How do i wire 8 recessed lights up to one switch to turn them all on?

Question

In my residential basement living room i have 2 florecent light fixtures in the ceiling on top of a paneled ceiling on each side of the room that one "single pole" switch operates, but i want to replace the each florecent light fixture with 4 recessed lights on each side of the room, so it would be a total of 8 recessed lights i want to put in! but my question is how can i wire all 8 of them to turn on from one switch?

Answer 1

The lights need to be wired together. Run a cable from one light to the next light (all 8). Rin a cable from the switch (or the fluorescent) to any light. Connect all the lights and all the cables with wire nuts (connect all the white wires together, connect all the black wires together, connect all the ground wires together). Install the bulbs. Turn on the lights.

Answer 2

Not too hard. Turn off the circuit breaker that feeds the lights. remove the lights and install #12/2 w/grd Romex wiring to all of the new locations on one side. Start at the furthest light and let a foot of wiring hang out, then run the wiring to the next light and make a loop that hangs out about a foot, do the same for the 3rd light and run the wiring to the 4th light and cut the wiring with a foot or so hanging out.
Wire the furthest light (black to black, white to white, grd to the bare wire) Use wire nuts to secure the connections. Install the light in the ceiling and go to the next one, take the loop of wiring hanging out and cut the loop in half with both sides being equal, strip the wires and hook the light up with the 3 blacks together and 3 whites together and grds tied together. Repeat the process on the next one. Now you can hook the power wires up when you tie in the last light. It doesn't matter which light has the feed wire, just be sure to get all the blacks together and all the whites together.
Now you can do the same thing with the other side.
After all this, it's time to replace the switch with a 20A switch as another answer has mentioned. Turn the breaker on and flip the switch.

Wattage is figured on multiplying volts and current. So add up the total wattage of all the bulbs and then divide it by the voltage (120) and that will give you the current that the circuit will draw. Just in case, you need to know whether you need to get a 20A switch or the old one will still be good enough.

Answer 3

How To Wire Recessed Lighting

Answer 4

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RE:
How do i wire 8 recessed lights up to one switch to turn them all on?
In my residential basement living room i have 2 florecent light fixtures in the ceiling on top of a paneled ceiling on each side of the room that one "single pole" switch operates, but i want to replace the each florecent light fixture with 4 recessed lights on each side of the room, so...

Answer 5

go to the home depot or the lighting store ,tell them the plan they will sell you the wire and the boxes and tell you the simplest way to do this ,i have had to do that before to add a light ,ask them as you buy the supplies, OK ,,or go to the library and pull the simplest handbook of home wireing with pictures remember to buy wire of the proper gauge and dont go cheap,, and use the third wire ground to all boxes and outlets and make sure the power is off by buying a simple lighted power tester for two bucks ,good luck

Answer 6

you would connect each group of four lights in parrallel or in other words you would hook all the black wires from every light and switch hot lead together and all neutrals together....and all frame grounds together...then do other four the same way ....you will use the wires that power each flourescent light fixture to power one group of four lights....you will need to get a heavy duty 20 amp switch.....

Answer 7

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bad idea..... you need to find out if they are on seperate circuits.... if they are and you hook up all the other lights to that one circuit you may over load it and start tripping your circuit breaker.... get an electrician and it is code to have a light at the top and base of the stairs... is it that hard to flip the other switch once you are downstairs?

Answer 8

You got two flor .lights . Split each to supply 4 lights .So take the black wire from each Flor. lite and supply four lites to one black wire . @ four lites to the other black wire = .8 lites .

Answer 9

If you have to ask that question,better call an electrician.

Answer 10

call someone who KNOWS what they are doing