How to Install Bathroom Light Fixtures (Lowe's Lighting)

Changing Bathroom Light Fixtures with Portfolio Lighting at Lowe's

Hey, friends! It's Jeff with Home Repair Tutor, and today I'm going to show you how to change out your bathroom light fixtures. We all have been in that situation where we have an old light fixture that just wants to be changed out into something modern and new. And I'm going to be using the Portfolio line of lighting from Lowe's. What I like about that is that you can pick out the lighting bar and then add your own sconce to it—a sconce of your choice, not the choice of the manufacturer.

So, I picked out these sconces; I'm going to add them to this light; and before you know it, I'm going to transform this lighting fixture in my bathroom into something that's cool and modern instead of something that looks like it's from 1988. So let's get started... Before you get started, turn the light off at the circuit breaker. It's as simple as that. Turning off the power is an important safety step that should never be skipped.

After turning off the power, remove the sconce. In this particular case, you have to remove the light bulb first, then you just unscrew the sconce. The next step is to remove the mounting nuts that hold the light in place. Here's a handy-dandy tip: Use a utility knife to score around the light. When you score the paint around the light, it prevents the paint from being pulled off the wall. Simply pull the light off the wall.

Then use a voltage detector to check for electricity. Next, unscrew the mounting bracket from the junction box. Pull the mounting bracket out. And at this point, you definitely want to take a picture of your wiring. Note we have one neutral wire which is white, and one black wire which is the power coming into the junction box. Unwire the hot wires which are black. Then unwire the neutral wire which is white.

Now you can remove the entire bathroom light fixture. The next step is to add the mounting bracket to the junction box. But before you do that, notice the orientation on the light fixture where the bolts are going to be. And they're vertical. They're straight up and down. So one at the top and one at the bottom. That means that you're going to have to mount the mounting bracket with that same orientation.

And in this case, they have these little mounting screws already in there. So these mounting screws have to be mounted vertically. I line up my mounting bracket like so with the holes that are in the junction box. Take the two screws that come with the Portfolio light fixture. Mount the first screw in place—just a little bit. And then mount the second one through the mounting bracket and into the junction box.

You can then tighten these screws with a screwdriver. The next thing that you want to do is tighten this nut in the center of the mounting bracket. The reason why you want to do that is because it'll keep this mounting bracket completely vertical and, therefore, your light will stay vertical too. Before you go to wire anything, make sure that these screws are long enough to go through this portion of your light.

Watch this. They're nowhere close. They're not going to come through that hole—this hole here. So either I need to modify the mounting bracket or put a longer nut on here—a longer screw on here. My recommendation is this: Before you leave the store, open up your lighting box and get a set of longer screws—longer mounting screws—that match up with the shorter screws that come with the light fixture.

If the long screws are too long, you can make a mark on them with a Sharpie. Then you can cut them with combination strippers. Now it's time to wire the light. Add the grounding wire from the light to the green ground screw on the mounting bracket. Wire the two neutral wires together—so the two white wires together. Really tighten that wire nut.

And finally, wire the two hot wires together with the second wire nut. Push the wires to the back of the junction box. Position the light on the two screws that you have sticking out of the bracket. And finally, add the nuts that hold the light in place.

Changing bathroom light fixtures can seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools and some basic knowledge, it's definitely doable. By following these steps, you'll be able to transform your outdated light fixture into something modern and stylish in no time.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey, friends!It's Jeff with Home Repair Tutor, and todayI'm going to show with you how to change outyour bathroom light fixtures.Hey, we all have been in that situation whereyou have an old light.You just want to change it out into somethingmodern and new.And I'm going to be using the Portfolio lineof light lighting at Lowe's.And what I like about that is that you canpick out the lighting bar and then you canadd your own sconce to it—a sconce of yourchoice, not the choice of the manufacturer.So I picked out these sconces; I'm going toadd them to this light; and before you knowit, I'm going to transform this lighting fixturein my bathroom into something that's cooland modern instead of something that lookslike it's from 1988.So let's get started...Before you get started, turn the light offat the circuit breaker.It's as simple as that.After turning off the power, remove the sconce.In this particular case, you have to removethe light bulb first then you just unscrewthe sconce.The next step is to remove the mounting nutsthat hold the light in place.Here's a handy-dandy tip: Use a utility knifeto score around the light.When you score the paint around the lightprevents the paint from being pulled off thewall.Simply pull the light off the wall.Then use a voltage detector to check for electricity.Next, unscrew the mounting bracket from thejunction box.Pull the mounting bracket out.And at this point, you definitely want totake a picture of your wiring.And note we have one neutral wire which iswhite, and one black wore which is the powercoming into the junction box.Unwire the hotwires which are black.Then unwire the neutral wire which is white.Now you can remove the entire bathroom lightfixture.The next step is to add the mounting bracketto the junction box.But before you do that, notice the orientationon the light fixture where the bolts are goingto be.And they're vertical.They're straight up and down.So one at the top and one at the bottom.That means that you're going to have to mountthe mounting bracket with that same orientation.And in this case, they have these little mountingscrews already in there.So these mounting screws have to be mountedvertically.So I line up my mounting bracket like so withthe holes that are in the junction box.Take the two screws that come with the Portfoliolight fixture.Mount the first screw in place—just a littlebit.And then mount the second one through themounting bracket and into the junction box.You can then tighten these screws with a screwdriver.The next thing that you want to do is tightenthis nut in the center of the mounting bracket.The reason why you want to do that is becauseit'll keep this mounting bracket completelyvertical and, therefore, your light will stayvertical too.Before you go to wire anything, make surethat these screws are long enough to go throughthis portion of your light.Watch this.They're nowhere close.They're not going to come through that hole—thishole here.So either I need to modify the mounting bracketor put a longer nut on here—a longer screwon here.My recommendation is this: Before you leavethe store, open up your lighting box and geta set of longer screws—longer mounting screws—thatmatch up with the shorter screws that comewith the light fixture.If the long screws are too long, you can makea mark on them with a Sharpie.Then you can cut them with combination strippers.Now it's time to wire the light.Add the grounding wire from the light to thegreen ground screw on the mounting bracket.Wire the two neutral wires together—so thetwo white wires together.Really tighten that wire nut.And finally wire the two hotwires togetherwith the second wire nut.Push the wires to the back of the junctionbox.Position the light on the two screws thatyou have sticking out of the bracket.And finally, add the nuts that hold the lightin place.The Portfolio lights also come with thesedecorative end caps that you can screw inplace.Slide your sconce up onto the light.Use the provided nuts to secure the sconceto the light.All right!That's how you do it.That's how you swap out an old bathroom lightfixture for a new bathroom light fixture.Super easy, right?And I only needed three tools.A combination stripper, a screwdriver, anda voltage detector.Make sure you use that voltage detector 'causeyou don't want to look like Doc Brown at thevery beginning of your project (That's a Backto the Future reference right there).And throw in some LED light bulbs so thatyou're saving money over time.If you like this video and you think it'llhelp out somebody else, give me a thumbs upover on YouTube so that other people can seethis, and it'll help them get started on theirown bathroom modeling project.One more thing: Visit HomeRepairTutor.com;sign up for my email newsletter because you'regoing to get a ton of great home improvementtips that'll save you time and money.Until next time, have a great day, and I'llseeyou soon!\n"