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A DIY guide to replacing an old fixture with a stylish hanging light
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Adding a pendant light in your home instantly transforms your space by adding warmth, style, and personality. If you’re not sure where to begin with the installation process, don’t worry—replacing an old light fixture with a pendant light is actually pretty simple. In this article, we’ll show you how to take down your old light, wire the new pendant fixture, and hang it from your ceiling. Read on to learn how!
Steps
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Turn off the power to the light using your circuit breaker. Find your home's circuit breaker or fuse box and switch off the power to the room or area of the house where you’re installing the light. This protects you from any potential electrical accidents as you work.
- Not turning off the power before you start working can put you at risk of serious electrical shock.
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Unscrew and pull off the old fixture. For most light fixtures, simply unscrew the light’s base that’s flush against the ceiling with your hands or a screwdriver. Or, unscrew the knut connecting the light to the plate. Then, pull off the fixture to expose the wires and junction box. [1] X Research source
- Get a helper to hold the light while you unscrew it to prevent it from dropping.
- If you don’t have an existing light because you moved into a new construction or recently remodeled house, there might be a cover over the fixture’s junction box. In this case, just lift off the cover.
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Check that the power is off with a voltmeter. Even though you turned off the circuit breaker, make sure there’s no electricity running through the junction box and light fixture’s wires before you touch them. Just hold up your voltmeter to the box and wires. If there is power, the voltmeter will beep. [2] X Research source
- If the voltmeter beeps, that likely means you turned off the wrong circuit breaker switch. Just go back to the breaker, find the right switch, and turn it off.
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Disconnect the black, white, and then copper wires from the fixture. Inside your junction box are 3 wires: a black wire, a white wire, and a bare copper wire. These wires are twisted together with the same colored wires coming from your fixture. Start with the black wire and twist off the small cap, called a wire nut, that holds the junction and fixture wire together. Pull the wires apart. Then, repeat for the white and then copper wires. [3] X Research source
- The black wire is the hot wire, which carries electricity to the light while the white wire, or neutral wire, transfers unused energy to the power source. The copper wire is the grounding wire for the fixture, which safely discharges any excess electricity.
- While most light fixtures use black and white wires, your old light and new pendant might have different colored wires.
- If your light has different colored wires, read the manufacturing instructions to learn which wire is hot, neutral, and grounding.
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Unscrew the metal bracket attached to the junction box. Use a screwdriver to remove the thin, metal bracket that bridges across the junction box. Then, remove any remaining parts of the old fixture that are still attached to the ceiling, like the base or trim. [4] X Research source
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Check that the junction box is screwed into a beam or support. If the electrical junction box is not adequately supported on the ceiling, your light fixture might fall. So, look to make sure that the junction box is screwed into a beam or other support system, and not just into drywall.
- If there is not a beam or support to hold your fixture up, do not proceed with the installation. This is likely a building code violation that a handyman or electrician can help you fix.
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Ensure the junction box is secured tightly to the ceiling. Pull or wiggle the electrical junction box to check that the screws holding it in place are tight and keeping it secure. If any of the screws are loose, tighten them with a screwdriver.
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Unpack your new fixture and lay out all the parts. Pull out your fixture and arrange all the parts on your workspace. Most pendant lights come with the fixture and its attached wires, a metal mounting bracket and attached grounding screw, a decorative base, and screws.
- Like the old light you took down, most pendant lights have 3 wires: a black or hot wire, a white or neutral wire, and a copper grounding wire. These are typically labeled for you by the manufacturer.
- Depending on your pendant, it might come with a decorative rod that you insert the wires through.
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Screw the mounting bracket into the junction box. Take the metal mounting bracket and screws that came with your pendant and insert the screws into the holes on either side. Then, lift up the bracket to the junction box and line the screws up with the holes on the edges of the box. Simply use a screwdriver or drill to tighten the screws and secure the bracket to the junction box. [5] X Research source
- Your pendant light’s bracket might screw into the junction box differently. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when installing your light.
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Adjust the height of the pendant if desired. Before you start wiring the fixture to the junction box, hold your pendant to the ceiling to see how low you want it to hang. Most pendants have an adjustable cord that lets you hang the light lower or higher. Just look for a screw inside the pendant’s base and loosen it with a screwdriver. Then, pull in or extend the cord if you want the light to hang higher or lower. [6] X Research source
- Different pendant lights have different adjustment mechanisms, so read your light’s instructions to find out how to make it hang lower or higher.
- If your light doesn’t have an adjustable cord and it’s too long, simply cut the wires to your desired length. Carefully cut open and peel back the cord’s casing to expose 2 to 3 inches (5-7.6 cm) of the 3 wires. Then, strip each wire so about ½ inch (1.3 cm) of bare wire is exposed. [7] X Research source
- In general, hang pendant lights about 60 to 66 inches (152 to 168 cm) above the floor and 30 inches (76.2 cm) above counters and tables. [8] X Research source
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Attach the pendant and junction box ground wires together. Have a helper hold the pendant light up to the junction box while you grab the pendant’s ground wire—this wire is either copper or in a green casing. Then, wrap the end of the wire around the end of the ground wire coming out of the junction box. To keep the wires from unraveling, twist a wire nut or connector over the ends of the wire.
