How To Install A Ceiling Light Box

Determine a location for the light switch.

How to install a ceiling light box.

Use painter s tape or a pencil to lightly mark the ceiling joists. To replace a ceiling light fixture follow these steps. An easy solution is to install a fan brace box available from home centers and hardware stores that s designed to be installed without cutting any additional holes in your ceiling. Trace the electrical box for the switch and cut it out the same way as the mounting box.

You may find several pairs of wires in the ceiling box. Installing the box is easily done but you must be careful anytime you are working with electrical wiring. Trace the mounting box on the ceiling where the light fixture will be mounted. If your light fixture weighs more than 50 lbs it has to be supported independent of the electrical box.

Cut out the traced hole with an oscillating saw. Turn off the power. If your fixture weighs more you may need to install a junction box that s designed to support heavier light fixtures. If you are removing an existing fixture.

Ceiling fans need to be properly anchored to an electric ceiling box that s designed to hold a heavy fixture. Before you begin make sure your junction box can support the weight of the new light fixture. Slide a stud sensor across the ceiling in the area you want to install a junction box for your electric light fixture. The electrical box or junction box is a code requirement that was established to prevent fires and other electrical accidents.

Use a circuit tester or turn off the power to the whole house to ensure that all the wires in the box are dead. If you re wondering how you install a light fixture without an electrical box the short answer is that you don t. If you plan to control the ceiling fan from a light switch make sure the switch is wired appropriately for the fan. It will not only hold the wiring but also support the full weight of the fan.

Screw the ceiling plate to the mounting strap or support rod then put the mounting stem onto the ceiling plate. Installing a ceiling electrical box lets you add a light fixture to a room. Some of these wires may be wired to different circuits than the fixture you re working on. Junction boxes typically hold up to 50 pounds.