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Wiring a light


ChrisK

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So, anybody point me to a decent how to on wiring a light to an outlet. I've run electrify in my basement, spliced off my 220 and a couple of lights from an original light harness but have not crossed into this. Anyways, I'm going to do it myself but am kind of crapping about this! The light is going to be an pull switch model in one of my dormers where I built a window seat. Thanks!

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Are you just putting in a simple worklight/droplight? If so, the easiest thing to do is open the light and add a length of lamp cord to it, then put a plug on the end of the cord. You take the cover off of the light, there should be a white and black wire. Take the lamp cord and attach one wire to black and one to white. For stuff like this you don't need to worry about ground, unless you want ground, in which case you need a three-wire cord. Put the light back together, plug it into an outlet, and you're done.

 

 

If this is what your goal is let me know, I can easily go into the garage and shoot some vid or take snaps of the light I have over my workbench, or any of the lights in my garage. They're all wired like this. I've also wired plenty of ceiling fans like this, plugging them into outlets that are switch-controlled. Makes it a hell of a lot easier than running wire through existing walls. Then if you want it to look pretty you get some cord covers.

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If there is an existing light nearby it should be an easy job. However, that depends on the construction of the roof. Anyway, don't use lamp cord! Go get some 12-2 romex, you can even buy it already in a metal flexible conduit.

Going vertical is easy unless there is a fire break, wire runs horizontal mean drilling through a stud. Either way, I cut holes in the dry wall/plywood close enough near the studs/fire break and drill through with a flex bit, just big enough for the conduit. The metal conduit is important as it prevents, hopefully, nails and screws from future "construction"

It's important to check the code in your area but wiring is easy. Shut off the power, pigtail your new wire with the old outlet, wire up your new outlet.

I might be installing a new outlet today, daisy chaining from an old.. If so I'll take pics

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Maybe if the OP would give slightly better info this would be an easier question to answer. From what I got out of it he wants to put a light in, and wire it to an existing outlet. The easiest thing to do is simply put lamp cord on the light, put a plug on it, and plug it into the outlet. You don't have to go through the walls or roof or any of that. Treat it like you would a table lamp or floor lamp, except you hang it from the ceiling. Then you get some cable management and hide the cord.

 

And if codes were an issue table lamps and floor lamps would violate code.

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Thanks EE, I'm going to use Romex but am splicing into a grounded outlet. I'm. Then running it up through the ceiling and into a recessed light fixture in the ceiling and I'd like to add a switch. I've done everything in my workshop but when I did it I wired outlet to outlet, light to light. Never outlet to light.

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It's easy. Same as adding an extra outlet since you're not needing a switch. Use those round blue plastic old construction electrical boxes for the light, it's simple really. Just cut out the hole for the box and tighten the screw's. The tricky part is running the wire up the wall on over the ceiling. Eetwidget has good suggestions.

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Thanks EE, I'm going to use Romex but am splicing into a grounded outlet. I'm. Then running it up through the ceiling and into a recessed light fixture in the ceiling and I'd like to add a switch. I've done everything in my workshop but when I did it I wired outlet to outlet, light to light. Never outlet to light.

Wiring a switch is easy. You want to "switch in" the line, or black wire. Pull romex from the outlet to the switch location, then wire the black "line" wire to one of the terminals on the switch. The other switch terminal goes to the black, "line" side of the light. At the switch just wire nut the white wires together, and do the same with the ground.

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