Failure to turn off the power before beginning work may result in serious electrical shock.

Detach the fixture. This process will depend on the type of fixture you previously had installed. If possible, have someone hold it up while you detach it from the ceiling to decrease the likelihood of dropping it. Remove the old wire connectors. These are the small plastic caps covering the connections between the fixture wires and the house wiring. Usually they can be removed by twisting them counterclockwise until loose. Before disconnecting the wires, it’s a good idea to use a voltage checker to make sure the wires have no electricity running through them. Finally, disconnect the wires and remove any remaining parts of the old fixture that are still attached to the ceiling, such as a base or trim.

If the electrical box and light fixture are not adequately supported, it may fall. Further, this is likely a building code violation. If there is not adequate support to hold your fixture up, do not proceed with the installation.

Connect wires according to the directions provided with the light. Usually, this means connecting black to black and white to white. Wrap the exposed ends of the wires together. If there is not enough exposed surface on each wire, you may need to use wire strippers to peel back some of the wire insulation. Screw on wire nuts/connectors to cover the exposed connections and secure them tightly. [4] X Research source These should be provided with the fixture, but if not, can be purchased cheaply at any hardware store.

The ground wire is usually either a green wire or a bare copper wire. [5] X Research source If you have a ground screw, tighten the screw to hold the wire in place.

Usually, the bare will go to the green or bare, the white will go to the white and the black will go to the black. To make sure, check the manufacturer’s instructions.

This will vary depending on the style of light you are installing. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

In some cases, the process is as aligning your mounting screws with some small holes in the fixture, and turning the fixture about a quarter turn. In other cases, you’ll have to screw the fixture into a mounting bracket. [7] X Research source

If your light does not function, turn the power back off and check your wiring.