Project book · an hour or two

Replace a light fixture

Take down the old light and put a new one up in the same spot. The breaker and the tester come first.

Shut it off first

Turn off the breaker for this light and check every wire with a non-contact voltage tester before you touch anything. Call a licensed electrician if you find aluminum wiring, no ground wire, scorched or brittle wires, or anything that is not a like-for-like swap. Some Arkansas cities require a permit for electrical work, so check with your city if you are unsure.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Electrical

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.

How it goes · about an hour or two · some experience

  1. Turn off the breaker for the light, flip the wall switch to be sure, and check the wires at the fixture with the voltage tester. Try the tester on a working outlet first so you know it works.
  2. Take the old fixture down while supporting its weight, and photograph how the wires are connected before you undo anything.
  3. Compare what you see with the safety note. Aluminum wiring, no ground wire, or scorched or crumbling insulation means stop here.
  4. Mount the new fixture using the strap that comes with it, and connect it the same way the old one was connected, following the instructions in the box.
  5. Fold the wires neatly back into the box, fit the canopy and bulbs, and turn the breaker back on.

Something else

Build a raised garden bedMulch a flower bedPaint a roomPut up garage shelvingFix a patchy lawnBuild a fire pitMount a TV on the wallCookout for a crowd

Feeding people instead? The recipe book works the same way — pick a meal, say how many, every ingredient lands on the list.

Replace a light fixture — everything for it, in one tap · DriverRuns