Turn The Power off and Test Installing a Ceiling Fixture Isn't as Hard as It May Seem

Open the Box and Inspect the Contents Open the box that the light came in and examine the contents. There should be a package with instructions and mounting hardware included. Also in the box, you should have the fixture itself and a globe. Turn the Power Off and Test Installing a ceiling fixture isn't as hard as it may seem. The first step, however, is probably the most important. This involves safety. Always shut the power off at the breaker or fuse panel to the circuit that you'll be working on. Go to the ceiling box and use a tester to be sure the power is indeed off. Safety first! Prepare the Electrical Connection Using a razor knife or NM stripper, cut about six inches of the outer sheath coating off of the NM wire (Romex). Trim off and remove the paper inner wrapping. Strip about 3/4" of the conductor insulation from the wires. Install the Mounting Hardware Install the mounting bracket by fastening it to the box using the two 8-32 screws provided. Install the green ground screw into the bracket. Thread the longer 8-32 screws into the bracket. These will be used to hold the main body of the fixture up tightly to the ceiling. Make the Electrical Connections Connect the ground wire from the feeder wire and the ground wire from the fixture to the bracket ground screw. Tie the white wires together using a wire nut. Now, connect the two black wires together using a wire nut. Gently push the excess wire back into the box along side the bracket. Install the Fixture Press the fixture up towards the box and align the screw holes. You'll notice that there is a larger hole provided in the slot so that you can start the screws. Once aligned, the screws should come out of the holes provided. Twist the fixture to secure the screws in the hole slots. Now, tighten the screws with a screw driver. Be sure that it is secure, but do not over tighten the screws. Be sure that there are no wires hanging out of the side of the fixture base. The idea here is to prevent electrical wires from becoming pinched. Install the Light Bulbs Look at the fixture sockets and see what the tag says. It should tell you what the maximum wattage for the bulbs that are allowed in this fixture. Do not exceed this rating for safety sake! If you do, overheating, fixture failure and a fire may occur. Install the Globe Take the globe provided and install it on the fixture. This may be attached one of a couple of ways. the first is by using clips provided in the package. These hold the fixture from the inside. The other method is by using screws on the outside of the fixture. If this is your option, be sure to tighten the screws evenly and only tighten snugly. If you overdo it, the glass globe may break. Turn On the Power and Test Now that the installation is complete, turn the circuit back on and test the fixture by turning the switch on. If indeed it lights, you've successfully completed this project. Source: About.com