U Do It Reviews Lighting – Installing Modern Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

In this video, we review the removal of our old-style lighting fixtures and replace them with a modern outdoor lighting fixture. The manufacturer sent the lights to me for review.

Safety Considerations

Please exercise caution while working. Several safety concerns should be considered, such as electrical safety, electrical code, ladder safety, working with tools, and more. Please consult a licensed electrician. Also, consult your code enforcement official as you may need to file a permit. Some municipalities and cities consider replacement acceptable maintenance without requiring a permit. While other municipalities require a permit to even work on an electrical device.

Tools and Materials

The following tools and materials are suggested:

Wire strippers
Needlenose Pliers
#2 Screwdriver
Drill/Driver and Driver Bits
Electrical Tape
Wirenuts

Removal of Old Fixtures

Ensure that the breaker is turned off before removal of the lighting fixture. After you turn off the breaker, use an electrical tester to verify that the breaker is turned off. Depending upon the age of your house, you could have some other wiring concerns such as a shared neutral. Again, consult a licensed electrician as I cannot cover every possible situation that can occur. Once the fixtures are removed, inspect the existing wiring. Ensure that the ground wire is available.

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GFI Protection

You will need to ensure that the circuit is protected with GFI (Ground Fault Interrupt) since the new lighting fixtures have an outlet. If you do not have GFI protection, it is recommended that you do not install the lights. Or, disconnect the wiring internally that supplies power to the outlet.

Installation of Mounting Bracket

Inspect the lighting fixture and remove the mounting bracket from the lighting fixture. Be careful not to lose the top and bottom screws that are used to secure the light housing onto the bracket. Loosen the green ground screw on the bracket and pull the ground wire through the center hole of the bracket. Proceed to wrap the ground wire around its green ground screw. Torque down the ground-screw to properly secure the wire.

Inspection of Lighting Fixture Wiring

As I mentioned in the video, the ground wire was coming into contact with the neutral lug of the outlet on the interior of the lighting fixture. I discovered this through inspection and resolved it using electrical tape. I suggest you also inspect the wiring look for possible issues and make corrections if necessary.

Wiring the Lighting Fixture

You may need some assistance while performing this step. This will require you to position the lighting fixture close to the mounting bracket so that you can connect the wires. You can see in the video my ladder was tall enough to stage the lighting fixture on the top step of the ladder.

Using the supplied wire nuts, secure the neutral wire from the house to the neutral wire of the lighting fixture. Connect the hot wire from the house to the hot wire of the lighting fixture. Lastly, connect the ground wire to the two ground wires within the lighting fixture housing.

Secure the wire nuts with electrical tape.

Installing Modern Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

Using the two screws for the bracket, secure the lighting fixture to the bracket that is now hanging. Be careful not to drop these as they are hard to find on the ground.

Our Thoughts

These lights were installed in May 2024 and as of October 2024, they are still working well. We are pleased with the modern look, especially with the Philips Hue Bulbs. Now that our garage doors are painted black, they match well.

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Video Credits:
Video Production: U Do It™️ Studios a Division of No Cheese Records® LLC All Rights Reserved.