How to Wire for a New Ceiling Light | All About Lights | Ask This Old House

[@davidmarquardt2445]

Now for the first time she doesn't have to stumble through a dark room to turn the light on. A electrical feature the rest of us have enjoyed for about 70 years.

[@rebeltango]

speak for yourself! I have three light switches in my four bedroom two bathroom home. pull cords everywhere!

[@vsmit.h570]

Scott's saw was a musical instrument!

[@igorovmaior4919]

1:31-1:41 Anyone else heard the beautiful music played by the oscillating saw?

[@johnsmith-qe2fd]

Haha awesome 👏 I was thinking the same thing....like did homeboy just make a song?

[@Engineer9736]

In a warehouse where i used to work they had a pneumatic wrench, which had a little speed lever. Could kind of play guitar on it with that aggresive pneumatics noise LOL

[@Exayevie]

It sounded like it was singing!

[@kevzz108]

Sounds like a Disney cruise horn battle

[@danieldrews9180]

Igorov Maior deadass came down here to type 😂😂😂😂😂

[@ClearWaterPumpWell]

How to install a ceiling light in a room in a house that is from the 40's. Step one make a hole in your ceiling that is probably not the center of the room or lined up with anything. Cut in a switch box anywhere on a wall and not locate the studs first. Make sure you use commercial box's with F tabs they make it really easy. Get power from just any random junction box that does not supply power to that room, which makes finding the breaker fun. Run your switch and hot wires after you make them up in a box so you can waste more wire. Don't worry about removing the switch tabs 6:04 , so on a pop-in box your plate will just stick off the wall. Don't worry about finding a way to run the switch leg through a attic or other access, just cut a hole in your wall. Use a pop-in box in your ceiling, it will hold a ceiling fan when they decide they hate the ugly light. Last thing make sure your electrician fixes the hole he cut in the drywall, you'll never notice the patch! My point is for gods sake if your going to make "How to Videos" and your a "Professional", at least do things correctly and don't leave out important details!

[@justadude3902]

I love this old house! I watched it when I was 5 and I still watch it at age 19!

[@oakmen4604]

God I feel old, same thing, watched them when I was 5 and now that I’m 30 in my first home. :p

[@cup_and_cone]

Watched as a kid, and am now in my 30's. Those were great mornings every weekend. Miss the Yankee Workshop too.

[@bobbywilliams2471]

@nick sawv same here except i am in my 20s

[@techmetal2292]

Same here

[@jackalanjones9635]

Nick Sawv same but I'm ten

[@anjanm1007]

"I love it - how do I get it up" - lady -- LOL love it! (1:15)

[@horologie]

are you 9 years old?

[@technicalsteak841]

He ain't no lady. And I am not talking about Scott.

[@selcukipek3075]

😀

[@joli78363]

She called him out, 😂😂😂 Yea he hit that! Fair game..🎉🎉

[@KingRune]

I like how he just puts the box on the ceiling without any measuring,

[@johnames6430]

it's already been pre-marked you can see some pencil lines on there

[@thomassemich4627]

Yeah, he just happened to stick it on the ceiling and it was perfectly centered, just like that!

[@AndrewLeeW1]

@@johnames6430 i surely hope so. Id be pissed to have a light installed off center. OCD activate.

[@kenc2257]

Nice install. Never heard of "madison bars" before. We have 3 external lights that are really LED panels--we like them (though they do have an industrial/commercial look, which wouldn't suit everyone).

[@nishantdole]

The way he is just snaking wires so easy I wish it was like that in real life ...

[@Arieeeee]

I bet they spent an hour or two investigating the best way. It also helps that they have basements in that part of the country. In my world, there are no basements so it's either attic or cut holes.

[@shadowblack1987]

@Abdul Rahman lmao use a battery operated closet light dumbo. They last a longggggggggggg time. I change mine once or twice a year.

[@shaunehemphill3259]

Ronan B what’s the brand/kind you use?

