Wiring Diagrams to Add a New Light Fixture

This page contains wiring diagrams for adding a new light fixture using an existing receptacle as the source. Diagrams include adding a light from a switched receptacle and tapping an always–hot outlet. Different wiring schemes are included to allow for either the light, or the switch to come first in the circuit.

These diagrams illustrate 15 amp circuits using 14 awg wire. For 20 amp circuits use 12 gauge wire and devices rated at 20 amps. The ground wire should be connected to each device that has a ground terminal. New switches, receptacles and light fixtures will all have a ground terminal built in. If the outlet box has a grounding terminal, the ground wire should be spliced to both the device and the box.

Add a Light from a Switched Receptacle

The wiring in this diagram is for adding a new light fixture to a switched receptacle, i.e. one that is hot only when a switch is on. These are commonly used to turn a table or floor lamp on and off from a wall switch.

New 14/2 cable is run from the receptacle to the light fixture. At the receptacle the wires are removed and each one is spliced to the new cable and to a short, jumper wire that connects back to the receptacle. At the fixture box the black wire connects to the hot terminal, the white connects to the neutral terminal and the ground to any metal grounding terminal on the fixture, outlet box, or both.

Add a Light from a Hot Receptacle

This drawing shows the wiring for adding a new light fixture using an always–hot receptacle outlet as the source. New cable is run from the receptacle to the new fixture location and a switch loop cable is run from there to the new switch location.

The always–hot wire from the receptacle is spliced to the black wire from the fixture cable, and to a jumper wire that connects back to the hot terminal on the receptacle. At the light fixture box the black is spliced to the black from the switch cable. At the switch box the black wire is connected to the bottom terminal on the new switch.

Back at the source the white neutral wire is spliced to the white from the fixture cable and to a jumper wire, back to the receptacle neutral terminal. At the fixture the white connects to the neutral terminal on the light. The hot terminal on the light is connected to the white wire from the switch loop cable. The other end of that white wire is connected to the top terminal on the switch. Both ends of the white wire should be wrapped with electrical tape to mark it as hot.

Add a Light from a Receptacle, Switch First

This diagram is similar to the one above but the switch comes before the new light in the circuit. New cable is run from the receptacle to the new switch location and from there to the light location.

The neutral wire is taken from the receptacle and spliced to the white from the new cable, and to a jumper that runs back to the receptacle. The hot is spliced to the black cable wire and a jumper back to the receptacle.

At the switch, the other end of the black wire is connected to the bottom terminal and the black wire going to the new light is connected to the top terminal. The white wire from the receptacle is spliced to the white wire going to the light, it doesn't connect to the switch at all. At the light the black wire connects to the hot terminal on the fixture and the white goes to the neutral terminal.