One of the final steps involved in hanging a drop ceiling is the installation of the light fixtures. The drop ceiling's grid allows for easy placement of 2-by-4-feet fluorescent light fixtures. Initial planning of the grid should involve the location of the lights. To calculate how many light fixtures you need, measure the length and width of the room and multiply those numbers together to find the square footage. Divide this number by 75 to find how many fluorescent fixtures your room needs.
Instructions
1. Place the tip of a screwdriver onto one of the knock-outs in the fluorescent light fixture. Tap the back of the screwdriver with a hammer to remove the knock-out.
2. Insert a box connector into the knock-out. Tighten the nut on the back of the box connector with channel-lock pliers to secure it in the fixture.
3. Insert 14-gauge black, white and green wires through a piece of flexible conduit. Extend the wires 3 to 4 inches past the end of the conduit. Place one end of the conduit into the box channel. Tighten the screws on either side of the box connector to hold the conduit in place.
4. Strip 1/2-inch of coating off the tips of the black, white and green wires. Locate the wires coming from the light fixture. Connect the two black wires together with a wire nut. Repeat with the two white wires and then the two green wires.
5. Tilt the slightly and raise it up into the ceiling grid. Straighten it out and gently lower it into place. Run the length of attached conduit and wires over to the nearest junction box.
6. Remove one of the knock-outs from the junction box. Insert a box connector into the knock-out and tighten the nut. Use a hacksaw to cut partially through the flexible conduit. Bend the conduit to separate the two halves. Cut through the exposed wires with a wire stripper.
7. Place the conduit and wire through the box connector. Tighten the screws to hold them in place.
Tags: green wires, light fixture, light fixtures, black white, black white green