[@shaunehemphill3259]

Abdul Rahman lol right

[@signetulupan]

Abdul Rahman whoa

[@swss12]

good thing he checked for joists in the ceiling before he cut!!

[@matthewwong1064]

He can use a pancake box if he ends up hitting a joist.

[@anthonyvilla9254]

Matthew Wong no pancake can hold that little square he puts in last

[@lightshow6638]

Antonio villa they can

[@mattkrywyj5184]

My man definitely looked at it and 100% said "You got a light bulb"

[@leonpse]

I wish the video showed more about the shutting down the electricity and the actual wiring done to connect things.

[@jacqjacq5920]

This was so good to watch. Just what I was looking for! Thanks!

[@Jack-vm1fg]

The wall construction is unlike anything I have seen. how did he get the fish tape through the header stud at the top of the wall? Is there one? 6:10

[@banihex]

Lmao what’s with T-Pain at 1:30

[@moelo5930]

Quite the improvement, only thing I’d change is a nicer light fixture for the space.

[@ncooty]

Next home owner installs a ceiling fan from that box.

[@psyo123]

to be honest this is dumbest light installation ever seen.

[@harrycave6309]

They are gonna get a hair cut with that roof hight if they add a fan

[@T1Oracle]

That's their problem.

[@leofitzpatrick6430]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@immortalspirit4ever1]

Haha that would suck

[@jamedlock83]

Take a shot everytime she says "that sounds great"

[@AndyMartin51]

Not trying to die of alcohol poisoning over here

[@krishisrani6234]

@@AndyMartin51 LMAAOOOOO

[@warn3535]

Next home owner named Madison hangs a ceiling fan and realizes that thing is held up by only Madison bars..

[@steeezyb]

So when it burns out you get to replace the whole thing! Totally worth it

[@scottkurtz5167]

They're rated for like 20000 hours. Which is 10 years if you use it 8 hours a day. Seems pretty reasonable.

[@steeezyb]

@@scottkurtz5167 whats reasonable is the 70 year old porcelain ceiling fixture that hangs in your basement that can still be modernized with a replaceable led bulb! After factoring cost led starts making less and less sense when you start using expensive expendable fixtures like these.

[@TisiphoneLuv]

This true and since they are made In China 🇨🇳 Good Luck if it lasts more than 2 yrs! 🤨

[@r1ckastl3y86]

@@TisiphoneLuv I have had led bulbs last me only 3 months before so you would be lucky if it lasts a year or a year and a half.

[@i_am_seawolf]

a bit cheesy but I learned some things. Awesome video!

[@strangerofthe2067]

“We have.... are you ready for this?!?!? LIGHT EMITTING DIODES!!!!” Ah yes, the good old days.

[@willievihaan6643]

Instablaster

[@telosfd]

It is an advantage when the walls and ceilings are made of wood! Nice work. Question why there is no point on the ceiling from the beginning of construction for the installation of a luminaire?

[@macstrong1284]

The house, based on the style of the molding and height of the ceiling, was likely built before the common use of electricity in the home

[@probegt75]

I'm pretty sure the second half of this tutorial can be found on the Hub 🙃

[@r1ckastl3y86]

Lmfao

[@220avg]

I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING

[@MountaineerOutdoors]

not sure if the electrical junction box in the basement had it or not couldnt see it well in the video but It def needs to be grounded and by code the screw in the switch box should have been green and a separate wire not the wire off the romex. And just my opinion but always put a ceiling box rated for a fan up because if they get tired of that light and want a ceiling fan its def not gonna hold.

[@mattbartolovich8228]

I would have put in a rafter bar

[@mattbartolovich8228]

Fan hanger

[@strangerofthe2067]

As a residential electrician with ten plus years of experience, as well as a professional troll on the internet, I can tell you that it is ALWAYS this easy and no skill is required. You could literally wire your whole house after watching this video. Just remember to have fun doing it. Your kids will be pulling wire in no time! Good luck! 👍

[@johnholfelder6724]

StrangerOf The206 Amazing how easy fishing wires is in old houses.

