How to Change a Bulb Socket: Step-By-Step Instructions

Replacing an old or worn-out light socket is an important way of keeping your home up to code. Old sockets can be fire hazards, making this a good skill for amateur and pro electricians alike. By learning to remove and replace old sockets, you can help keep your home safe and upgrade your lighting. To break everything down, we spoke with James Hornof, a master electrician and owner of an electric company.

How to Change a Bulb Socket

Shut the power off. Then, unlock the fixture from the ceiling and inspect the wiring. Take a photo and try to remove the socket from the fixture. Replace it with an identical socket that has the same voltage and current ratings. If you can’t take the socket out, replace the entire fixture.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Accessing the Socket

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1
Disconnect the power by flipping the breaker. Hornof says, “The first thing you want to do is make sure the circuit breaker is off. Make sure you've tested power to make sure that it is off. It’s essential for your safety.” Locate the breaker that corresponds to that particular fixture and shut it off. ^{[1]
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Research source} You can test the power by flipping the light switch and making sure that it doesn't turn on. It's also a good idea to use a non-contact voltage tester to make sure the fixture isn't getting power.
- If you are not 100% certain that the power is off, do not mess with the fixture.
2
Remove any glass covers or shades. Gently unscrew or unfasten any shades or glass globes. You might need to use a screwdriver, but most fixtures will probably just use thumbscrews that you can remove by hand. ^{[2]
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- If the glass covers or shade aren’t blocking you from accessing the socket and taking them out seems like it’s more trouble than it’s worth, don’t worry about it.
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3
Lower the fixture and let it hang to examine the connections. You need to figure out how the fixture is attached to the ceiling before you go unscrewing it. Most fixtures are attached in one of two ways. The first method involves simple screws that go through the fixture into the junction box in the ceiling. The second involves a threaded post that extends through the fixture from behind and attaches with a decorative cap nut, usually a small knob in the center of the fixture. ^{[3]
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- Take photos! This way you can refer to the wire configuration later.
4
Separate the wires but leave the junction box alone. The junction box is a round, square, or octagonal box, usually made of plastic, in the ceiling under where the fixture used to be. As Hornof points out, there will almost always be a white wire for negative and a black wire for positive.
- You can simply disconnect the black and white wires that are tied to the light without touching the other wires, since they may be other circuits and you might create some problems if you start connecting them.
Not all fixtures are a simple set of wires coming into the box, especially in large houses. Some fixtures are wired in parallel with others, making the tangle somewhat confusing. The wires from the fixture will the connected to wires of the same color coming from the ceiling. In some countries, different color codes apply to wires, especially in older installations. ^{[4]
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6
Remove the fixture from the ceiling or unscrew the socket. There are typically two or three screws holding the fixture itself to the bracket. Lower the fixture down and inspect how the socket is assembled. If it’s extremely obvious how the socket is held in place, you can leave the fixture in the ceiling. If it’s not obvious how you remove the socket, take the whole fixture down. Use your hands, pliers, or a screwdriver to remove whatever is holding the socket in place.
- If the fixture needs to come down, remove the plastic wire nuts connecting the wires together to free the fixture.
- Most fixtures hold the socket in place with 1-4 screws which pin it in place. Remove these screws and slide the socket out if you can. ^{[5]
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- If you’ve got a ceramic case around the socket, you can typically unscrew the socket by twisting it counterclockwise with pliers.
- Some fixtures do not allow you to replace the socket. If the socket cannot be removed, you must replace the entire fixture.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Installing a New Socket

