If you’re moderately comfortable with home repair tasks that involve electricity and know how to shut off power to the different sections of your house, then installing track lighting is a task that should be well within your capabilities. In fact, if you have all the parts that you need (including a track lighting package from the hardware store), then it can actually be a very simple task. Once you have your package, here’s how to install track lighting.


Step 1: First, before you go any further, you will need to turn off the power to the room by flipping the appropriate switch the fuse/breaker box. Once you have it off, be sure to test the room with a voltage tester to be absolutely sure that no power is flowing into the room.

Step 2: Remove the old fixture by unscrewing it from the ceiling and detaching all of the wires.

Step 3: Take out all the components of your new track lighting package and examine them closely, making a mental picture of how all the parts are supposed together. It’s a good idea to get a clear understanding of how the mechanism works before you start to install it.

Step 4: Determine exactly where you want the track to go and then hold the track against the ceiling. Make a pencil line to mark the locations where you will be drilling the holes for the track.

Step 5: Use your drill to make some pilot holes for the screws that will hold the track in place.

Step 6: Connect the wires coming out of the ceiling to the wire connectors running out from the back of the light. Match the wires according to color—white with white, green to green, and black to black. Use wire nuts to hold the joints together.

Step 7: Hook the light to the track and fasten the track to the ceiling using the bolts or screws that came with your track lighting package.

Step 8: Slide the light into the position where you want it. Turn the power back onto the room and test to make sure that the light works properly. If it doesn’t come on, climb back up and double check the wire connections.