- If your house was built before the 1970s, you might not have a ground wire that extends from the junction box. In this case, wrap the pendant light’s ground wire around the green grounding screw located in the middle of the mounting bracket.
- Some pendant lights might not come with a grounding wire. If your junction box has a grounding wire, wrap it around the grounding screw on the bracket.
- Most pendant lights come with wire nuts.
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Attach the white and then the black wires together. While your helper holds up the pendant to the junction box, grab the light’s white, neutral wire. Twist the end of the wire with the end of the junction box’s white wire and cap them with a wire nut. Then, follow the same steps with the black, hot wire.
- To ensure you’re connecting the wires correctly, check the manufacturer’s instructions provided with the pendant light.
- If there is not enough exposed wire, use a wire stripper to peel back some of the wire’s insulation.
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Tuck the wires up into the junction box. Push or fold the wires behind the mounting plate and up into the junction box, making sure the wires remain secured together with the wire nuts.
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Attach the pendant’s base over the junction box and hang the light. Check your light’s specific installation instructions, as different lights may have different directions. In general, you screw the light’s base into the mounting bracket using the screws provided. [9] X Research source
- In some cases, you align the mounting screws with small holes in the fixture and then give the fixture a quarter turn.
- In other cases, you'll have to screw the fixture into a separate mounting bracket.
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Screw in the lightbulb. Check the instructions that came with your pendant light, or look at the sticker on the light, to find the lightbulb size and wattage compatible with your fixture. Then, screw in the bulb into the pendant. [10] X Research source
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Turn the breaker back on and test out the light. Flip the breaker switch on to return the power back to the area you are working in. Then, turn on your light to see how the new fixture looks in your space. [11] X Research source
- If your light does not function, switch the breaker back off and check your wiring.
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Add the shade and any other parts to your light. If your fixture has a shade, trim, or any other remaining parts, put them on to see the finished product. You successfully installed your pendant light!
- If you want to make any adjustments to the light’s height, turn your breaker back off before unscrewing the base and pulling on the cord or wires.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you install pendant lights in a finished ceiling?James Hornof is a Master Electrician and the Owner and President of B & W Electric based in Denver, Colorado. With over two decades of experience in the electrical construction industry, James specializes in field installation, management, estimating, and design. He graduated top of his class in electrical trade school and studied Business Management at The Community College of Denver. James holds a Master Electrician license in Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas.Using a hole saw, cut a hole for the size of a cut-in box—they have round, cut-in boxes for residential use (which is typically just a round, blue plastic box). Make sure that the hole saw is a little bit bigger than the part that's going into the ceiling. Then, get your wire into the fixture, which should be coming from another light or light switch. Feed your wire into the box, tighten the screws that pull the box flush with the ceiling, and then mount your pendant light to the box as directed in the product instructions.
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QuestionWill an unconnected ground wire pendant light to junction box cause the breaker to trip?Community AnswerNo, unless the breaker is a safety GFI type of breaker; then all wires must be connected.
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QuestionIs it possible to buy a replacement mounting bar for a pendant light?Community AnswerYes, you should be able to find one at Home Depot or a good hardware store.
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Tips
- If you are installing pendant lights in an area where there is no existing junction box or fixture, or if you are installing several mini pendants where there were fewer fixtures before, you will need to add new wiring to your home. Unless you have experience with wiring a new light fixture, contact an electrician.Thanks
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Warnings
- Check old wires hanging from the junction box for wear or fraying before installing your new light. Don't attach your new light fixture wiring to any old wiring that shows signs of wear, including frays or burn marks. This may be a fire hazard, so call your electrician for help.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about installing pendant lights, check out our in-depth interview with James Hornof .
References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/jNtOwoOl9bU?t=126
- ↑ https://youtu.be/jNtOwoOl9bU?t=139
- ↑ https://youtu.be/jNtOwoOl9bU?t=159
- ↑ https://youtu.be/jNtOwoOl9bU?t=150
- ↑ https://youtu.be/mXDkv2wrbEk?t=551
- ↑ https://youtu.be/CiWMUMp6Uoo?t=16
- ↑ https://youtu.be/mXDkv2wrbEk?t=352
- ↑ http://www.bobvila.com/articles/21907-pendant-lighting-101/#.VIS2OsnTdM0
- ↑ https://youtu.be/TydlqrSmi6A?t=455
- ↑ https://youtu.be/mXDkv2wrbEk?t=651
- ↑ https://youtu.be/mXDkv2wrbEk?t=662
- Videos provided by Build.com
About This Article
Article Summary
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Before you install a pendant light, make sure you turn off the power to the room or area of the house you'll be working in so you don't shock yourself. Then, remove the old light fixture, take off the small plastic caps covering the connections between the wires, and disconnect the wires. Next, connect the wires on your pendant light to the wires hanging out of the junction box, including the ground wire. Finally, install the mounting brackets or screws, and hang up your new light. To learn how to tell if the wiring you're working with is a safety hazard, scroll down!
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