If you’re changing out a light fixture and find there’s no ground wire in the box, you’re not out of luck. Here’s how to connect a 2-wire light fixture without ground.
If you’re having trouble locating the ground wire, the ground wire is either a bare wire or green.
Safety first
Always turn off the power at the breaker or fuse box before you work on electricity. This keeps you safe from potential electric shock.
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The purpose of the ground wire
Learn how to configure/install flood lights to illuminate your yard to improve safety/security in your home. Flood lights are mounted to the soffit of the house. Be aware of the closest junction box/interior switch.
Oct 07, 2016 Started using LED light and find their much brighter and use much less power and maintenance free. Currently their is no existing floodlight here for me to swap over with existing wiring. I'm not an electrician but 2 years ago qualified as a domestic installer along with a few months onsite experience so don't feel concerned tackling this job.
The ground wire is designed to protect you. In the event that the live wire comes loose and touches the light fixture, the ground wire diverts the power and blows the breaker, instead of you feeling an electrical shock when you touch the fixture.
May 07, 2011 One wire will come from the light, the other from the main electrical circuit of your house. Disengage the wires by twisting the wiring cap until it comes free. Once you have released the light from its wiring, you can set the existing light fixture aside. Adding New Light Fixtures off an Existing Light Switch. The easiest way to add new light fixtures is to run the new wiring to the existing light fixture, splice the wires together as the old fixture was connected and then place a decorative blank cover over the fixture box.
That’s the only purpose the ground wire serves. It’s a safety feature. The light works just fine without it, just like in the case of a light switch. But before you just discard it entirely, there may be an alternative way to hook it up.
Don’t sweat it if you can’t find an alternative way. Just leave it disconnected in that case. But let’s examine the alternatives.
Examine the metal box
Assuming the electrical box is metal, take a look at the box. Frequently the metal box itself is grounded. If the Romex wire coming into the box appears to have a metalized surface, that surface probably serves as a ground. I’ve also seen boxes where the ground wire is looped back so it’s touching the box but not actually present in the box.
While you can’t necessarily assume every metal box is grounded, many are. If there’s a screw inside the metal box, connect the ground wire from the fixture to it. If not, look for a screw hole in the box. You can put a short 8-32 machine screw in the hole, then connect the ground wire to that screw.
Putting a screw in an electrical box can be a pain. I find a magnetized screwdriver helps. If you don’t have a magnetized screwdriver, try using a small piece of tape to secure the screw to your screwdriver until you thread the screw into its destination.
Last and least, if there’s no screw present in the box to connect a ground wire and no place to put a screw, here’s a workaround. Remove one of the long screws that holds the fixture in place. Thread an 8-32 nut onto the screw. Replace the screw. Wrap the wire around the screw, then cinch the nut down to hold it.
A plastic box with no ground
What if you find a plastic box with no ground? I’ve seen people ground to plastic before, but it doesn’t do any good. You’re just as well off leaving the wire unconnected as you are trying to ground to plastic. You can wrap the wire around one of the screws that holds the fixture on, but the only purpose it serves is to help hold the fixture up while you wire the black hot and white common wires.
Never connect the fixture’s ground wire to the white wire
Never, ever, EVER connect the ground wire to the white wire. I’ve seen people do this as a workaround when there’s no ground available. But this connection isn’t the same as ground, so don’t do it, as it greatly increases the chances of the fixture becoming electrified. That defeats the purpose. If you don’t have ground available any other way, just leave the fixture’s ground disconnected.
Further reading
How To Wire A Floodlight
I’ve had a few too many adventures with ceiling light fixtures. Here’s what to do if your ceiling light fixture doesn’t work, how to add an outlet to a light switch line, and what to do if you find both a red and black wire.
Wiring Outdoor Flood Lights
By code, the number of conductors allowed in a box are limited depending on box size and wire gauge. Calculate total conductors allowed in a box before adding new wiring, etc. Check local regulations for restrictions and permit requirements before beginning electrical work. The user of this information is responsible for following all applicable regulations and best practices when performing electrical work. If the user is unable to perform electrical work themselves, a qualified electrician should be consulted. How to Read These Diagrams
This page contains wiring diagrams for household light switches and includes: a switch loop, single-pole switches, light dimmer, and a few choices for wiring a outlet switch combo device. Bentley boats. Also included are wiring arrangements for multiple light fixtures controlled by one switch, two switches on one box, and a split receptacle controlled by two switches.
Wiring a Switch Loop
When the electrical source originates at a light fixture and is controlled from a remote location, a switch loop is used.
Flood Lights Installation
This circuit is wired with a 2-wire cable running from the light to the switch location. The neutral from the source is connected directly to the neutral terminal on the light and the source hot is spliced with the white loop wire. The white wire is marked black on both ends to identify it as hot. At SW1 it is connected to one of the terminals. The black loop wire is connected to the other terminal and at the light, to the hot terminal on the fixture.