How to Remove an Exterior Light Fixture

Step-by-Step Instructions on Removing an Old Exterior Light Fixture

By Mark J. Donovan

In this video Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows how to remove an exterior light fixture.

The first step in removing an old exterior light fixture is to turn off power to it at the main circuit panel, and then to confirm at the light switch that the power to the exterior light fixture is indeed off.

Next, remove the light bulb from the light fixture.

Then remove the nut that is holding the light fixture to the side of the house.

In some cases you may first need to remove nuts associated with the top cover plate of the light fixture to gain access to the nut that is holding the light fixture to the side of the house.

Now pull the light fixture from the house so that the wires become exposed.

As you do so you should see wire nuts connecting the light fixture wiring to the house wiring.

In some cases you may need to pull the wires / wire nuts out from the electrical box.

Westinghouse 6230600 New Haven One-Light Exterior Wall Lantern on Steel with Clear Seeded Glass, Oil Rubbed Bronze Finish

Untwist all the wire nuts, usually two or three, and separate the light fixture wires from the house electrical wires. The bare copper wires (ground wires) may need a little bit more untwisting to separate them. Also, in some cases, there may not be a light fixture ground wire connected to the house ground wire.

With all the wires separated from one another you’ve successfully removed the exterior light fixture from the side of your home. Now you can move on to the next stage of installing a new exterior light fixture.

For help on building a new custom home, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s New Home Construction Bid Sheet. The New Home Construction Bid Sheet provides you with the knowledge on how to plan a custom home building project, and what to look for when hiring contractors for your new home construction. It also includes a detailed cost breakdown table and spreadsheet for estimating your own new home construction building costs.

Related Information

Additional Electrical Wiring Resources from Amazon.com

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