[@springer-qb4dv]

you forgot /S

[@jimcollins3411]

@@johnholfelder6724 Yes if nobody has blown the walls and attic full of insulation then it becomes a much harder job to do .

[@philipnicholson3216]

where did that light come from - looks nice

[@DIY_Tips]

Great youtube channel my friend 👏🏻😊

[@vince6829]

Nice job. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@cup_and_cone]

Nice, an electrical video! The most controversial of all TOH videos... * Grabs popcorn *

[@fritzmortimer4129]

This is a great and informative video.

[@ja8898]

I have some old work boxes with built in tabs. You just twist them with a screwdriver and the ears pin it to the drywall. No need for the madison bars.

[@neil340]

6:12 good thing her ceiling joists run parallel to the wire

[@compactcow]

Probably could've continued up from the switch if that wasn't the case.

[@crankbait09]

question: I noticed he used the metal box with that madison bar. Why not use an existing work box that has the self tightening levers already included? I imagine their was a reason for the route he went when he chose that option.

[@Vanilla_Icecream1231]

Tbh not really like In Canada we only use metal boxes but use it f clips was dumb for the wall it doesn’t matter but using f clips for the room was dumb

[@ra5tan365]

Lol that's so horrible... lm glad he helped her out. She really needed it.

[@chrisgast]

So, a driver is the power adapter between the 14 gauge and 18 gauge?

[@clownhands]

How did the fish tape get down through the stud top plate to the access hole?

[@Yousitech]

Do they not have attics up north?

[@heatherlollar4552]

This old house is interesting 😏

[@amandeepsingh2864]

Good video as always but don't like that he cuts through the main beam to pass wires. The beam already showing signs of wear and tear and lost strength over the years.

[@sonconmas]

As a UK electrician I can't believe how different things are done in the US.

[@AMD1]

This guy is a hack. Not a good representation of north american electrical systems at all. It's my understanding that plumbing is vastly different, too. I'm baffled by the complexity of uk toilets, especially the old ones.

[@robertahart5160]

@@AMD1 a hack lol???? The only thing I would have done differently is use plastic old work boxes. Otherwise there's 0 difference.

[@sairamnagarajan]

I’m curious- how exactly would you say they are different?

[@hayel2015]

Big like 👍 👍 👍

[@RobertMcSorleyJr]

So what do you do if you don't have a basement or an attic?

[@springer-qb4dv]

you'll have to fish wire from existing socket to the new switch box to hole on top of the wall and from there to the light cutout. However, if there are some studs and joists running perpendicular to path the fish tape, you'll have to make a cut out of drywall at each of those locations to drill and pull wire through. In other words, this video makes it look like cake walk, where as in real life it's nothing but.

[@purplekillerpenguin]

Is there no regulation in the US to how much weight a ceiling fixture must hold? In Europe its 25kgs

[@Vanilla_Icecream1231]

seymour butz yeah there is I’m not sure how much but if your installing a fan or heavy light you have to screw a metal box not plastic to the studs so the fan or heavy light won’t fall

[@illestofdemall13]

They make different junction boxes for different things. They make heavier duty metal ones that support up to a 75 lb fan, for instance. It depends on the application.

[@futbol1972]

Hello I bought 2 led lights that have a short cord that can be plug in outlet with on and off switch, but it also comes with cable that can be wired. It's nice that this can be plug in outlet and haclve an on and off switch. The problem is that cord is only 2 ft long. I have a ceiling fan with light in garage. I control it with light switch from inside house. If I decide to wire the two new led lights can i tap it from ceiling fan? That way when I flip light switch on it will turn on ceiling fun and new led lights too? Do I have to get into attic to do this?

[@juananaya2062]

Of coarse, they did not mention this-----turn the power off before you do this. This should always be made as step 1.

[@gregorall9779]

So who patched the hole in the upper wall?

