Installing Light Fixtures

Psaltee · Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:14 pm

Need to know how I can install some light fixtures throughout the home. I've been told that that isn't possible. I can see taking an existing light fixture and splicing into it and feeding it through the ceiling to the place I want to install a new fixture. I'm not interested in pole lighting or lamps that hang from the ceiling. I want to enhance our lighting throughout the house and figure that since I can install recessed lighting in a kitchen in a stick built house I should be able to install lights in a MH. Looking for ideas!

psaltee

bobfather99 · Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:42 am

You can install a light fixture in that fashion, just use a ceiling electrical box with an adjustable bar. You feed the box through the hole in your ceiling, adjust the bar until you get to the two mounting rafters, feed the wire through the knockout hole in the box, and hook up your light fixture.

JD · Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:05 am

An electrician would check the total load on a circuit before adding anything. Also, if you have aluminum wiring, there are more considerations. If the box you are adding to is connected to a switch, there will be more than 3 wires to deal with. There is a limited number of connections allowed on a single circuit, regardless of wattage used. Electricians are wonderful helpers. They keep us alive.

Psaltee · Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:12 am

JD,

I understand what you are saying. Am I to understand that even adding an extra pole lamp or floor lamp is going to raise issues with the amount of wattage that is used. How would I know if I have aluminum wiring? Is it the number of wires attached to an outlet. Not familiar with MH wiring. Never had a problem in a stick built house. Just talking out loud.

psaltee

1987Commodore · Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:50 pm

If you have cathedral ceilings, there likely is no room to install recessed lighting between the ceiling and roof. The cavity between the ceiling and roof isn't very big, and is usually full of loose insulation. Mine is blown in and packed full.
If ceiling lights won't work in your situation, consider wall sconces.
If you don't have the cathedral ceilings, and if you have sufficient capacity in your breaker box, then I would run separate circuit(s) for new lighting from the box, not tying in to an existing circuit. I would encourage you to consult with an electrician to be sure all work is done to code.
Best thing I can say is be very careful, and consider possibility of fire from electrical overload or heat from improperly installed fixtures.
An extra floor lamp or pole lamp likely will not be an issue, especially if fitted with CFL bulbs, but that is just a general comment, not knowing the capacity of your breaker box or your current electrical load. For low current draw, look into LED lighting. Perhaps you can find something there that would work for you. A few weeks ago I put an LED "bulb" into my porch light as a durability experiment. So far, so good. LEDs are not cheap yet, but they are coming down.
"Let's be careful out there."

JD · Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:06 pm

It seems that one more light should not make a big difference, but without knowing what is already on that circuit, we are just guessing. It may already be overloaded or very close to it. Aluminum wire is visible at the hook up side of each outlet and switch, connections inside electrical boxes and at the breaker box where the wires go into the breakers.