I recently replaced my light fixture for the first time and I'm curious about how much extra wiring I should leave in the junction box. I have a couple of feet of excess wire from the fixture itself that I pushed inside the box instead of cutting it and stripping it again. Is this okay, or could it be an issue? Any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Honestly, you can leave as much as you want! For chandeliers, since they usually come with adjustable rods or chains, it's typical to have some extra slack. A few feet are probably fine, but just make sure it’s not tangled or creating a hazardous situation. Just keep an eye on it and make sure nothing is getting pinched or heated up.
When you're wiring up a fixture, it's good to leave just enough extra wire to reach out and easily connect or disconnect it later. Normally, you want to avoid leaving a ton of excess wire bunched up because it can lead to overheating issues. But for most hanging fixtures, keeping about 6-12 inches is ideal to allow for adjustments. Just remember, if you're unsure about safety, it's always smart to have a pro check it out.
I wouldn’t risk it with extra wire coiled up in the junction box. Having too much wire can potentially be dangerous as it might generate heat, melting insulation. It's generally against best practices to leave it bunched up like that. It’d be a good idea to get some wire strippers and cut down the excess to make sure everything's safe.