[@Djm9393]

he's the best i love this channel

[@DaneliusUK]

Enjoyed it, thank you.

[@julianabramo245]

1:30 my favorite song ❤️

[@rora1696pvzgw]

This song is actually fancy

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Part ll Repairing drywall hole with hot mud

[@shawnwaterssw]

What model is your tool belt?

[@michaelmaasen872]

Did you use a piece of drywall to patch the temporary access hole, or just spackle?

[@michaelmaasen872]

Nathan Walkner probably 😂

[@justanotherguy8791]

You use the drywall you just cut out. It's a perfect fit for the patch.

[@jayv2765]

we call them mad bars in the field

[@beyond2600]

Nathan Walkner I literally LOLed

[@masterofnothing3373]

Probably painted masking tape!:)

[@johnnyfeathers2567]

Yet again another job for the roto zip saw on that light box, man I love the roto zip!!

[@matthewwong1064]

johnny feathers I don’t think that’s a roto zip. It’s an oscillating tool.

[@richardmesser1091]

Dimmer switch would have been nice

[@Dacari13]

This is so easy. I will soon have lights everywhere...

[@senorjalapeno3937]

Yeah.... call an electrician.

[@Dacari13]

@Abdul Rahman It was to me. I enjoyed it.

[@Dacari13]

@@senorjalapeno3937 There was no need.

[@r1ckastl3y86]

@@senorjalapeno3937 what if you know what you are doing?

[@juliof970]

She's dressed just like Scott.

[@frankingrassia8376]

what is a wall patch?

[@richieyeah]

The lady is cute, one big advantage from building houses the way you do in America to the way we do in mainland Europe is that you can add electricity relatively easy . Here i would have to hack out masonry and concrete to get conduit in to get a new light fixture somewhere

[@theanimal189]

Richard de leeuw Most states in the US make you put in conduit. In the 2013 US code book all new power must be run through conduit

[@MandoFettOG]

Carl Shaw that is not true...

[@theanimal189]

Conrad S depending on what NEC year the town people are working in depends on the code used. Anything after 2011 must be run with conduit.

[@MandoFettOG]

You're telling me every single wire must be run through conduit? I'm sorry that is baloney.... wire only needs to be in conduit when it is exposed to potential damage....

[@theanimal189]

Well I'm just telling you what m the NEC says. It just depends on your city or town inspectors and what NEC codes they use.

[@steveho9884]

where can I get that fixtures?

[@Dredpath1]

Fantastic video! Great job, Scott!

[@justinwoods240]

From the cut away of the switch looks like points from an old engine like a Briggs or v8

[@danielkofman4592]

Why not just use a remodel box? AKA Cut in Box. Ive never used one of those Madison bars he showed

[@johnholfelder6724]

daniel kofman I’ve used them for the switch box, but never for a light fixture , even one of those lightweight LED fixtures. Whenever possible, I’ve always used a fan box to mount overhead lights. You never know if someone will want to change out a fixture

[@EDHBlvd]

I need to buy some Madison bars...

[@electricianron_New_Jersey]

Madison bars are so old school. I am a pro and do still keep them on my truck but only for when I need them, like with BX cable. I mice prefer to work with plastic old work boxes.

[@Faddnn]

@@electricianron_New_Jersey everything done in the US is old school.

[@r1ckastl3y86]

@Abdul Rahman yeah, but what if you have a plastic box holding a ceiling fan? I have that problem and I need to change it out with a ceiling fan rated box. the box holding my ceiling fan is a plastic switch box and it could fall at any time.

[@BigLove101]

Great episode. Was her ceiling low or is Scott that tall? He did everything without a ladder.lol Patch job everything. I like Scotts work.

[@scarroll625]

BigLove101 yes

[@youtubeaholic2154]

I've gotten used to plastic remodel boxes with fold out ears.

[@scarroll625]

KZbinaholic2 they are called old work boxes

[@bobloveswhiskey]

Ask This Old House needs more episodes with Scott

[@ratchet219]

Good guy, they should bring him back on the show

[@chicanopridealvarez1385]

How about a ceiling fan install in same situation

[@dfresh1524]

I've been thinking about this for the last month. Thanks for the video!

[@ahmedaljumely5552]

Something not clear?? How you the light on now ??! And you didn’t counter to the switch??

[@a23956]

Oscillating tool and musical instrument

[@cdixon2011ify]

Wait! Was I the only one that didn't hear him say "cut the power first" especially since he stuck a screw driver in that box?????

[@GeeTheBuilder]

Do American electricians really just find any old random junction box and take power for a lighting circuit?? In the UK we have dedicated lighting and power circuits. And a reduced current limiter (fuse) is needed if you HAVE to do this. I know Americans use radials but mixing and matching lighting and power circuits?

[@masterofnothing3373]

Not "real" electricians! :(

[@tjbrower]

that’s how you do it!! No measuring or anything, just get it done!

[@opentrunk]

My house is actually insulated and the tops of my walls have something called a top plate in them.

[@compactcow]

I'm assuming above this light was another floor, otherwise they could've ran the wire from the attic.

[@razorcool5011]

How will The next homeowners put up a ceiling fan the box is just gonna come right out along with the fan

[@Engineer9736]

I would let the customer choose a light. The technician only needs to do the technical things. If you have a bit to spend i would suggest to go for Philips Hue. I never touch any lightswitch. During workweek lights come on at 6 in the morning, if i come home all the lights (hallway, living room, kitchen counter, etc) turn on with sensor, in evening at 10pm they dim graduatly down towards 10:30pm. You can program it any way you want and any color per bulb.

[@cup_and_cone]

I agree it's the homeowners choice, but let's not forget the installer is also the first person who gets blame for poor quality fixtures the homeowner picked.

[@MandoFettOG]

I have no doubt the homeowner picked the light, this is a scripted show after all...

[@Blox117]

philips is expensive though. there are much cheaper smart bulbs or switches that do the same thing.

[@Engineer9736]

Blox117 I have no experience with other makes, but before going for them i would first watch some reviews about the specific brands. Maybe they lack quality in some way. But everyone should go for their own budget of course.

[@Blox117]

Richard van Pukkem philips is really expensive if you replace all the lights in your home, especially if your home has a lot of lights! the biggest concern I have about ALL smart appliances is this: what happens after a few years when the manufacturer's servers go down? then there is no way for you to communicate from an app to your smart appliance

[@rora1696pvzgw]

Can anyone else hear that fancy music playing at 1:31 and 1:39

[@CaseyGpdx]

If I were you I would add a fan rated brace type box so it is future proofed and the ceiling won’t fall if a fan goes up

[@Vanilla_Icecream1231]

Same

[@khangnguyen-vg4tz]

after i'm done the light and i'm light you up too

[@RicardoJunqueira]

Holly Mackrel! How tall is Scott?!

[@clydebalcom8252]

I'm guessing about 6'4", maybe 6'5".

[@pthibault630]

I'm 6'4" and can easily do this kind of work without a step ladder or stool... so I'm guessing 6'4". Lol

[@stacyhackney6100]

Neat, thanks for sharing.

[@leonidasrincon7195]

Los materiales wue nosotros usamos en la construccion son diferentes en muchos casos..nosotros usamos mucho bloques de arena con cemento al igal que las paredes aqui se us mas la madera y el yipson...las herramientas asi mismo van cambiando ...pero si se puede hacer conociendo bien los nuevos materiales electricos..hay que comprarlos y hacer de nuestras casasu hogares nuestros laboratorios...como cuanto cotaran esos interroptorrs inteligentes??☻☻☻

[@leonidasrincon7195]

Voy consultar co el cerbrito amigo de los chwenlay estos venden mas barato y como es exprrimentacion!!!!

