How to Hang a Chandelier

Tap to Read ➤ Aparna Jadhav

Chandeliers light up your house in a unique way. Read on to know about hanging one in the right way.

Chandeliers are a set of decorative lights put together on one stand, and hung from the center of the ceiling to light the entire room. They were first made by glass makers of Bohemia in the early 16 th century, with rock crystals and quartz.

Chandeliers were found either in medieval churches, monasteries, or in the houses of wealthy people in those times, but today, they are integral part of home lighting. These come in many exquisite designs, and you can match them with your home interior. It is simple to install one on your own; just make sure that you do it in a proper way.

Instructions

Chandeliers were first lit by candles in their crystal stands, and they hung with a common holder from the center of the ceiling. They often lit the entire room because of the reflection of the candle light on the skillfully cut crystal stands.

Today, they come in a variety of shapes and colors, made from different materials. Here are some instructions on hanging one from the ceiling on your own:

To get started with it, decide the location where you want to install it, and remove the current fixture to replace it with the new one. As it involves disconnecting the electric wiring, switch off the main circuit controlling the room's electricity.

Use a ladder to remove the canopy of the old fixture, and disconnect the wiring. This connection between the old light fixture and the house wiring will have a pair of twist-on connectors, which can be removed by hand.

Discard the old electric materials, and take down the old fixture to hand over to a helper. Remove all the appliances that were involved with the old fixture like screws, support bar, and loose fins, with screwdrivers and handsaw. Eventually, what should be left is an empty hole with electrical wiring.

Another important tip is to install the support brace first. If the chandelier is heavy, its support brace will have a hexagonal support, with prongs that stick directly into the wood of the ceiling joint. This will, probably, be necessary for providing proper support. Tighten it with leverage.

Pull about 6 inches of wires from the knockout hole into the new electric box, and tighten the cable connector with screwdrivers. This cable connector should not be overtightened and should be nonmetallic so as not to pierce the insulation of the wires.

Once this is done, attach the electric box in which you've safely fed the wires. Attach it to the brace with screws or a bolt tightly to ensure full support.

Now, remove the chain links and raise the new chandelier to its height, with the assistance of the helper. Remove enough chain to hang it to a certain desired height from the ceiling, and connect its wires with the housing ones.

Strip about an inch of insulation off the ends of the wires, and connect it to the light's wiring with twist-on connectors. Attach the canopy by carefully tucking the remaining wiring up into the electric box, and slide the canopy up to tighten it to the ceiling.

Add the LED lights, shades of the chandelier, and other decorative appliances carefully. Flip the circuit breaker, and test if the light is working.

With these simple instructions, you can easily fix it yourself. However, make sure that this installation is done carefully to avoid any injury or damage.