How to Install Track Lights and Speakers | Ask This Old House

Scott Caron, master electrician for Ask This Old House, installs LED track lights and LED track lights with Bluetooth speaker technology to brighten up a loft bedroom.
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Scott Caron installs track lights and lights that double as speakers to brighten up a darkened loft.
Scott installed LED track lights manufactured by W.A.C. lighting [www.waclighting.com/].
Scott also put in two larger Pulse LED lights, which double as speakers when paired via Bluetooth and are made by Sengled Smart Lighting [us.sengled.com/].
Expert assistance with this project was provided by Caron Electric [www.caronelectric.com/].
Shopping List for How to Install Track Lights and Speakers:
- 14-gauge wire
- Corrugated loom tube
- Surface raceway
- Track
- Track lights
- Wire nuts
- Light switch
Tools for How to Install Track Lights and Speakers:
-Drill/driver
- Screwdriver
- Pliers
- Wire cutters
Steps for How to Install Track Lights and Speakers:
1. Find a source of constant power to connect new wiring.
2. Turn off electricity to the power source/outlet.
3. Outline where you want to run wire and spread out the surface raceway covering accordingly.
4. Attach back clips for the surface raceway by drilling into the wall and driving in screws.
5. Place 14-gauge wire through the surface raceway as you build it along your outline.
6. To manage any angles, uses flexible corrugated loom tube and bind it using anti-short bushings.
7. Fit the raceway connector into the track lighting electrical box.
8. Install by screwing into the structure using a drill/driver.
9. Screw in wires to the electrical box connections using a screwdriver.
10. Connect the lighting track to the structure using screws and a drill/driver.
11. Connect the LED light heads by sliding them into the track and rotating them to click them in.
12. Splice wiring to the switch and outlet by tying in 14-gauge wire to the existing wiring using pliers and wire nuts.
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How to Install Track Lights and Speakers | Ask This Old House
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[@mouaxiong8618]

Now everytime Scott drives by the house he blasts loud music and controls the lighting however he wants to.

[@jonxor]

Whoever at TOH did the editing of this video watched the volume slider on the phone app and matched the BG music to what was displayed on screen. Nice touch. Also, nice wire track install. I don't know if I like the look of that wire raceway over the brick though. I'd want something that could match the color, or find some other route. Just my own aesthetic choice though.

[@elliottierney5452]

4:05 just wait for the “oh wow” lol

[@loonifer888]

Love how you have two different colored lights that are controlled by two different sources, one of them a switch on the wall and one of them an app on your phone. That wouldn't get annoying immediately or anything...

[@BatDimen]

Technically helpful. Aesthetically ugly as sin.

[@albertr2212]

if your installing tracking lights inside a commercial place with T bars, what's the difference,(hardware wise)??

[@onecrazywheel]

This install would have looked much better if it was installed in EMT conduit instead of the Surface Mounted Raceway.

[@onecrazywheel]

+Spud 97 Preference. If you think this looks good then go ahead. EMT would have looked way better here. Her room was in need of EMT conduit compared to Almond colored Surface Mounted Raceway with flex in the middle of it? No. It looked way tackier. I'll stick to EMT conduit.

[@chewycornell]

Wow!

[@MrPremium08]

I'm just hear to read the negative comments from people that think they are better... gotta love trolls on KZbin

[@compactcow]

He shouldn't have used that raceway thought, EMT would look much better with the room.

[@MrPremium08]

@@compactcow either way would look tacky, I think the install looks good considering. You think galvanized pipe would look better? It may very well, but that's a personal preference. As is the install is well done. Maybe the homeowner was given the option of conduit vs raceway and chose this??

[@Thumbsdwn]

People with different opinions aren’t automatically trolls. Can of spray paint is less than $5, all it would have taken to better blend the raceway into the wall.

[@chrisf9607]

scot is great but i would have gone with 1/2" emt

[@iamsmartacus]

It would have been nice if he'd explained more about how the bluetooth lights/speakers work. He just kind of threw that in at the end. Is the power rail that supplies them switched at the box, or does it have constant power?

[@compactcow]

They have constant power.

[@juliof970]

What season was this on?

[@adamguymon7096]

I like this but with wireless technology such as smart lights like LiFx light bulbs you could have color changing lights in each of those sockets. If you have a Alexa DOT/Google Home or a Smart Switch you could change, dim each light to it's own color or turn the one's you want to.

[@gpslightlock1422]

Good work but I'd rather see darker raceway.

[@curtisi4403]

Constant power and cutting wires without first disconnecting power from the breaker.

[@danielkofman4592]

Real men dont shut off power

[@colbyhodges]

All around....a C- for what could have been done in this application. Come on TOH! What's wrong with EMT and standard boxes. No need to over-simplify a basic install.

[@alec4672]

I'd of done anything to avoid that race way. Reminds me of a old commercial building that's had a few remodels. I'd of gone as far as to run the wire outside.

[@electriciantv5174]

I agree but sometimes you just can’t

[@thevulgaralchemist6589]

Hey! the wall on the other end of the beam has an outlet!! ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/haWQYWxoi6amrrc&ab_channel=ThisOldHouse ). Looks like a hollow wall to run wires inside. Even if not hollow, the raceway would be harder to see on the cream colored smooth wall.

[@fnhwk]

Maybe he gave her a few options and she liked the wire mold? I dont think he would just go ahead and decide for her unless she didn't care.