[@CaseyGpdx]

What’s that tool called that you used to cut a hole in the ceiling at 1:36

[@masta839]

Kenneth Raps oscillating tool

[@georgeeconomou44]

he is bacckkkk

[@saulgoodman2018]

No he's not. This is a couple years old.

[@xworkerbee]

Pro Tips: NEVER use a power tool to cut blindly into sheetrock. You could easily cut through a concealed wire. Instead, use a hand held keyhole saw. Also, do not use those metal boxes with those flimsy metal mounting straps. It is much better to use "old work" plastic boxes that will mount securely to the sheetrock. .

[@Vanilla_Icecream1231]

No always use metal boxes for fans but using f clips for ceiling box is dumb cause some one who don’t know could install a fan there so either find a stud and screw ur box onto that or use the box I forget what it’s called where you can unscrew the side to bit it in the wood

[@matthewnowak3488]

That’s not always the case, here in Chicago Romex isn’t allowed nor are plastic boxes and we run into more plaster than drywall, so everything has to be metal, the Madison hangers are ok for switches but we don’t use them for outlets, we use a metal box with expanding ears. I do certainly wish we could use Romex as it would be soooo much easier but it’s not Chicago code.

[@chrisburns5691]

those oscillating saws have about as much chance of cutting something as a jab saw. Actually less of a chance as you don't need to go as far into the wall. His method was just fine.

[@AStanton1966]

@@chrisburns5691 I agree with you. As a homeowner, I just used an oscillating saw to do some old work in my house for the first time. Those saws give you a great amount of control to stay within the lines.

[@chrisburns5691]

@@AStanton1966 I have used one routinely at work for years for this purpose, never an issue.

[@venividivici4253]

Good work Scott. If I was you, I would have installed a ceiling fan box there. There is many DIY homeowners out there and that box you showed us wont support a fan and its a lawsuit waiting to happen if someone gets injured. I always think about the future. Sure it costs more but in the end, its flexible.

[@ilyaroslov6502]

Nope they just gotta change the box if they want a heavier light

[@benjamincarpenter4376]

A professional would know that this box cannot support a ceiling fan. The electrician put in the correct style box based on what it would be used for, a very lightweight fixture. If a homeowner came along and decided to install a ceiling fan there, and then it fell a day later and hurt someone or whatever, the electrician isn't responsible, it's the fault of the installer, which in this case is the homeowner. Not sure how you could file a lawsuit against yourself, lol. Could he have gone ahead and installed a heavy duty bracket? Certainly. Was he being paid to do so? No. Things like this are usually discussed beforehand. And if someone wanted to change it to a box that could, it really wouldn't be that difficult.

[@MountaineerOutdoors]

Just noticed too that he called the sub panel the main panel one more thing too.. He should have made sure that the 14 Guage wire was protected with a 15 amp breaker not on a 20 however we can assume the he did that already for the sake of the nec. So many code issues might want to rethink their electrical series

[@electricaf365]

Name one “code issue” that you saw

[@bigpardner]

I prefer the old light.

[@williamlewis3965]

I have never heard of Madison bars but I have used thousend of " F" clips

[@JamesDalphond]

They are called battleships around my parts.

[@sarahgrace8798]

C clips in Australia

[@322man]

he's back

[@johnkeith5341]

learned about madison bars. grateful for that ;)

[@avrahamlevy3619]

PLEASE link top light fixture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@michaelsteinbach]

Company called dweLED makes a similar unit (if not the same) and costs about $120+ depending on finish. Search FM-4006-27-BN on Amazon.

[@southfoxtrot]

Why are the ceilings so low???

[@shawnlewis2454]

How fix furnace blower is not working

[@Behemoth456]

2:45 What if going behind the wall was not an option

[@AnonyMous-lk7zi]

Imma go with white to white, black to black, ground to ground. What's a concept.

[@dwaynemcknight9524]

U never showed where the wire got power from to the ceilings

[@electricaf365]

He did at 3:02

[@guluaze]

Where do you live? I want it

[@jamesjoseph6568]

Madison bars ugh! OWC clips are the way to go.