How to install a new light fitting

Add new lighting in your home to create ambience - or simply to make the place brighter! If you're keen on learning how, then read this guide on installing new lighting.

Level of difficulty

Level 2: Intermediate

What you need

  • Circuit tester
  • Screwdriver
  • Wire strippers
  • Insulating tape
  • Power drill
  • Screwdriver
  • Screws
  • Ceiling rose
  • Light fixture

The steps to follow

Disconnecting the ceiling rose

  1. Turn off all mains power to the lighting circuit.
  2. Use a circuit test to verify that the entire circuit is shut off.
  3. Unscrew the ceiling rose cover to expose the circuit wiring.
  4. If there is just one circuit cable present, connecting the light will be an easy task. However if there are two or more cables present and the rose is a loop-in type, then you’ll need to install a second spur cable to allocate the additional light which will be controlled by the same switch.
  5. Remove the screws that are holding the flex core to the terminals and set them aside.
  6. Disconnect the cable cores from their terminals.
  7. Unscrew and remove the ceiling rose base plate and set it aside.

Planning the connections

  1. The new light fitting will depend on whether or not a new connection can be installed in the base plate.
  2. Link the circuit wiring with a small plastic connector block to the flex core. Fit a conduit box flush to the ceiling surface and secure the base plate to it.
  3. Draw the cables up above the light, into the ceiling void.
  4. Hold the conduit box against the ceiling surface and draw its outline.
  5. With a saw, cut around the line to remove the off-cut.
  6. Fit the conduit box in the hole.

    Note:
    Try to fit the light fitting between the two joists.
     
  7. Screw the conduit box to the underside of the batten.

Making the connections

  1. Reconnect the cables to the new light fitting. Feed the cable into the conduit box to connect them to the flex core of the light fitting.
  2. If there is one circuit cable, link three connectors to the cable cores.
  3. If there are two or more circuit cables, one will be a switch cable and the others will be the lighting circuit cables.
  4. If the black cable core is live, wrap it in red insulating tape.
  5. Restore the mains power and test the new light fitting.

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