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Our kitchen has a pair of fluorescent light fixtures (2 lights each / 4 foot long) in a ceiling mounted wooden box. They are hard wired to a switch.

I purchased a pair of plug-in LED shop lights. I've installed one light (everything works) but have a question about the ground.

The original (hard wired) lights were in a metal case and the ground wire was attached to the case with a metal clip. The new LED lights don't even have a case, but a small plastic housing at each end. The blue is (was) a polarized two prong plug - no ground wire.

Do I need to use the ground wire coming out of the ceiling in any way? It was clipped to the old metal lighting fixture, but the new fixture is plastic.

What I ended up doing was taking the ground from the ceiling and screwing it into the receptacle housing.

  • Was that necessary?
  • Did I solve the problem or did I just do something that looks like I solved the problem but I need to do something else?

As I stated, the light works but I'm confused about how to manage the ground wire.

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    The junction box that was in the ceiling. Is it made of metal?
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Aug 31, 2021 at 7:33
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    A picture of how you have it wired now would be most helpful. Did you cut the plug off the end of your shop light to install it in this permanent, hard-wired solution?
    – FreeMan
    Aug 31, 2021 at 11:34
  • Harper - yes, the junction box (what I called the receptacle housing :) is metal.
    – Robert
    Sep 1, 2021 at 4:36
  • FreeMan - I did cut the plug end off, separated the left side from the right side and attached one side to black, the other to white.
    – Robert
    Sep 1, 2021 at 4:37
  • If your kitchen light was hardwired, where did you plug in your new LED shop light? (Also, why did you put a shop light in the kitchen—are you single?)
    – Huesmann
    Jan 26 at 12:46

4 Answers 4

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For what it's worth, my solution was to install outlets in the ceiling box, using a faceplate designed for the purpose, then just plug in.

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  • Likewise, I did exactly the same thing.
    – FreeMan
    Jan 27 at 16:54
  • What the heck a code violation but let’s all do it because I saw it on the internet!!! No down vote because this site is a joke.
    – Ed Beal
    Feb 8 at 1:01
  • @edbeal: What part of code do you think I'm violating? I freely admit that I don't know code in depth, but I'd like specifics so I can learn.
    – keshlam
    Feb 8 at 2:51
  • All receptacles in a garage are required to be GFCI protected I saw shop lights so after re reading +
    – Ed Beal
    Feb 9 at 14:23
  • Not in a garage, in my case. And how do you know I DIDN'T have a GFCI? Pointing out that specific concern would have been useful; snark is not.
    – keshlam
    Feb 9 at 15:03
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As I read the question the new lights are plastic. The plastic lights do not require a ground even pendant lights that are plastic do not require a ground. So there is no problem regarding the light grounding. There is no requirement for the lighting in the kitchen to be grounded. So you have no issues.

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  • A much delayed thank you for your help! It is grounded anyway :)
    – Robert
    Sep 10, 2021 at 3:22
  • There are indeed issues, but not because the fixtures lack grounding.
    – kreemoweet
    Jan 26 at 1:05
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It is contrary to the prevalent electrical codes to use the flexible cords attached to fixtures, tools, or whatever, as fixed-in-place permanent wiring. It is also a violation to cut the plug off like you have because that voids the approval/listing that every light fixture is required to have. There may also be violations stemming from the manner in which the cord was secured/connected, but you gave no info on that subject. There is no problem with the lack of grounding, because not all light fixtures need that, and it seems your fixtures do not.

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    There is a specific rule in the NEC that permits the use of cordage pendants/swag drops to feed luminaires (it's in NEC 400.10 point 2)
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Jan 26 at 4:39
  • I presumed so, given that swag lamps are still marketed.
    – keshlam
    Feb 8 at 2:43
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The ground wire from the new lights needs to be connected to the house's ground wire that fed the old lights.

Usually, you would use a wire nut to connect the ground wires, or, since there was a metal box and the house ground was connected to it, you'd connect the fixture ground to a clip or screw and connect that to the metal box.

Some how, you need to make that connection. Barring additional information (pics, etc), you'll need to figure out the most appropriate method yourself, but it's important that the new LED fixture's ground get connected.

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  • Hi Freeman - what led me here was not knowing how to deal with the fact that the new LED light had no ground. It was a two prong polarized plug. The ground wires coming out of the ceiling ended in a wire nut; I added one to that and attached the other end to the metal box. What I'm now curious about is if I never cut off the cord and just plugged it into an outlet, would the lamp be grounded?
    – Robert
    Sep 1, 2021 at 4:48
  • With no ground wire, @Robert, no, the light wouldn't be grounded whether you plug it into a 2-prong or 3-prong outlet, and it's designed to be perfectly safe & functional that way. Many power tools also come with 2-prong, polarized plugs (polarized has nothing to do with grounding), and are instead "double insulated", just as your lamp should be. Two notes on double insulated.
    – FreeMan
    Sep 1, 2021 at 11:31
  • Weird random drive-by down vote. Haz a sad. Gets over it.
    – FreeMan
    Jan 26 at 12:22
  • Down-voted again because your answer makes no sense.
    – Simon B
    Jan 26 at 21:23
  • What part doesn't make sense, @SimonB? I'll try to clarify
    – FreeMan
    Jan 27 at 12:33

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