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How to Install Track Lighting
Track lighting is a good choice for any room because it's so versatile. That versatility comes from the track itself: it provides electricity at any point along its length, allowing you to freely position the lights. You can easily place the track on the ceiling or high on a wall, then direct the lights, called "heads," to illuminate nearly anything. In a tight space, the heads cast light on hard-to-light areas. Above a desk or workbench, they make great task lights. Use them to "wash" a wall or accent a piece of art, to light a long narrow hallway or work area or to take care of any other spot-lighting chores.
Track lighting has its roots in theater spotlighting, and fixture styles range widely. You'll find square, round, high-tech and all kinds of specialty heads that deliver light just where you want it. To cast a narrow beam of intense light, consider low-voltage lamp heads with halogen bulbs and built-in transformers. To concentrate the light, choose a lamp head with a cowl or sleeve that hides the bulb and narrows the beam. A spotlight without a cowl casts a wider beam, depending on the type of reflector bulb you choose.
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Do It Yourself or Hire a Pro?
Running track lighting from an existing ceiling box is an ideal do-it-yourself project. Modular components track sections, connectors and lighting heads make it easy to suit the installation exactly to your room. If there's no existing fixture to replace, however, you'll need a new outlet box and switch, along with the wiring to make them work. That's a job for a licensed electrician. Once the wiring's done, however, you can easily install the rest yourself. Just make a simple connection to the ceiling box, and then attach the track to the ceiling. Installing the heads in the track by clicking them into place completes the project.
Step by Step
1. Identify the parts. Most track system connections look like the ones shown here. However, take time to read the instructions and look at the parts that came with your system. Our drawing shows a "wire-in" connector that brings power to the end of the track. You can also get a "floating" connector that provides power at any point on the track. Whichever kind of connector you get, the connection to the house wiring is the same.
2. Remove the old fixture. Flip the wall switch to check that the light is working, then turn off the power and flip the switch again to be sure that the power is indeed off. Now remove the old fixture carefully. Once it's hanging below the ceiling box, test the circuit with a voltage tester to make sure no current is present anywhere in the box. Then disconnect the wires from the old fixture. |
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3. Wire the connector. Match wires from the connector to the house wires: black to black and white to white (or white marked black, if there's only a switch loop in the box). Splice the wires with wire connectors. |
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4. Secure the track to the ceiling. First, plug the wire-in connector into the end of the track. Next, hold the track in position on the ceiling and mark the ceiling through the mounting holes to show the positions of the mounting screws. Drill holes at your marks and fasten the track in place with toggle bolts, pushing the toggles through the ceiling mounting holes until the toggles snap open inside the ceiling. If you hit a stud with one or more of your mounting holes, use 1 1/2-inch flat-head wood screws to anchor the track at that point. |
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5. Attach the connector cover and install the heads. Snap the cover in place over the wire-in connector and track end. Mount each lighting head into the track by aligning its contact blades parallel to the track, then rotating its base 90 degrees to lock the head in place. |
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That done, turn on the power. Switch the track lighting on and adjust the track heads to direct light where you want it. It helps to have one person on a stepladder adjusting the heads while another gives directions. To reposition a head along the track, simply rotate it to unlock, slide it to its new position, then rotate it again to lock. If the heads get too hot to touch, handle them with potholders.
If there's no ceiling outlet box where you want to install your track lighting, a new electrical run must be added: usually a job for a licensed electrician. Box or no box, you may not want to tackle track installation yourself. But you can save some of the electrician's time (and your money) by selecting the lighting heads yourself.
Be sure that the electrician who makes the installation is licensed and bonded and that his or her work meets the standards of local building codes. You may save money by hiring an unlicensed individual to do the job, but you won't have much recourse if the work is unsatisfactory.
Be sure to get a written contract with your electrician that includes the following:
- Description of the work to be completed with a detailed list of materials (brand name, style, color of the unit or other specifications) to be used.
- Cost of material and all warranties that the manufacturer provides.
- Cost of labor and amount of deposit, if required.
- Job installation date.
To find an electrician, ask friends and neighbors for a referral. That failing, use the Yellow Pages or check with an online contractor-referral service.
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