You bought the beautiful wall fixture for that cozy corner in your house and you eagerly want to see it lit up on the wall. But you have no idea how to install the wall lamp? Worry no more.
Through our guide and easy procedure, you can learn how to install a wall lamp within no time!
Installing a Wall Lamp – Lighting Installation Guide
Down there you’ll be having pre-installation guides, you should be aware of. Take those seriously, and then proceed.
Now, let’s see what those are!
Safety and Precaution
Before you begin, make sure you have successfully plugged out or turned off the power supply of the particular room you want to install the wall lamp in. It is an extremely important point and one not to be missed.
You may use a tester to check whether the supply has been shut off or not.
Requirements
You will need the following:
- Drill machine
- Bubble Level Gauge
- Pencil
- Screws
- Plugs
- Pliers
- Electric tester
- Electric PVC tape
- Cable Conduit
- Screwdriver
Now that you have the power cut off and the supplies ready, let’s begin!
What is the difference between a sconce and a wall lamp?
- When we talk about wall lamps and wall sconces, we mean the same thing.
- However, when we want to mount a large-sized wall light on a wall, we use the word “wall lamp.”
- And when we want to use a couple of wall lights together, we call them “wall sconces.”
1. Attaching the Bracket
Dismantle your package and segregate the assembly parts.
Hold the wall mount bracket against the wall; make necessary markings with a pencil. You may additionally need a bubble level gauge to ensure you mount the bracket straight.
Drill holes, and attempt to fix the wall bracket straight. Once fixed, tighten; and reassure the level. Make any alterations in the fixture (if needed) right at this stage.
2. Wall Lamp Connection
Ensure the availability of mains supply where you want to mount the lamp. A mains supply usually comprises of the following:
- A Blue/Red Wire – Phase Supply
- A Black Wire – Neutral
- A Yellow/Green Wire – Earth/Ground
A few places/countries usually do not have the earth wiring circuits and often the third wire remains unconnected. Check for your local wiring and circuit guidelines.
- Peel off the plastic insulation from wires – typically 0.5 cm; and attempt to connect the wires (matching the colors).
- With some lamps, a plastic comb connector is usually provided.
- The connector has two or three openings – the third one being the ground connection (often skipped in some areas).
- Connect the wires, and fasten the screws tight.
CAUTION!!!
- Do not leave any loose connections, as these are the major cause of electrical short circuits and consequently fire incidents.
- As a general safety measure, check all your electrical connections and terminals/thimble joints regularly for tightening and/or any loose connections.
- Seek professional assistance, as and when required.
If you are connecting two electrical wires without the use of a connector; ensure you harness and tape the joint! Bare copper wires pose electrical shock hazards.
3. Fix the Wall Lamp
- Assemble the lamp components on the bracket.
- Refer to manufacturer recommendations, and make sure to use the fittings provided by the manufacturer.
- The fittings such as fancy screws are specifically tailored to meet the product requirements, and should not be changed.
It is always wise to understand the product assembly procedure from the shopkeeper and ensure the availability of all necessary auxiliaries.
4. Fix the Bulb
Find the appropriate bulb. Check for the following:
1 – The appropriate wattage (this should be specified by the lamp manufacturer; as any overrated bulb may blow up the fuse or the wiring)
2 – The appropriate bulb base. Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendation. The most commonly used bulb base is however the E 27 base.
5. Light the Bulb
- Connect the cord to the socket.
- Make sure the cord does not loosely hang. You may prefer to install a cable conduit along the wall and tuck the cable/cord inside. Band the extra length of cord, and plug to a socket.
- Resume the room’s main supply, and switch on the lamp.
- The process of installing the wall lamp here is done.
It isn’t necessarily possible to have wiring available in each nook and corner of your house. Now what to do if you don’t have any existing wiring and you may wonder how to install wall light without existing wiring?
There are quite a few options out there for this. If adding a wall light to an existing circuit isn’t possible there are alternatives available.
You may be able to attach and use lighting fixtures even if you don’t have wiring available.
- The first option is to go wireless. If you have a contemporary home, you sure will have a wireless connection. These are easy on the pocket and high on the consumption lights. There needs to be zero hassle about wiring at all. Wireless LEDs only need batteries to be replaced and you’re good to go. You can look for different kinds of wireless lighting fixtures and decorate your room accordingly!
- The second option is to use a wall sconce/wall lighting fixture anywhere near the socket and plug it in when needed. That’s right. You can place the lights cleverly anywhere you like and use a socket and switch to a plugin and illuminate the light. This may also act as additional light. You can place more than one lighting fixture this way; the main one is connected through internal wiring and the second one is used as a plug-in wall lamp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Where should wall lights be placed?
You should place the wall lights on a wall. But you can’t place them anywhere on the wall. You should try to place them at your eye level (nearly 150cm above the ground). It is a general thumb rule that you should place the wall lights at a height of about 5 to 5.5 feet.
Q. How many Wall lights do I need in a room?
It depends on the area of the room and the brightness of the wall light. Normally, you can place a couple of fixtures every 10 feet apart. You can add more if you are using dim wall lights.
Q. Are wall sconces in style?
Wall sconces are coming in different styles and designs. You can use these to add more details to your luxurious household interior. Hence, we can say that wall sconces are in style.
Q. How do I know which wire is neutral on a lamp?
There are marks on the wire. The positive wire has a (+) mark and the negative wire has a (-) mark. The one left would be neutral. Also, the ribbing inside the insulation is used to identify it.
Q. What happens if you wire a lamp wrong?
If you don’t wire the lamp accordingly, it will reverse the polarity. But the lamp will still work in this case. However, the socket sleeve of the bulb will get energized instead of the inner tab of the socket.
Q. How do you cut a lampshade in half?
Cutting a lampshade in half is an easy task. Grab the shade and cut it equally into two parts. Then cut a single spoke from the center ring. There you have it; a lampshade into two halves.
The Core-Crux
Adding a gorgeous piece of lighting fixture isn’t an issue anymore. If you don’t have a handyman available, you can do it yourself and there’s no hassle in the process. It can be done by yourself in a short amount of time and exactly the way you want it to be.
- Just be careful when it comes to shutting off the power supply before working. It may propose a serious hazard if you do not do so. Rest is all easy and doable.
If there’s no wiring available in the space you want to install a lighting fixture in, it’s not much of an issue either.
- We’ve provided easy and manageable solutions to add lighting without existing wiring.
Hopefully, this guide has carefully made you light up the lights in your house and your heart!
