How to Hang a Shop Light

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Things You'll Need

  • Drill

  • Chains

  • Ruler

  • Pencil

  • Eye bolts

  • Wrench

  • S-hooks

Shop lights brighten up work areas.

Shop lights are fluorescent strip light fixtures, typically with two 40 watt fluorescent strip light bulbs. They hang from the ceiling using easily installed chains and have plugs connecting them to standard wall outlets, eliminating the need to wire them in place and allowing them to be moved as needed. These lights are energy-efficient and inexpensive. Hanging a shop light over your workspace is a simple job that should take less than an hour with the proper tools.

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Step 1

Mark spots on the ceiling for the two eye bolts that will support the chains for the shop light. If you are hanging the light from a suspended ceiling, these must be marked on a well-supported section of the metal railings holding up the panels, close to a point where the railings are attached to the joists. Hanging a lamp from the middle of a metal railing will cause it to sag.

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Step 2

Drill holes through the railings in the spots you marked with a drill bit slightly smaller than your eye bolts.

Step 3

Screw eye bolts into the drilled holes then tighten them up with a wrench until they are snug.

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Step 4

Hang an S-hook (an S-shaped piece of metal) from the loop at the end of the eye bolt.

Step 5

Hang a chain from each S-hook, then hook a second S-hook through the bottom link of each chain.

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Step 6

Pass the free ends of the bottom S-hooks through the loops on the top of the shop light housing. It is now hanging in place.

Step 7

Plug the light's power cord into an outlet, using an extension cord if necessary.

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