Replacing an old fluorescent kitchen light with LED

[Frankies Girl]

I've wired fans/simple light fixtures before, but it's been a while and this one has thrown a few minor curve balls so wanted to ask any of the experts in here for some tips or tell me if I'm on the right track.

Old fixture was a bugger to get down, it had 6 different screws attaching it to the ceiling and they were all a million miles in length (might have been shorter but not by much). I forgot how when you're standing for long periods of time with your arms strained overhead it feels like forever.

Wires are coming directly out of the drywall, already expected and have a junction box for old work ready to go. Issue is the motherflipping wires are not on center. They are on one end of the 4 foot length, and my new LED 4 foot light really wants the junction box on center. Sigh.

Also my ground wire is bare.

And a gentle tug feels like they did secure the wire to the joist so I don't have any play/slack to make sure unless I really open up the ceiling. Which I can do as I can just reseal the drywall with a bit of mud after, but wanted to see if this is something I should do?

I am getting ready to hop up there and cut a hole where I hope to install the junction box, and feel like there's maybe enough of the ceiling wires to run it along the drywall under the insulation to the box in the nearly correct position, but the bare ground is bothering me. I should wrap with electrical tape, right? I can't imagine having a bare wire touching but then it's already touching the drywall where it comes out of the ceiling.

And this assumes I'm not going to run into a joist one I get up there. I'm fine with the new light being slightly off center from the original position, but of course that means I'll have to repaint the whole ceiling (of course). Fortunately it's a small ceiling area and I should have the matching paint from a while back if it hasn't gone bad.

[nereo]

Obvious question, but what is above the ceiling? Is it an unfinished attic or another finished room above?

A bare (eg uninsulated) ground would not concern me. Most are

[Frankies Girl]

Open attic to roof above. Several inches of insulation tho.

Just got the wires loose from where they were stapled to the joist, and looks like they're 16" on center so I can't center the junction box dammit without drilling THROUGH a joist which ain't happening.

So the light is now going to be about 7 inches shifted from the original placement so definitely have to repaint it. Sigh.

[Frankies Girl]

Had to cut into the drywall near where the wires were to unfasten the joist staple to get enough slack to get it even close to the center hole, and that took a while. I think despite the mask I inhaled quite a bit of cellulose insulation as it just rained down on me. I am so pissed at the janky setup, because getting the wires set correctly and installing the old work junction box took like three times as long as the actual light install!

Took a LONG break once we got the box in and mudded the lookout holes. Then after a nice dinner break and some colorful language and considering whether we really needed a big light in the kitchen (sigh, yes) we came back and finished the actual light install in about half an hour. Looks SOO MUCH BETTER than that ick old school light. We have it set to toggle between color temps so we could decide which one we like and still have the option to switch it up later (you flip the switch on/off for a designated time in seconds and it will cycle through until you leave it on at least 10 seconds and then it remembers the last setting). I have about 3 inches of painting to do but that can definitely wait.

[HipGnosis]

I feel your... angst(?).

My attached, 2 car garage has 2 8' florescent light fixtures.  Positioned roughly above each car 'spot'.
I'm using most of one of the 'car spots' for storage, of ... 'stuff'.   The stuff goes pretty close to the light fixture, so not much useable light gets past it.

I bought 2, 6' long LED fixtures.  I hung one in the middle of the garage and one close to the corner where my work bench is.
I turned off the breaker that the  florescent light fixtures are on and disconnected the wires from a fixture.  I moved the wires to a LED fixture and connected it.    I disconnected the wires from the 2nd florescent fixture...  and found 4 wires.   I'm flumoxed.   
Most of my wiring experience is with 12 V, automotive and farm equipment.   I think the 4 wires at the 2nd  florescent fixture are 2 from the switch and 2 going to the other fixture.   But I respect 120V to much to take any chance with it.
I'm going to buy a no-contact voltage tester.   If I'm not SURE what I'm dealing with, I'll call an electrician for an evaluation / consultation.

[GilesMM]

I just popped in plug and play LED tubes using the old fixture, ballast and and all. Easy Peasy.

[nereo]

I feel your... angst(?).

My attached, 2 car garage has 2 8' florescent light fixtures.  Positioned roughly above each car 'spot'.
I'm using most of one of the 'car spots' for storage, of ... 'stuff'.   The stuff goes pretty close to the light fixture, so not much useable light gets past it.

I bought 2, 6' long LED fixtures.  I hung one in the middle of the garage and one close to the corner where my work bench is.
I turned off the breaker that the  florescent light fixtures are on and disconnected the wires from a fixture.  I moved the wires to a LED fixture and connected it.    I disconnected the wires from the 2nd florescent fixture...  and found 4 wires.   I'm flumoxed.   
Most of my wiring experience is with 12 V, automotive and farm equipment.   I think the 4 wires at the 2nd  florescent fixture are 2 from the switch and 2 going to the other fixture.   But I respect 120V to much to take any chance with it.
I'm going to buy a no-contact voltage tester.   If I'm not SURE what I'm dealing with, I'll call an electrician for an evaluation / consultation.

Are there four wires two sets of two (likely two sets of one black and one white)? If so it’s a hot and neutral going to the fixture and then continuing on to another receptical (either another light on that circuit or an outlet).

Definitely use a non contact circuit tester and note which wires are hot. Then shut off the breaker and verify there’s no current. After that it’s not at all difficult and safe to work on as long as you follow some simple rules (like never bury junctions inside walls).

[HipGnosis]

Yes.  2 white and 2 black.

I got the no-contact tester. 
I've got to move a few things to get the stepladder under them to test.
But I also need to find a way to label the wires so I can apply the knowledge I get from the tester.

[SmashYourSmartPhone]

Also my ground wire is bare.

This is perfectly normal, standard, and expected.  I would be shocked to find a non-bare ground wire in typical home construction, although I am prone to using insulated ground wire, simply as I have a lot of it left over from a project that involved underground pulls.

If you have metal conduit or junction boxes, the ground wire will be attached to the shell of them at various points throughout the system.  If not, it will still be attached to the bare metal of switches and outlets.

It should always be at 0V potential, and is designed to route fault currents "back upstream" in a hurry, such that the breaker trips.  It should be bonded to neutral at the main service panel, and only there, so fault current can only flow "back upstream" to the main panel, tripping whatever needs to trip.

But I also need to find a way to label the wires so I can apply the knowledge I get from the tester.

Masking tape tags with Sharpie is just fine.

[Glenstache]

I just popped in plug and play LED tubes using the old fixture, ballast and and all. Easy Peasy.

This approach can cause the ballast in the fixture to fail prematurely. Though, I guess you just finally replace the fixture at that point. YMMV.