How to Install a New Chandelier

That impressive chandelier hanging from your neighbor’s vaulted ceiling catches your eye every time you walk into their house. You wish you could get one installed in your foyer, but the cost of having it done just will not fit into your budget right now. Why pay to have it done? If you can afford to buy the fixture, the installation is fairly simple and relatively quick. With experience in total house and commercial electrical wiring and having installed dozens of chandeliers, I have the background to help you with a guide to wiring and installing a chandelier at your house.

While it can vary a little from one chandelier to the next, most are installed in about the same way. Let’s assume that you already have a light fixture installed where you want the new fixture to be placed. If you do not have a light there already, you may need to do a little more investigating to get electricity to where you need it.

Turn off the power at the circuit box to the light that you are going to replace. Get a ladder and preferably someone to hold it steady for you. Your medical bills could make a professional installation seem cheap if you get thrown from the ladder. You will need a screwdriver to remove the screws that hold your old fixture to the ceiling. Remove these screws entirely. This will let the old fixture drop from the ceiling and be suspended by the wiring behind the plate.

You should see between 2 and 4 wire nuts holding the wires together that supply the power to the light. Holding the light in one hand, carefully unscrew and remove each wire nut and pull or twist the wires apart. Once all of the wires are disconnected, you should be able to hand the fixture to your person on the floor. Separate the wires coming from the ceiling well apart from each other.

The chandelier should come with 3 wires extending out from the its top. Most chandelier come with the pretty parts not attached. It is best to leave it this way while wiring it up and attaching it to the ceiling. The fixture will be much lighter to work with, and you will greatly reduce the chance of breaking it.

Line up the wires so that all of the colors match. Taking one of the wire nuts, hold two of the matched wires against each other and screw the nut tightly down over the ends. Make sure that metal touches metal on the wires being attached. Repeat this procedure until all of the wires are connected. Gently ease the wires back inside the junction box on the ceiling.

Most chandeliers come with a ball-like device at the beginning of the chain or tube that suspends them. Screw the bracket that the chandelier hangs from to the junction box with the ball inside the box. This will secure the chandelier to the ceiling.

Before you slide the decorative cover into place, put a bulb or two into the fixture and turn on the power. If the bulbs light up nice and bright, you are ready to complete the installation. If it does not come on or is very dim, you have probably either allowed two of the wires to short against each other, or one of your connections came open when you moved the wires to push them into the junction box.

You fix this by turning off the power again and redoing the connections. Before putting every thing back into place, recheck the manufacturer’s directions to make sure there were no unusual things that you may have overlooked regarding the fixture’s wiring. When you have fixed the connections, repeat the previous test. If you still have a problem, you may need some professional help. Rarely is this actually a problem.

When the light is working correctly, attach the decorative plate over the wiring and support bracket. Next, finish assembling the parts to complete the chandelier. When everything is done, test the light one last time. Now, it’s time to put your tools and ladder away and enjoy your new light.