Understanding Light Fixture

Changing a light fixture can be more involved than simply replacing a switch or a receptacle. Switches and receptacles almost always are housed in electrical boxes, but this isn’t always true for light fixtures. If the system is old or has been hacked at enough, you can disassemble an old ceiling light only to find a couple of wires dangling through the plaster without the hint of a box. As you should know by now, this is a dangerous situation because all wire connections must take place within a box. You might feel like cheating by continuing the status quo, but don’t. You’ll need to install a new box (unless one’s already there).
Lights usually get replaced because tastes change. Old fixtures don’t often wear out, since they have no moving parts (unlike a switch). Historic or not, the original hanging lights in your Craftsman home might be ugly to your eyes, or you might want to replace more modern fixtures with replication period fixtures to restore your home closer to its original condition.
The usual safety precautions apply to replacing fixtures that apply to any other electrical work—turning the power off is number one—but now you’ll sometimes be working off a ladder. For that matter, two of you might be working off two ladders if you have to remove an especially heavy or delicate fixture such as a chandelier. One thing is for certain: With the huge selection of new fixtures to choose from, you’re bound to find a replacement that will dress up any room in your house.