How to Safely Replace a Ceiling Light | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House master electrician Heath Eastman clarifies the temperature rating system for ceiling lights and then installs one for a homeowner

Time: 2-3 hours
Cost: $200
Skill Level: Expert

Tools List for Replacing a Ceiling Light:

Shopping List:

Steps:
1. Heath starts by explaining why ceiling fixtures are temperature rated and what that means:
a. Houses built before 1985 used wires that could withstand temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius.
b. Certain lightbulbs generate more heat than 60 degrees, so over time, those wires could fray and crack, causing an arc, which could create a fire.
c. After 1985, they changed the code so that wires needed to be rated to withstand temperatures up to 90 degrees Celsius, which is common for most modern fixtures.
d. To determine which type of wiring you have, look at the cable.
i. Cloth wire is not rated for 90 degrees.
ii. Plastic wire with the words “Type NM” printed on them are rated up to 60 degrees.
iii. Plastic wire with the words “Type NM-B” printed on them are rated up to 90 degrees.
2. Shut the power off at the breaker.
3. Remove the old light fixture using a screwdriver. The wiring will need to be disconnected before pulling it from the ceiling.
4. Push the old wiring out through the box and into the ceiling.
5. Cut a section of the old wiring away from the fixture.
6. Wire the new NM-B cable to the old wiring inside of a junction box.
7. Fish the new cable through the electrical box and mount the electrical box to the ceiling.
8. Wire the new light to the new cable using a pair of pliers and wire nuts.
9. Mount the new light to the electrical box on the ceiling.
10. Turn the power back on.

Resources:

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How to Safely Replace a Ceiling Light | Ask This Old House

[darylfitz]

4:15 is where I drop the screw onto the floor ten times.

[poissonCHA]

I asked my dad for help, but I watched the video prior to our task, and it made me able to troubleshoot and my dad was impressed by my trouble solving qualities ! what a beautiful father-daughter moment we had <3

[VideosbySteve]

Edison bulbs are a nice addition for any hipster configuration.

[mddc]

I REALLY find the *explanations* of WHY y'all do certain things to be really helpful. Didn't realize the BULB HEAT would be that impactful. Thanks!

[obviouslyblack]

I'm really glad the last Q & A part happened. It cleared a lot of the questions I had

[seanvines]

Who else was thinking about changing their ceiling light but isn't going to anymore?

[KingCharles]

Nice to learn about the temperature ratings on older and first generation of romex wiring..

[Bremend]

What's with all of these convenient crawl spaces, wires actually correctly color coded (and the colors not faded), and wire you can easily bend with your fingers (and isn't brittle or stranded?)

[DarknessFalls]

Heath is too professional, too efficient, too knowledgeable. Now I feel inadequate and will never unscrew the switch plate from the wall.

[buzoff]

Makes me so angry that hardware has never evolved, so light fixtures aren't as easy to replace as plug in, rotate to secure. Obnoxious!

[wellsnapyeah]

3:00 I wish it would have been more video of this part of the project. I didn't quite understand what they were talking about with the junction boxes and the "jumper".

[bjornjoseph]

There's always that perfect crawl space

[Libramami]

Almost felt I could do this until it came to the part where I would need to go into the attic crawl space. Ugh, now to hire someone to do that part. Great video though.

[kenc]

Heath's episodes are very instructive. Appreciate his explanations--clear, and easy to understand.

[ChrisPlaola]

The wiring standard is a little different in Canada. In Canada, it is called NMD (Non Metallic Dry) cable. NMD-1 (no ground) and NMD-3 (with ground) are rated for 60 C, NMD-6 is rated for 75 C, and NMD-7 (Later renamed NMD 90) is rated at 90 C. There also exists NMD-7 wire with cloth sheathing, which can be hard to distinguish from NMD-3. The text on the cable will indicate the temperature rating.

[markentress]

outstanding - more to it than I tought w/ regard to safety, but simple process. The only additional piece I'd like to see included is running the jumper between the boxes in the attic. Thank You - excellent work.

[HollywoodCreeper]

Good question at the end. I wish they showed what he did with those junction boxes and the jumper and explained that better.

[dalesworld]

Interesting solution.

My in laws once asked me to change a fixture. I took the old one down and the insulation was all crispy - they put 100 watt bulbs in and the fixture said 60 watts max. I could only tape off the old wires.

[jherreasims]

Lost me at the crawl space 😂 I will leave it alone!

[mellio]

by the first 2 minutes of this video i’m ready to just call a professional!!!