How To Add Recessed Lighting In Basement

Offset, put on your blue dork accommodate and ridiculous yellowish visor chapeau. Then rock, scissors, paper to see which wire to cutting outset.

Installing i or two recessed lights is a great starter project for learning to wire your basement and electrical wiring in general.

If your basement is unfinished then you lot probably only have those piffling "string lights" illuminating your space.

But if you lot're like me then maybe your kids accept started to play downward in that location. Or maybe you accept a poker game down there in one case in awhile or some storage shelves.Either style, you need some lights!

One of those lights should exist controlled by a switch. You lot can supercede that calorie-free with a can low-cal without accept to deal with re-wiring the switch itself. Then you can extend that excursion to install 3 or 4 more recessed lights in that expanse.

I don't want to scare you off, but if yous read through to the end of the post I'll explainthe i affair I failed to exercise that nearly knocked me out common cold. Only please, for at present, keep reading.

vii Easy Steps to Installing Recessed Lights in your Basement

six" HALO recessed calorie-free housing. The trim (the white office) is sold separately.

Buy the can light - Go to the electric section of your favorite big box store.(attn: Home Depot or Lowe's: your name here if you lot desire to sponsor this website). Look for 6" recessed lighting housing (only tell the guy in the orange aprons that it'due south your first fourth dimension installing "can lights" in your basement).
- Get the kind thats "IC rated" these can be covered by insulation without a burn take chances.
- Here is a link to the recessed light housing that I bought. Amazon, free shipping with prime, keen price! 4.5 stars.
Turn off the power to that circuit - Don't just use the calorie-free switch. I know yous. I know y'all'll want to merely flip the switch and piece of work away. I know this because you lot are me and that's what I did... at get-go. Starting time the habit today of turning off the power at the electric box. You are already in the basement for Pete's sake, merely walk over.
Like shooting fish in a barrel to utilise voltage (line) tester. Click to buy from Amazon. (affl)

Test the circuit with a line tester- Test the excursion with your voltage (line) tester to make sure that it's dead. Meliorate yet, test it earlier turning off the power to brand sure the tester is working properly, then turn off the ability and test again to make certain there no current running through it.
Remove the old light - Okay, the power is off. Your wife is yelling at you from upstairs because you accidentally killed the power to the TV while figuring out which circuit billow to flip.Deal with it woman, your man is going to provide you with light for God sake. Unscrew and dis-mantle the old light. Un-wire it. DON"T cut whatever wire unless you must, y'all'll want all the length y'all tin can get.
- WATCH-OUT: If there are 2 wires leading into the old low-cal then it's likely that excursion continues upstairs or elsewhere in the basement. You'll have to wire this circuit back in when you install your tin can light. It's non a big deal but but exist aware.
- CODE Check: You cannot join two wires anywhere in the ceiling to brand your excursion longer. Technically it works merely it's a prophylactic violation almost anywhere in the earth and won't pass inspection. You must join wires inside an attainable junction box. Each recessed lite you install comes with the appropriate junction box.
Install the new recessed light - Nail the tin lite in between the floor joists. They take adjustable support racks and so the width is adjustable.
Wire the can light - It should come up with some ridiculously hard to read instructions that are mode to small for mortal man. I don't have room in this post to explicate every step but even if I did I think I'd make you read them anyway, it's a right of passage that I wouldn't want you to miss. :-)
Plough on the power - Bask in the glorious light that is only possible because of your eminently smart brain and electric knowledge. Or, run upstairs chop-chop and explain that the sound you merely heard is a minor setback and the power should be back on presently. So go dorsum and read those books y'all bought merely just skimmed through.

Cracking Electrical Books for Beginners

I would highly recommend that you read at least 1 merely preferably 2 professional person books on the nuts of electricity and electric wiring.Hither are ii of the electrical books I read, both of which I idea were splendid.

What I failed to practise when installing my outset recessed low-cal

The first time I did this exact project I didn't examination the line (didn't accept a line tester then). I prepped and marked and followed the line and thought I had killed the ability but when I went to cut... BAM! Big blue arc of light, and a big shock that knocked me off the chair I was standing on.

I was fine. I was at least using the proper rubber coated wire stripper for cut the wire so I'm sure that helped. If there'due south i matter y'all do, buy and apply a simple voltage tester.

Now what are yous waiting for? Try it this weekend.

Become to Abode Depot at tiffin and purchase the can light, a line tester and a wire stripper and get started. Or go to amazon right now and order them for delivery direct to your house.

You'll have more light, salvage money and feel awesome. Good luck!

Cheers - Jason

DISCLAIMER : Working with electricity can be dangerous, delight read and adhere to the condom recommendations found in the books I've recommended. If you follow the steps in this article you are doing so of your own will and volition, I cannot be held liable for any injuries that you may incur.

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