How to Install Patio Lights

Installing patio lights is a great way to illuminate your patio area. Furthermore, patio lights provide additional safety and security for your home as well as add ambience and style to your outdoor seating area. Most patio lights and light fixtures are designed to be quick do-it-yourself projects that can be completed in an hour or so. However, if you are installing new lighting where no prior patio lighting was available, you will need to have an electrician help you run the conduit and wiring from your breaker box to the outdoor area. If you're installing new patio lights in place of old ones, this quick step-by-step guide will help you in installing new patio lights.

Step 1 - Preparation

First, ensure that the power from the breaker box to the outdoor patio lights has been turned off.

Step 2 - Remove the Old Patio Lights

To begin, remove the screws or thumbscrews from the existing patio lights that need replacing. Usually, there will be two screws or thumbscrews attached to the light that secures it to the wall or ceiling. Remove the patio light’s screws and ensure that the lighting fixture does not fall down to the ground. While the fixtures will be connected to the wires leading from the circuit breaker, you should not depend upon the strength of these connections to hold the light.

Step 3 - Check the Connecting Wires

Once you have removed the old patio light from the wires leading from the breaker box, check the wire ends and ensure that there is at least half an inch to three quarters of an inch of their wire visible and that the wire is not frayed or destroyed. If there is not a sufficient length of their wire to splice to the new light fixture, use your line pliers to create a section of the wire to work with.

Step 4 - Connect the Wires

Next, splice the wires together from the new lighting fixture to the wires leading from the breaker box. Make sure to connect black to black and white to white together and ensure that they are not crisscrossed. Then, use your wire caps or electrical tape to make sure that the connections are properly insulated and are not able to touch each other.

Step 5 - Secure the Patio Light

Use the new screws or thumb screws provided with the new patio light to attach the lights to the wall or ceiling. If the spacing for the screws is different than the old patio light fixture, you will probably need to drill new holes and use plastic screw anchors for use in hollow walls or if you are attaching to light to a solid wall, you may want to consider using self tapping wood screws. However, in most cases, the spacing of the screws should be identical. This is because most lighting fixtures use a fixed width for screw spacing.