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1
Purchase a replacement socket with an identical wattage and current. On the physical socket, look for a sticker, embossed text, or printed text with some writing on it. Read the text to find the wattage type and current. You can use any socket with the same wattage and current or higher so long as the threading in the socket works. Take the old socket with you to the hardware store along with the old bulb so that you can test the sockets. ^{[6]
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- The threading refers to the shape of the grooves inside the socket. If a lightbulb doesn’t freely and easily screw in or out, it’s the wrong threading.
2
Insert the replacement socket in the fixture. If you didn’t remove the fixture from the wires in the ceiling, reconfirm that there’s no power going to the fixture. Then, slide the new socket into the opening in the fixture.
- If anything about the new socket seems “off” or like it doesn’t fit right, do not use it.
Use the same screws or fasteners that the previous socket used to attach the new socket. If your old socket was a screw-in, install your new socket the same way. Once it’s tight and secure in the fixture, screw in a lightbulb to confirm that the socket is still suitable. ^{[7]
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4
Reinstall the fixture the same way you removed it. If you disconnected the wires to remove the entire fixture, connect the color-coded wires with wire nuts. Use the same configuration your fixture had before. Then, gently tuck the wires back up inside of the mounting box while ensuring the cables aren’t crossing in an awkward or dangerous way. Install the screws that held the fixture in place. ^{[8]
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- Turn the power back on and confirm that your light is working as it should.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Replacing the Entire Fixture

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1
Strip the ends of the wires if they aren’t already exposed. You should have plenty of copper after undoing the wire nuts, but if you don’t, strip the end of each wire . Carefully remove the rubber covering from the 1/2" of the ends of the wires using wire strippers. ^{[9]
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- Some of the wires may be loose, or you may need to use pliers to untwist them. If the ends of wires are damaged or bent, you may need to clip them and strip them again.
The wiring from the fixture should be exposed and ready to be attached. It's sometimes helpful to set the new fixture on something to allow you to work on it without it hanging down, if possible, like the top of a ladder.
3
Connect the wires to the new fixture. Hornof explains that the wires should be reattached in the same places as the old fixture, “usually white to white, black to black, and ground (bare copper) to the metal junction box.” Twist the wires 2-3 times clockwise so that the wires tangle up tightly together.
- You can use either the old wire nuts or the new ones provided with the fixture.
- To use a wire nut, place the stripped ends of each wire next to each other, with their points facing the same direction. Then place the wire nut over the ends and twist clockwise until the wires are secured inside the wire nut.
If there is, either remove the nut, trim the exposed end, and replace the nut, or cover it with electrician's tape. Give a quick tug on each wire to make sure they’re not going to come loose. ^{[10]
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Once all connections are made, gently tuck them back into the box as you’re lifting the fixture up. You don’t want to overstuff. Once the majority of your wires are in the box, you can loosely screw in the fixture to the bracket. Once it’s installed but not fully tightened, make sure you won’t pinch any wires and tighten the fixture. ^{[11]
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6
Test your work. Once your fixture is installed to the bracket, you’ll install the bulb following the manufacturer’s recommendations about the wattage. Then you can flip on the circuit and check your work.
- If it doesn’t turn on, most likely the culprit is a loose connection. Check to make sure that the wires didn’t come loose while you were tucking them into the box. Also, check that the bulb is the proper type or that another switch isn’t interfering with anything.

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Don't you need ground wires?

Community Answer

Yes. If they are not there, there are are screw mounts within the box you may use, provided the box is grounded.

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How do I pick the right watt bulb for my light socket?

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There is no "right watt" for any light socket. Usually they take any watt bulb, you just decide what watt bulb to put in based on how bright you want the room to be.

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Tips

Always follow the instructions (if any) provided with the fixture.

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Most home improvement stores will show you step by step in the store how to install any fixture, and some even have set-ups to let you try it yourself. Call ahead and ask.

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Don't be intimidated. With the electricity off, the wires are harmless, and everything is color coded (black and white, or, outside the US, brown and black.).

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Warnings

Always turn off the circuit breakers to any appliance you are working on. 120V (230V in the EU) can be a nasty surprise when you grab a wire.

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Use a step stool or a ladder to avoid having to hold your hands above your head to work or your shoulders will get tired quickly.

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Have someone help you to hold the fixtures while you are working on the wiring. It is never a good idea to have the appliance hanging by the wires alone.

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Things You'll Need

Ladder
Lineman’s pliers
Screwdriver
Multimeter
Wire strippers
Wire nuts (if you don’t have any in the fixture)
Electrical tape (if necessary)

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How to Change a Bulb Socket: Step-By-Step Instructions