How to Replace Fluorescent Kitchen Lights With a Track Light Fixture

UPDATED: May 3, 2024 6:58 PM EDT

A Guide to Replacing Old Kitchen Lighting

The picture below shows my kitchen light before I started the project—a 1980s kitchen staple: two fluorescent fixtures connected by Romex wire, surrounded by a harvest oak frame, and “hidden” with plastic diffuser panels.

On cold mornings, it would take nearly 15 minutes to turn on after I flipped the switch. The fluorescent bulbs cast an unflattering and unappetizing grey-blue hue over everything (and everyone), and the delicate diffuser panels seemed to break if I merely gave them a nasty look. This kitchen “feature” had to go!

I wanted a modern-looking, cost-effective solution that would produce reliable, high-quality light. After a little research, I decided that a track light system would be the best choice.

Tools and Supplies Needed

Electrical work/ light installation	Wall/ ceiling cutting and patching	Molding installation
Wire cutter/stripper	Drywall saw	Mitre box/saw
Needle-nose pliers	Utility knife	Pencil
Wire tester	Putty knife	Square
Wire nuts	Work gloves	Tape measure
Electrical tape	Spackle	Air compressor/nail gun
Screwdriver	Drywall tape	Hammer
Track light kit (includes light fixture, track, 3 light heads, wall anchors and screws)	Paint	Countersink tool
Additional track (Includes wall anchors and screws	Paintbrush	Clamps
Additional light head	Paint roller	Caulk
Track connector elbow	Paint roller tray	Caulking gun
Ceiling fan junction box	Textured paint additive	Rubber gloves
Splice box	Pencil	Work gloves
Romex wire	Marker
Pencil	Tape measure
Marker
Tape measure
Hacksaw
Square
Drill
Metal drill bit
YouTube

Step 1: Remove the Old Fixtures

1. Turn off electricity: Before I started removing the fixtures, I turned off the electricity. Since my old fluorescents were still working (kind of), it was easy to identify the breaker switch associated with them. To be safe, I also purchased a wire tester to ensure there was no electricity running through the wires I was working with.
2. Disconnect the light fixture: I disconnected the light fixture wires once I was certain the electricity was off. Then, I removed the fluorescent bulbs and put them aside for safe disposal. (This cost a few dollars. Fluorescent bulbs contain harmful chemicals that have to be specially handled, so I actually had to pay to dispose of them.)
3. Remove the fixtures: Next, I removed the fixtures themselves. It would have been really helpful to have a friend to help with this task. The screws were longer than I expected, and I was standing on a stepstool with a screwdriver in my hand for ages. Fortunately, the fixtures didn’t weigh much, so once the screws were out, it was easy to carry them away.
4. Cap wire ends: The Romex wire is split into three wires (ground, neutral, and hot). I capped each individually using wire nuts.

Step 2: Install a Junction Box

Most track light fixtures are designed to attach to an existing junction box. This holds the light fixture in place and provides a housing for the wire connections. Since there was no existing junction box for my old fixtures, I needed to install one.

I used a junction box designed to hold a ceiling fan. Weight-wise, this was overkill because track light fixtures are not heavy. However, this kind of junction box enabled me to securely install my new light fixture without removing much of the ceiling drywall.

• Cut a hole for the junction box: Using the junction box as a template, I traced around it with a marker and cut a hole with a drywall saw. Unfortunately, part of the hole overlapped with a ceiling joist, so I recut the hole a few inches off-center.
• Install the junction box per the package directions: This ceiling fan junction box was designed with a mechanism in the center that, when twisted, causes two metal arms with spikes at the ends to extend outward. These arms grab two parallel ceiling joists and dig into them to stabilize the junction box and keep it in place. I tightened the mechanism as much as possible so that the new light fixture would be well supported.

Step 3: Make a Wire Splice

After I installed the junction box, I realized that the Romex wire from my home was not quite long enough to reach the new junction box location, so I had to make a splice. The splice gave me all the additional wire length I needed to connect to the new light fixture location—with plenty to spare!

I made sure I purchased additional Romex wire identical to the wire already in my home. I also bought a splice box, which grabs and holds the two Romex wires (new and old) and prevents them from disconnecting. The splice box also offers fire protection at the splice location.

• Find a place for the splice: I needed a hole in the ceiling where I had enough old wire to work with comfortably. Fortunately, the “mistake” hole I cut for the junction box provided the perfect location for making the splice.
• Make the splice and cap the wires: I fed the old Romex wire through one side of the splice box. Next, I fed the new Romex wire through the new junction box (the ceiling fan junction box I just installed) up into the ceiling, then pulled it through the other side of the splice box. After this, I connected each wire to its counterpart (ground, neutral, and hot) and then capped each connection. I hid the splice box back up in the ceiling above the “mistake” hole (to be patched later, of course).

