Replacing Track Lighting: How to Replace Track Lighting Heads & Bulbs

Replacing track lighting is a job that can be done by anyone. Replacing the bulbs and heads on your track lighting can not only make your light more aesthetically pleasing, but also save you money in the long run. Replacing track lighting heads and bulbs are not difficult tasks to take on if you know what you’re doing!

In this article, we will walk through how to replace small track lighting bulbs as well as how to change out larger ones. We’ll also discuss how to install a new fixture for better illumination of your home or business.

Replacing track lighting can help you save money. Replacing your bulbs and heads to a different wattage or color temperature will give the space more of an aesthetic appeal, which may be desired if your original light is looking dull or outdated. Additionally, changing out large fixtures with smaller ones might make sense for where you are trying to install it as well. Replacing track lighting is not difficult, but it does take a little bit of know how.

Replacing Track Lighting Heads & Bulbs

You will need:

• Alternative bulbs and heads
• Wire cutters or a utility knife to remove old fixtures if necessary
• Phillips head screwdriver for most installations
• Tape measure (optional) to make sure you have the right size track lighting fixture before buying it. Remember that all of your measurements should be in inches.
• Wire strippers (optional)
• Screwdriver and pliers or wire stripper for installing new fixtures on existing tracks.

Refer to our guide to choosing track lighting for helpful tips on what to look out for.

Replacing Track Lighting. How to Replace Track Lighting Fixtures.

How to Remove Old Track Lighting

Before you turn off the lights, make sure that you shut off the power. This way, if something goes wrong and the lights go on while you are working on them, they won’t hurt you. If your kitchen is dark with the lights off, wait for a sunny day or use a light to see what is going on.

Then take out the old heads from your track and put in new ones.

Next, take out the screws that keep the segments together. Next, take off the screws that attach the track to the ceiling.

How Do You Fill a Ceiling Light Fitting Hole?

Patch the holes with fiber-reinforced spackle and then paint the ceiling.

How to Install New Kitchen Track Lighting

First, attach the plate for your track lighting to the junction box. It does not need to cover the hole. The track will cover it up.

Then, connect the wire from the ceiling with a wire nut to a black wire on your fixture and repeat for white wires. Wrap copper wires of your fixture around green screw on mounting plate and put wires back into ceiling.

Attach the fixture to the mounting plate with the included hex nuts. They can be a little slippery to tighten by hand, so use a socket wrench to make sure it is secure.

Now, decide where you want your kitchen track lighting arms. Drill a hole in each location big enough for a plastic drywall anchor. Then insert the screw through the bracket and tighten it into place on both sides of this hole.

My track lighting kit came with caps to go on the pole. They hold the light in place. You need to use these if you have a track that needs a light. The lights are bulbs and shades that screw onto the track lighting fixture, so you can see well when cooking or cleaning up. I like my kitchen better now because I can see what I am doing better!

How to Replace Track Lighting Heads

Track lighting is made of an electrified track that is mounted to a ceiling or wall. The individual fixtures attach at any point along the track. It’s easy to replace those parts, but you need to find a replacement fixture that matches your system, or new ones that work with it.

Removing and Replacing Track Lighting Head.

Step 1: Turn off the lights and remove the light fixture.

Step 2: Twist it a quarter turn counterclockwise and pull it down.

Step 3: You will need to put on protection gloves because sometimes the bulbs can break easily.

Step 4: There should be a plastic ring around the bulb. The bulb should come loose after you twist and pull it out of its socket.

Changing Track Lighting Bulbs

How to Replace Small Track Lighting Bulbs and track lighting bulbs in general?

Step 1: Turn off the light.

Step 2: Is it a light fixture? If so, you need to turn it off before taking the bulb out.

Step 3: Take the light bulb out of the light socket.

Step 4: Follow the wattage of the fixture.

Step 5: When you have a light bulb that lights up and then burns out, get a new one. Buy the same kind of light bulb as the one that just burned up.

Step 6: Put the new bulb into the light socket.

Step 7: Insert the light into the track if necessary.

Replacement Lights For Track Lighting

Types of Bulbs for Track Lighting

What kind of bulbs go in track lighting/ what kind of light bulb for track lighting?

Different types of bulbs for track lighting are available. You need to choose the right one based on what you want in your room while also choosing a bulb that matches the wattage and voltage requirements of the light fixture.

Types of bulbs for Track Lightings – what kind of bulb do I need for Track Lighting?

There are different types of bulbs. Depending on the wattage and voltage requirements of your light fixture, you should purchase a bulb that is appropriate for it.

Bulbs can be categorized based on the type of finish they have or if they emit warm white light or cool blue light; this will help you make your decision on what type of bulb you want.

When Replacing Track Lighting, make sure that the light bulbs are compatible with the wattage and voltage requirements for your fixture as if not it will burn out quickly.

Track Lighting Replacement Shades & Track Light Replacement Globes

Removing a Replaced Light Fixture Shade

Step One: Turn off the light.

Step Two: Take out the bulb and remove any fixtures on it such as clips or brackets that hold fixture to track lighting. When removing clips, try not to break them because they are hard to find replacement ones for some types of lights.

Step Three: Take the shade out from underneath. If you have a light fixture that is up high on wall, it may be difficult to remove with your hands. In this case, use pliers and grip onto the edge of the light shades’ bottom then pull down so that more surface area can break free at once or just set the shade on a table and pull down.

Step Four: Find the screw that attaches light fixture to track lighting in order for you to remove it from its slot, if screws are not visible use pliers or your fingers to lift up edges of metal until they come loose.

Step Five: Take out any other fixtures like clips, brackets, or anything else that holds the light fixture to the track lighting.

Step Six: Take off any clips, brackets, screws, washers and nuts and then remove them from their slots on the light fixtures

Take out old shade – put in a new one

Put your new replacement shades back onto tracks. If you are replacing this with the same shade, then you will need to find a screw and place it back into the slot. Replacing light fixture shades is not hard but can be time consuming depending on how much work is needed for your particular type of track system.

Check out our Best Track Lighting for reviews on the best kits to replace your old system or source new.

Andrew Orange, the owner of Orange Lighting qualified and worked as an interior designer in 1993 before specialising in lighting working on high profile projects based in London. Since starting Orange Lighting Ltd in 2003 he has been sharing his knowledge and unique teaching style mostly to his designer clients, offering practical real life advice born from running a busy consultancy and lighting supply business. Launching in 2020, his blog has evolved into Quick & Easy Lighting, curating some 25 years design experience into making the lighting choice and design process achievable and easy to understand for all.