What is Reddit's opinion of Black & Decker Complete Guide to Wiring, 6th Edition: Current with 2014-2017 Electrical Codes?

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http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Wiring-Updated/dp/159186612X/ That has a lot of pictures and can get you familiar with the basic concept and how things are ideally . The problem is, in a house, you'll open up a box and you may find something that looks completely different- a white wire that has current, no ground, old wires, wires too short, an old style wiring, etc. Worse, you may find something that is completely Jerry-rigged and the only way to get yourself out of trouble is experience and if you don't have experience, the experience of your Journeyman or Master.

edit I saw that you're not in the US. disregard the above! talk to locals about how things are over there!

While not youtube. I've heard good things about this B&D book

Check out this nice book for a code compliant starting point I've used to get myself out of a jam before:

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Wiring-Updated/dp/159186612X

>a recent diy home electrical book with lots of color photos

I've learned a bunch from Black and Decker's Complete Guide to Wiring https://www.amazon.com/dp/159186612X

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Complete-Wiring-Updated/dp/159186612X

No problem if you want to PM me. Be warned I'm moving in the next week so I can't guarantee how good my response time will be. Some more info on recessed cans and retrofits since you're going that angle.

First off, buy the Black & Decker book on wiring. If you don't have experience with electrical reading it will leave you knowing more or less how home electrical works. Black & Decker makes shitty tools but their books are the standard for DIY home improvement skills. Beyond that, YouTube is your best friend. Lots of great tutorials on every aspect of installing recessed lighting and everything involved in the process.

Next, cans. Cans come in two types: old work and new work. You're buying old work cans because the drywall is already in place. What you'll so is cut a hole in the ceiling, pull the wiring down, make all the connections in the small box to the side, and then push the can up through the hole. Make sure that the cans you buy have all their parts because these are routinely damaged in shipping. Basically- made sure that the box has a door, that all the drywall clips are still on (should be 4), and that the can is still round. If it's a little oval though you can squeeze that back.

Once you pick out your cans, look inside. Sometimes the socket will be fixed in place. Sometimes it'll be dangling . Which one you have is important to know because it affects installation a bit.

If you're putting in 4" cans, this is the retrofit kit I recommend. It's from Cree which as I said is the brand I like because they know what they're doing. They also have a 6" version of the same thing as well as a 6" daylight, if you think daylight is something you'd like to do. I love daylight in kitchens because it shows truer color. Your steak looks redder. Your green beans look greener. And so on. The problem is that it can feel harsh if you're not used to it. That said, it took me about 4-6 weeks to adjust after I switched my kitchen to daylight and once I got used to it I liked it a lot better. Just something to consider. That said, I don't know that Cree has a 4" daylight. I'm pretty sure that EcoSmart does but I can't swear without my inventory in front of me. I know I suggested 4" cans, but 6" cans and kits in your kitchen might be nice if you're putting them in a straight line. I wouldn't use them if you're making a square. For making a square, center the holes about 12-18" away from your cabinets. For either a square or a line, draw everything on your ceiling in pencil first to make sure everything is in straight lines and 90^o angles. A good large carpenter's square is a product worth investing in that doesn't cost too much. And once your centers for holes are marked, have your spouse hold up your chosen retrofit kit while you stand at the counter facing it. See how much shadow there is.

Installation is easy. Step 1, screw the retrofit kit's socket into the can's socket. Step 2, fold out those metal clips on the side. Step 3, push the retrofit kit by the trim into the can. That's it. Done. Now, remember I said that cans have either a dangling socket or a fixed one? The socket on the retrofit is also either fixed or dangling. If you buy cans with a fixed socket and kits with a fixed socket, there's an additional step. The piece the can's socket is affixed to is attached to the can by a wingnut. Unscrew the wingnut and throw it away. Now the assembly holding the socket will drop down. The retrofit itself will hold everything in place. I know this sounds incredibly complicated but once you loot at what I'm talking about with the parts in front of you it's simple.

Now I know I'm recommending Cree or EcoSmart, if you look at other brands there are some things to know. First, some retrofit kits look like this. Don't buy them if you're installing them yourself. They're a nightmare to deal with. Second, you'll see some kits in the $30-50 range. These are ones that do special things. Some are unique color temperatures like bright white. Some can be installed directly into a junction box. Some are fisheyed. Unless you have a compelling need for a feature offered by one of the expensive ones, stay with the ones in the $17-20 range like Cree and EcoSmart.

While you're at it, you probably don't know it but LED lighting is almost universally dimmable. I'd consider upgrading the switch controlling your kitchen lights to a dimmer just for the heck of it. You might find it's nice when you want to have a romantic dinner, or you're having guests over, or whenever. Even if you're not planning to use the dimmer, I advise it's worth doing just to have the option in the future. By the way, the kits I've been pointing you toward are all dimmable and wet-rated. So if you upgrade any other lighting in the future you can use the same ones for shower and outdoors.

You need to figure out what kind of wiring you need as well. Find the breaker controlling the lights. It'll say either 15 or 20 on it. If it says 15, you need 14-2 wire. If it says 20, you need 12-2 wire. If the lights are on a 3-way switch (multiple switches controlling the same lights) then you'll be getting 14-3 or 12-3 instead. You can double check what you need by flipping the breaker off and pulling out the switch controlling the lights. If you see black/white/ground, you need 14-2 or 12-2. If you see black/white/red/ground, then you need 14-3 or 12-3. The ground in all cases will be either in green coating or uncoated (bare). The two are compatible with each other so don't worry which you see. You might not see it at all, in which case don't worry. It's just not hooked into the switch. If the wire is in a white sheath, it's 14. If it's in a yellow sheath, it's 12. By 50' of wire. You probably don't need more than 25' but the difference in cost is minimal.

This didn't fit anywhere, but you'll be left with a hole where the current light is wired. You can either cap this hole, or by drywall repair supplies and patch it up. Because your wiring diagram will go

>SWITCH - CAN 1 - CAN 2 - CAN 3 - CAN 4

none of the wiring will go through the box that the current fixture is attached to.

Last, consider hiring an electrician if this is beyond you. If you can provide all the materials necessary and there's not an electrical nightmare hiding in the ceiling, you're looking at no more than 1-2 hours of work. I don't know what an electrician runs around your area but figure that'll probably be around $100 and change for someone independent. Having all the materials they need on hand means they won't need to charge you time to run out, buy stuff, and come back.

Yep, I agree completely. Do it right, or don't do it at all. For someone who doesn't want to know everything there is to know about house wiring, this book is a great reference to the basics:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159186612X