Repair Broken Attic Light

I Repaired a Broken Attic Light - Updated December 19, 2025

Dear Mr. Electrician:  How do I repair a broken attic light?

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Answer:  Before I can tell you how to repair a broken attic light, I need to know the type of light fixture and if it is accessible.  The year that the house was built can be helpful.

I REPAIRED A BROKEN ATTIC LIGHT

A client called to have me repair an attic light bulb socket.  Below is what it looked like when I arrived.  The attic light bulb socket was broken and hanging by the wires.

An old broken light bulb socket with a pull chain hanging by wires from a brown plastic electrical box in an attic.
An old broken light bulb socket with a pull chain hanging by wires from a brown plastic electrical box in an attic.

The client asked if a wall switch could be installed instead of replacing the pull chain light socket that required entering halfway into the attic to access the string.

It was an easy run of 14/2 Romex cable from the existing attic ceiling electrical box down to a new cut-in metal box that I installed.

The access to the attic was through the back of a closet and that’s where the client wanted the switch.  Fortunately the other side of that wall was the attic space.  It was very easy to bring a new cable from the existing ceiling box in the attic to the new switch location.  I used a metal old-work electrical box with attached support clips for clamping to the drywall.

A new light switch installation using a metal old-work electrical box and red tape color coding on the white conductor to indicate that it is not a neutral.
A new light switch installation using a metal old-work electrical box and red tape color coding on the white conductor to indicate that it is not a neutral.

NOTE: The bare copper equipment grounding conductor from the 14/2 Romex cable is wrapped around a 10/32 screw and a pigtail was created to connect to the switch.  That is now an electrical code violation.  The current code requires a separate grounding pigtail for grounding the metal box.  Read Article 250.148(C) in the National Electrical Code.

You can read my article about grounding switches and outlets here.

A new plastic lamp-holder attic light before it is attached to the plastic round electrical box.
A new plastic lamp-holder attic light before it is attached to the plastic round electrical box.

The white wire wrapped with red electrical tape is the LOAD wire switch leg and is connected directly to the black wire on the new keyless light socket.

The completed broken attic light repair is below.  A new wall switch controls the attic light now instead of a pull chain.

A white plastic lamp-holder is attached to a brown plastic electrical box as an attic light. The white two-wire cable from the switch is going into the side of the box.
A white plastic lamp-holder is attached to a brown plastic electrical box as an attic light. The white two-wire cable from the switch is going into the side of the box.

I have opened up many electrical wall switches and found a white and black wire on the switch.  In almost all cases the white was the hot LINE conductor and the black was the LOAD or switch leg.  The switch in the photo below is an example.

This was the old existing wall switch that controlled a switched outlet. The white wire is the LINE hot and the black wire is the LOAD wire going to the hot terminal on the receptacle outlet.
This was the old existing wall switch that controlled a switched outlet. The white wire is the LINE hot and the black wire is the LOAD wire going to the hot terminal on the receptacle outlet.




The image below depicts how the white wire from the switch is commonly connected to the group of LINE wires.  This is why the white wire is often LIVE.  The color of the wire should have been changed during installation as depicted in my broken attic light repair photos.

A switched receptacle outlet electrical wiring connections. A white wire that is connected to the LINE black wires feeds power to the wall switch. The white wire should have been re-identified with a different color to indicate that it is not a neutral conductor.
A switched receptacle outlet electrical wiring connections. A white wire that is connected to the LINE black wires feeds power to the wall switch. The white wire should have been re-identified with a different color to indicate that it is not a neutral conductor.
CLICK THE IMAGE to see Gifts for Electricians
CLICK THE IMAGE to see Gifts for Electricians

For helpful information visit my Light Switch Wiring Diagrams article.

To repair an attic exhaust fan read my article about that here.

If you have flickering lights, read my article about that.

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