[@magdygliny3221]

Hey man

[@RobinLewisMakes]

I'm not an electrician so please correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the lights be installed on a lighting circuit, and not off a power outlet?

[@roccocroce]

+Robin Lewis Not even an electrician and he knows its no good haha Good spot! Technically, it's old work and it's additional "accent" lighting so theres really no stipulation its bound to. You're right though.

[@boris9305]

+Robin Lewis No you can mix just it depends on the electrician. In Ontario you cant go more than 12 outlets on a circuit or 24 light fixture and if you mix then 12 outlets/light fixture max

[@seananderson7087]

+Robin Lewis Correct, though if he capped the outlet box so it can't be used, then it's fine, as long as it's just lights on that circuit.

[@seananderson7087]

+Sean Anderson Going off what I said, realistically it doesn't matter, what you can NEVER do is turn a light into an outlet, or add an outlet to an existing light. These are just rules of thumb though, power is power, they both run off 120 (or 240 ) volts, in most cases to save money, people will use thinner wire for lighting. As long as the wiring is thick enough, and the circuit breaker, which can easily be replaced, is high enough amperage, then it is fine, There is literally no difference between a lamp and a light, one plugs into an outlet, the other is directly wired in. That said, follow your local code

[@seananderson7087]

Vax Buster I did address that myself after I thought about it a bit, see the next comment I made ^ However, He wouldn't need to change the circuit breaker to a different value, As outlets have a higher amp breaker anyways.

[@Bsyphas]

Is it safe

[@FreddyMendoza123]

too many professionals posting comments here 😏👍

[@magdygliny3221]

Hey

[@andrewknowles9783]

With that exposed brick and big beams should have used armored cable and steel switchbox, painted black... Fits the aesthetic of the space way better than f*cking wiremold

[@VicRiver1]

This is the second time that I tried to find a video that explains and shows in detail how to tap into a wall outlet to install track lighting. But as with the a previous video I watched , this part was again left out. How the hell am I supposed learn how this is done if you don't show us how to actually do it. My problem is the reason for the whole point of this video and it is not addressed in the video. I don't get it. Can someone help me please? ????

[@johnnybussart4721]

Hire an electrician

[@mintheman7]

You don’t know how to use google? You do know TOH is not only home improvement show, right?

[@AutoUnder]

The conduit and switch box could at least be black for god sake!

[@davidredpath4781]

She’s got a sprinkler system in her house! Lucky!

[@carlospretty9189]

Wires are hidden but the insulator is not

[@ericwotton2046]

EMT would have looked much better than that Wiremold crap raceway.😟

[@mattkrywyj5184]

1:50 "Short Cut Caron" is back! Scotty, they sell 45 degree bends for wiremold for abour $3.00. I shudder to think what a customer would say to me if I left them with THAT, and then asked them to pay me LOL....

[@sdmerkr]

Ugly install.

[@1000crazypeople]

agreed

[@seananderson7087]

+sdmerkr yeah

[@ThiasRussell]

+sdmerkr Just what I would have said: If it was me I would have used some galvanized tubings and made the installation with that instead of that off white whatever color he used. But lucky for me it was not in my house ;-)

[@ElGoonisShive]

The lights arent the only thing that go down in that house if ya know what I mean

[@B3ND3CO]

exposed wires.....hack!

[@compactcow]

Where?

[@mrcflman]

this guy is not an electrician why has he used that ugly raceway for starters and whats the switches use on the other side of the room

[@lilGod18]

john taylor what would you do then please elaborate?

[@crossvadar249]

It's casing is so ugly

[@Thumbsdwn]

Woah that is ugly.. match the raceway with the wall color at least

[@juliof970]

I think Scott got fired because he was sloppy with his work. You gotta see all his videos and you'll see. The new guy, Heath is much cleaner and neater. That's why he was hired. Again,, I think.

[@roccocroce]

We need to encourage professionals to stop using "110" or "220" as nomenclature for referring to 125v and 250v nominal circuits. It makes me cringe the same as when a carpenter measure the "heith" of a workpiece...

[@tengelgeer]

+Rocco Croce Calling it 125V and 250V also makes me cringe... It's 120/240V in US and 230/400V in EU.

[@roccocroce]

+tengelgeer realistically... They're referred to as 125v and 250v NOMINAL circuits in the NEC.

[@tengelgeer]

+Rocco Croce Then it's time to change Wikipedia and some of my books. They all refer to it as 120V nominal +-5% (126V max).

[@roccocroce]

+tengelgeer my books are mixed but they are all very clear with using 120 and 240 for theory calculations. I've never once written 110 or 220 on a calculation or an exam.

[@thebeststooge]

I still call it 117 (I still have electrical that says 117) but back in the old days it really was 110v (back in the days with two wire only circa 1920's and 30's) and on my power supplies that have a switch they are marked 110/220 and they are brand new (some from China others not). 120/240 is the modern standard nomenclature.

[@Esiggies]

Scott I was right the first time. GET A NEW PROFESSION, study give yourself a good 5 to 10 years, their is a place to learn on the job that's why they have apprenticeships and a master on the job, but most of what i have seen you do, I would expect from an apprentice not a so called qualified electrician. Where the hell did you adopt your standards from????

[@compactcow]

Other than being ugly there's nothing wrong with this installation.