How to Rewire a Porch Lite

Remove Existing Switch Wires

• 1

  Turn off the circuit breaker that powers the light switch for the porch light. Remove the two screws securing the switch plate to the light switch with a flat-head screwdriver. Place the probes of a light tester against the terminal screws on the side of the switch to ensure the power is off.

• 2

  Remove the globe and light bulb from the porch light. Most globes have two to three thumb screws on the outside rim of the fixture. Turn the screws counterclockwise with your fingers to remove the globe.

• 3

  Turn the screws securing the porch light to the wall mounting plate. Pull the porch light away far enough from the wall so you have access to the wire nuts securing the house wires to the fixture wires.

• 4

  Twist the wire nuts counterclockwise and remove them from the ends of the wires. Separate the porch light fixture wires from the house wires. Loosen the ground screw connector on the mounting plate with the Phillips screwdriver, and remove the fixture completely from the wall. Inspect the ends of the fixture wires. If cracks are present, cut the ends off with wire strippers and strip 1/4-inch of insulation from the ends.

• 5

  Go back inside the house and remove the screws securing the light switch to the junction box with the flat-head screwdriver. Pull the wires that go to the porch light into the room. There is usually a black wire and a white wire. The wires will have slack in them so you know you are pulling the correct ones.

• 6

  Loosen the terminal screws securing the porch light wires to the light switch with the Phillips screwdriver and remove the wires from the switch. Do not remove the main wires that connect to the circuit breaker box.

Install New Wires

• 7

  Insert the end of your fish tape into the conduit opening in your fixture junction box and push it through to the light fixture box. Attach the end of 14/2 Romex wire to the end of the fish tape with electrical tape.

• 8

  Pull the fish tap back through the fixture junction box until the end of the Romex wire is visible. Grab the end of the Romex and remove the electrical tape. Pull the Romex through the fixture junction box so you have 2 feet of cable outside the box.

• 9

  Cut the 6 inches of sheathing away from the Romex with a utility knife so you have access to the black and white wire. Strip off 1/4-inch insulation from the end of each wire with the wire strippers. Push the Romex through the conduit until the ends of the two wires are even with the front of the junction box.

• 10

  Attach the end of the new black wire to the black fixture wire and secure them with a wire nut. Repeat for the white wires. Reattach the green ground wire from the porch light fixture to the grounding screw on the mounting plate. Reinstall the porch light onto the mounting plate. Screw in a new light bulb and reattach the globe.

• 11

  Go inside and cut the Romex 6 inches away from the wall with the cutters on the wire strippers. Remove 6 inches of the Romex sheathing to access the black and white wire. Strip 1/4-inch of insulation from each wire with wire strippers. Bend the bare ends of the wire into a hook with needle-nose pliers.

• 12

  Attach the white wire to the the silver terminal screw on the light switch and the black wire to the copper terminal screw. Tighten the terminal screws with the Phillips screwdriver.

• 13

  Secure the light switch to the junction box with the retaining screw. Place the light switch cover over the junction box and secure with the retaining screws. Turn on the circuit breaker and turn on your porch light.