How to Wire a Flood Light

Security flood lights.

Flood lights have many different uses outside a home. The most common use is security lighting. Flood-lighting units are designed to illuminate specific areas so that anyone or anything approaching the house can be identified as quickly as possible. The idea is to speed up the identification process so that people have time to react if the approaching person or object is hostile. Flood lighting also helps deter thefts.

Things You'll Need

• Wire cutters
• Wire strippers
• Plastic twist caps
• Romex wire
• Weatherproof electrical box

Instructions

1. Locate where the flood light will be positioned on the house. Most flood lights are installed under the roof eaves or along the side of the house. Drill a hole through the wall for the Romex wire to enter the attic space.

2. Place silicone caulk on the back of a round, weatherproof electrical box and place the electrical box over the hole so that the knockout on the back of the box lines up with hole. The caulk will help keep water out of the box.

3. Push 6 to12 inches of cable through the hole from inside the attic. The 6 to 12 inches of cable will be used for splicing in the electrical box. Run the other end of the cable to the electrical box that feeds the porch light.

4. Shut off the power to the porch-light circuit at the main power panel.

5. Open the porch-light electrical box and remove the plastic twist caps. Splice the black wire of the new Romex cable to the black wire in the existing porch light electrical box. Splice the white wire of the new Romex wire to the existing white wire in the electrical box. Cover each splice with new plastic twist caps. This setup allows the flood lights to have power at all times unless the power goes out. This is OK because most flood lights have a day and night time sensor. The sensor does not allow the flood light to come on during the day, only at night.

6. Move back to the outside electrical box. Follow the manufacturer's instructions supplied with the new flood light. For most flood lights, it is just a matter of connecting black wire to black wire and white wire to white wire. However, some flood lights have additional safety features that may change the wiring. Once completed, turn the power back on and test the circuit.

References

• Thisoldhouse: How to Install a Garage Floodlight