wires and the white wires, and pull the wires apart.

4. Remove the fixture cross bar from the electrical wall box. The future cross bar is attached to the electrical wall box by two screws. The bare copper ground wire from the electrical wall box is attached to the green ground screw on the cross bar. Loosen the ground screw, and remove the bare copper wire. Remove the two screws from the fixture cross bar and remove it.

5. Assemble the new vanity light sconce according to the manufacturer's directions.

6. Attach the new fixture cross bar to the electrical wall box. The fixture cross bar is included in the mounting hardware of your new vanity light sconce. Connect the bare copper ground wire to the green ground screw on the new fixture cross bar, and tighten the screw.

7. Wire the new vanity light sconce to the power supply wires in the electrical wall box. Twist an orange wire nut onto the white wire from the electrical box and the white wire from the new light sconce, connecting them together. Connect the black wire from the electrical box and the light sconce the same way you connected the white wires.

8. Attach the new vanity light sconce to the wall according to the mounting instructions provided by the manufacturer.

9. Turn the power on to the new vanity light by turning on the breaker in the electrical panel.

Tips & Warnings

• Should you be unaware how your old vanity light sconce attaches to your wall, visit your local home improvement center to locate a vanity light sconce fixture that is similar to yours. The associate from the department can provide you with verbal instructions about how your fixture is attached to the wall or provide you with a copy of the installation directions.

• Always make sure the electricity is off to the area you are working in to avoid electrical shock.

References

• Lighting Direct: How to Install a Wall Sconce
• Aubuchon Hardware: How to Install a Light Fixture