Fasten wires with wire nuts and tape for secure connections.
Drop ceilings are often used to cover up unsightly mechanical, electrical and plumbing elements in basements, garages, or industrial spaces. Since this typically covers any existing lighting on the original ceiling, new lighting needs to be installed in the drop ceiling. The simplest solution is to install recessed can lighting. You need to hire an electrician to make the connection at the circuit breaker box, install new, or adapt existing switches and install the junction boxes you use to connect your fixtures to electrical system.
Instructions
1. Map out your space on paper. Draw an outline of your walls, include any furniture or other important features, or areas that have specific uses. Draw a grid over this, representing your ceiling tiles. Determine where lighting would be most beneficial for the purposes the space serves. Mark each location you plan to add a fixture on this map.
2. Turn off the circuit breakers controlling all junction boxes you are going to connect to. Lift up on each tile you marked on your diagram, turn it diagonally and let it down through the opening in the drop ceiling grid. Measure from each light location to corresponding junction box and cut wire to fit, leaving 10 percent extra length for slack.
3. Cut the main insulation off the ends of your cable 3 inches from each end with a utility knife. Slice around the cable and pull the cut end free from the wires. Strip each of the three wires with wire stripping pliers. Fit the wire into the correctly sized notch in the pliers jaws and close the pliers firmly to cut the insulation. Pull the wires toward the end of the wire to remove the insulation.
4. Remove the cover from the junction box with a screwdriver. Feed the cable into the junction box through a side punch out. Color match the three wires, black to black, white to white and green to green. Fit a wire nut over each group of wires and twist it clockwise to create a firm connection. Wrap the wire nut in electrical tape.
5. Use a light can as a template to mark a circle the correct size onto each tile, where you want the light to fit. Cut these circle outlines with a drywall saw and replace the tiles in the grid. Lift out a tile on one side of each light location to gain access above for the remainder of the installation.
6. Fit support bars onto the top of the grid bars on either side of the opening created by the removed tile in each lighting installation location. Snap the support bars down onto the top bead of the track. Snap a light bracket onto the bars. This is a square panel with a round opening that the light fits into.
7. Lift a can light into each bracket from below. Typically these snap into metal spring clips on the frame. Pull the wire that leads up into ceiling to be attached later. Adjust the height of the light so that it is in position for the trim ring, consult the instructions that came with your fixture for specifics regarding your brand and model of light. Fit a circular trim ring to the face of the fixture underneath the tile. Lift it up until it snaps in place, neatly hiding the cut edge of the tile.
8. Match up the wire leads on the light with the wires from the junction box, white to white, black to black and green to green. Make the connections as previously described for junction boxes with wire nuts and tape.
9. Replace the ceiling tiles lifted out for access. Install a bulb into each fixture. These twist in , or are pushed up and twisted one half turn, or plug straight in, depending on the bulb. Consult the fixture instructions for specifics. Turn the circuit breakers back on. Test all switches and lights for proper operation and make adjustments as needed.
Tags: junction boxes, with wire, black black, ceiling tiles, circuit breakers