Replace Pull Chain Light Fixture $4 in Minutes - White and Black Wires

Typically found in a basement, pull chain fixtures are used all over older homes. They are prone to failure from excess pulling, (got kids in the house?) However, they wear out just like everything mechanical.
The main focus of the video is color coding between the wires and the screws. It’s quite simple really, a white wire will go to white metal or a silver screw, and the black wire will go to a brass or the darker screw.
White to white metal, black to brass metal. White to white, black to brass.
It is called polarity, the silver (zinc colored) screw connects to the threaded portion of the lamp socket and the brass screw connects to the switch and the bottom center terminal of the socket.
This provides some safety to the fixture as when you are screwing in a bulb, your hand can touch the threaded portion of the bulb and, if wired correctly, will be the neutral leg of the circuit and not able to give you a shock.
The black wire is disabled by the switch, a good safety feature, and then feeds the bottom contact in the socket, the hardest to touch when changing a bulb.
THIS IS HOW THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WIRED. NEVER TRUST ANY ELECTRICITY DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT A PRIOR HANDYMAN MAY HAVE MISS-WIRED A CIRCUIT - IT COULD BE FATAL!!
Hi! I’m Blair Gilbert, aka MR. HARDWARE. As a third-generation hardware store owner, licensed builder, and finish carpenter, my mission is to help you “do it right the first time!” On this site, I share expert home and yard DIY advice in over 200 videos. I can fix and repair your problems.
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[@Candoit2]

Great video and information! Thank you!!

[@julietspaghetti]

basement light switch looks like a Son of Svengoolie B movie

[@jillboone4204]

I am trying to connect a wireless light switch with these types of wires with the loop. Can I just straighten that loop to be able to tie in with the wireless device to use the wire nuts or what do I do with that loop? I'm a rookie and I wasn't expecting to see that loop on the end of the existing fixture wires. It's an old building. Maybe I should just replace the pull chain fixture and forget the wireless switch? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[@MrHardware1]

I’m sorry I can’t help from here. Sounds like you need an expert ’on site’ to access the wiring.

[@lakrfan4980]

The only thing that bothered me about that installation is the light fixture is not secure to the metal box, it wobbles around.

[@MrHardware1]

There are 2 8/32 machine screws that secure the fixture to the box.

[@johnnyd8024]

What if you can’t find a new light fixture with 4 screws

[@MrHardware1]

Then you have to get 3 wire nuts and 5” pieces of wire. Attach the black to the brass ‘colored’ screw, the white wire to the ‘silver’ screw and use the wire nuts to attach all the blacks together and all the whites together. The same goes for the ground wire if your fixture has a ground screw on it.