How to Replace Retaining Wall Lights

Retaining wall lights illuminate your garden, driveway, lawns and even your house facade. These lights provide soft warmth to your landscape. If your house already benefits from this type of lighting, you will to replace lights from time to time. There are various reasons why you should replace these lights. This could be because either you want to give a face-lift to your garden or because a fault has developed, which need replacement.

Replacing a retaining wall light yourself will save you a lot of money, since you will not have to pay a professional to do it. However, you must go about the job with safety in mind to avoid hazards.

Step 1 - Checking the Wiring

Prior to commencing any work, switch off the main electrical current. Release the wall light fixture by undoing the screws that hold it to the wall. To expose the wiring in the electrical box, remove the fixture’s cover plate and the wires are now visible for checking. Ideally, you should find the wires in good repair and without any cracks. Ensure that you have an earth attached to the unit. You can recognize the earth from the green and yellow or green-only wire attached to a clamp from the incoming supply cable or to a piece of metal on the wall light.

If you do not find any of these faults, a straight replacement will suffice. However, in case you find an electrical fault, you need to replace this without any further delay.

Step 2 - Replacing Old Wire

Should you find faulty wires, trace the wires to the switch, which provides current to the wall light, and unscrew the switch. Calculate the length of wire needed for replacement, allowing an allowance to enable you attach to the switch and the wall light. Attach the new wire from the switch box to the old wire and pull the wire out of the electrical box of the retaining wall light. Always use new approved, coded cables. Now you should have new wiring from the switch to the wall light.

Step 3 - Fixing the Retaining Wall Light

Check whether you can attach the new wall light to the junction box already fixed to the wall. If not, replace with a new one. Run the new wires through the box and fix with new stainless steel screws to the wall.

With a wire stripper, remove 1 inch of rubber insulation from the ends of the wires. Normally, new fixtures come with wires preinstalled. Thus, you will need to repeat the process and strip the wires from the fixture as well.

Position the exposed cables from the wall with the wire in the unit in the shape of an X and twist the wires together with nose pliers.

Insert a wire nut over the wires and apply pressure while screwing in the nut. When done, try pulling out the nut to check that it will not pull free. Cover the nut with electrical tape. Repeat the process to the switch and close using the screws supplied.

Step 4 - Check the Wall Light

Connect the retaining wall light to the wall and screw in with stainless steel screws. When you have finished the wiring, restore the power and check that the wall light switches on.