Step 4: Patch, Paint, and Remove Oak Grid Piece

1. Patch: Due to some mistakes and mishaps, I had a lot of patching to do. I used spackle, drywall tape, and a putty knife to fix the holes and gouges.
2. Remove the oak “grid” piece: As you can see in the first picture, there was an oak perimeter frame around the ceiling light recess, with another strip of oak bisecting the frame. I removed this oak strip with a hacksaw because it was the most convenient tool for working in this tight, awkward space. I left the perimeter frame in place.
3. Paint: Before I installed the light, I needed to paint the area where the light tracks would be installed. The ceiling recess was already textured, but I used a textured paint additive to better hide some of the imperfections. I also painted the perimeter oak frame.

Step 5: Install the First Track

1. Turn off the electricity: At this point, this should go without saying, but I’ll say it: I made sure to turn off the electricity before beginning the track light fixture installation.
2. Install the track light fixture and the first track: Installation for the track light fixture was basically the same as any other light fixture, but I had to make sure that the wall anchors for the track were in place before beginning. I followed the directions that came with the track light kit.
3. Install the light heads: Believe it or not, this step was a little tricky. The light heads have to be snapped in and twisted into place. It sounds simple enough, but it took me a few tries to get it right.

After this, I turned on the electricity and enjoyed my well-lit kitchen for a few weeks before beginning the next step.

Step 6: Install the Second Track

I didn’t really need a second track. Three light heads would have been more than enough for my small kitchen. However, I decided to use two tracks to form an “L” shape. I thought this would give me more options for focusing light where I needed it most.

1. Install the track light elbow connector: I connected the two tracks with a 90-degree elbow that was compatible with my track light fixture. This was easy to install; it basically snaps into place.
2. Cut the second track: I determined how much I needed to cut from the second track and made a mark for the cut. (Note: Typically, only one end of a track can be cut. Read the package directions carefully.) I cut the track with a hacksaw, trying to keep the bus bars in place while cutting.
3. Drill a hole for the second wall anchor: Unfortunately, when I cut the track, I had to cut off one of the pre-drilled holes, leaving me with only one hole for the track installation. A minimum of 2 screws are needed to anchor each track, so I had to drill another hole into the track.
4. Install the second track: To install the second track, I placed wall anchors in the ceiling to align with the holes in the track, then I snapped the track into the elbow connector and secured the screws into the wall anchors.
5. Install the track light heads: As I mentioned before, installing the first set of light heads was tougher than advertised. The second track was even worse! I couldn’t get the lights in the second track to turn on. Finally, I realized that as I was twisting the light heads into place, the bus bars in the track were pulling away from the elbow connector, which was breaking the electrical connection. I solved the problem by holding the bars in place while I twisted one light head into the track. (All with the electricity off, of course!) Once one light head was properly installed, it held the bus bar connection so the second light head could be easily twisted into the track. Finally, I capped the end of the second track.

Step 7: Install Molding and Repair Any Damage

The last step was the fun part! I got to decorate the light recess with molding.

1. Purchase molding pieces to cover the existing oak frame: I DID NOT want to remove the existing perimeter oak frame. So, I had to find molding profiles that would cover the existing frame as well as the wood support pieces above. I ended up buying about five different molding types to accomplish this. And, of course, I wanted a fancy picture frame-like molding around the whole thing.
2. Use a miter box to cut molding pieces: Each piece was relatively small, so I used an inexpensive miter box and saw to make the 45-degree cuts. I painted each piece before cutting and installing it. However, it would have been easier to just paint the whole frame once it was in place.
3. Use a nail gun to install each piece of molding: Since I was doing this project by myself, I needed to use a nail gun so I could hold each piece of molding with one hand and nail it in place with the other hand. I also used several types of clamps during this process.
4. Caulk all seams and touch-up paint: Once the molding was in place, I caulked every joint and touched it up with a fresh coat of paint.

Lessons and Regrets

Learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to make your own.

Lessons

• Tracks can only be cut from one end. The first time I cut the second track, I accidentally cut the wrong end. I had to discard it and purchase a new one.
• When cutting the track, I didn’t make sure that the bus bars were pushed into place, so they were cut slightly shorter than the track. This made the light head installation a bit more challenging.
• I started out with a cheap wire stripper, so I kept inadvertently cutting wire when I meant to strip it. I finally invested in a good-quality wire stripper.
• I was reminded that not everyone at the local hardware store has the same level of expertise. I got bad (potentially dangerous) advice from some folks at my local store about how to make the wire splice. Fortunately, I asked several others in order to get the correct information before moving forward with the project.
• YouTube and Google are great resources for any project. However, you will almost never find a video of your EXACT situation. I had to watch a number of videos and read several articles to piece together the information I needed for each step.

Regrets

• I should not have bothered with the second track. I should have installed a single track down the center of the ceiling recess.
• I should not have bothered painting the molding before installing it. This set the project back an additional weekend.
• The textured paint additive I purchased was grainy and didn’t fit well with the texture that was already on my kitchen drywall.
• I should not have waited so long to do this project.

The End!

This was a fun project despite numerous hiccups and setbacks. I’m pleased with the way it turned out. It’s nice to have a reliable kitchen light anytime I want it, and it’s even nicer to see my food in color!