Replace Ceiling Light With Receptacle

Converting a ceiling light to a receptacle is a convenient and inexpensive way to provide an outlet for ceiling mounted devices.

Replace ceiling light with receptacle.

If you have a little electrical experience and a basic toolkit you can replace your old ceiling light socket yourself. In some houses light switches on the wall might control individual outlets where you can plug in lamps and other lights. The electrical box or junction box is a code requirement that was established to prevent fires and other electrical accidents. If an outlet commonly called a receptacle no longer holds a plug snugly it should be replaced the procedure for replacing a duplex two outlet wall receptacle is similar to that of replacing a switch.

If you re wondering how you install a light fixture without an electrical box the short answer is that you don t. Other wires may pass through the box but you have to deal with only three wires. Since there was a light fixture in the place where you re now installing a receptacle the junction box is probably one of your octagon shaped boxes which means that you will have to go to your hardware store to get a special round recaptacle cover for your receptacle. Then unscrew the current light fixture and separate its wires from the ones in the ceiling.

No matter how you suspend a fixture from the ceiling the wiring is simple. Disconnect your lighting circuit at the main service panel. Mount your receptacle to your junction box using the two screws connected to the receptacle. They re really convenient but if you ever need to replace that outlet there are some important things you ll need to keep in mind.

Find light sockets adapters at lowe s today. Ceiling fixtures hang by two screws that attach the fixture base to the outlet box or to a mounting strap in the outlet box. It s not the same as replacing any other outlet. Always disconnect the power by flipping the room s circuit breaker before working with electricity.

A colored wire usually black a white wire and a green.