How to Change a Light Fixture Without Hiring an Electrician

About a year ago, we moved into a new house where almost everything worked for us—emphasis on the almost everything. The only point of angst was the royal blue dining room with an awful, dated chandelier. This light fixture was some unique version of oil rubbed bronze ugliness, with brownish, creamy, wannabe milk glass shades and a trio of un-glamorous crystal baubles delicately hanging from it. Bottom line: It had to go. Normally, I might have hired an electrician, but since I’ve changed light fixtures before I can tell you it’s not really a major DIY (and I do not consider myself a DIY-er at all). We scoured the internet for the perfect light fixture, knowing we were going to completely transform this room with the addition of a beautiful Chinoiserie paper from Tempaper and a fresh coat of Cream Puff from Behr Paint to match the adjoining living room. With such a traditional paper, we wanted a modern light fixture for the space.

Most light fixtures come with some sort of assembly instructions, but those are just about putting the light fixture together, not installing it. I found the light assembly of the one I purchased to be the most laborious part, but that’s because I was installing a chandelier and the one I was taking down was super heavy. If you’re doing a wall light this will be pretty simple and the process is the same. So, here’s how it’s done.

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What you’ll need: Voltage tester Philips & flat head screwdrivers (or cordless drill with attachments)Wire strippersWire connectors Needle nose pliers (may not be needed)

If the light fixture is hanging—and heavy—you’ll also need: A ladder or two A helper

Before you get started: Make sure you take out all the pieces for your light fixture, read the instructions and have everything you need for installation.

1. Turn off the electricity

Locate the central electrical panel in your home and switch off the power for the circuit where the chandelier is located. The various circuits in the panel should be labeled, but if they aren’t, you may need to try a few to determine which is your chandelier circuit (and then, make a project of labeling them!). Once you switch off the circuit, confirm the chandelier lights do not turn on.

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2. Unscrew the fixture

First, remove any detachable parts from the chandelier like the light bulbs or glass light covers. Usually there is a decorative plate or canopy piece hiding the actual wall or ceiling hardware. You’ll need to unscrew that first before you can see the wiring. (If you’re removing a heavy chandelier like I was, definitely have helpers and a ladder to manage the weight of the chandelier. In my case, getting this bear down was the most labor intensive part.)

3. Remove wiring

Once the decorative bits are off, you can remove the plate and should have a clear view of the wiring, which should be capped. If it’s not, or if you’re at all confused at this step, stop and hire a professional electrician (sites like Thumbtack and Angie’s List make this super easy!) Carefully unscrew the caps, then use your voltage tester on the exposed part of the wires to confirm there is no electricity present. Before pulling the wires apart, take note of how they are attached (snapping a picture of the wire setup is a good idea).

4. Remove the chandelier

First, be sure that the full weight of the chandelier is supported by a ladder and your helper(s). Unscrew the mounting bracket from the ceiling fixture box and carefully lower down the chandelier. Rejoice! Take a quick breather! Old fixture gone! But now you have no light. Time to get this thing hooked back up.

5. Measure

If you’re putting up a chandelier or hanging pendant, figure out the length you want it to hang from the ceiling. If your chandelier is hanging over a table (like mine) you’ll want it between 30 and 34 inches above the table. Once you’ve adjusted the chandelier to the proper length, you’ll need to cut and strip the wires. Cut to the length you want plus an extra 8-10 inches. Then use your wire strippers to remove 1 inch of wire coating from each wire.

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6. Swap platesReplace the existing hardware plate with the new one that came with your new light. Attach the light fixture mounting bracket to your ceiling box, making sure you weave the wires through the new plate so you can reconnect them.

7. Connect wires

Next, connect the chandelier wires with the ceiling wires, matching colors: white to white, black to black, ground wire to ground wire (these are unstripped). Connect with wire connectors.

8. Assemble!

Push the wires into the electrical box and follow the instructions for assembling your light fixture. For me, this took the longest time! P.S. Don’t forget the bulbs!

9. Turn on the electricity

Once the light fixture is fully installed and assembled, it’s time to go back to your breaker box and flip the switch to on. Voilà! Bask in the light! Your new light fixture is up.

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Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens