How to get a chandelier down? Hanging a chandelier in bedrooms, entryways, or dining rooms adds a captivating look to the surroundings. You’ll notice some chandeliers are large and heavy, which makes them difficult to handle.
There are small chandeliers that are light in weight but give a perfect decorative touch to your living space. Regardless of their size and weight, they have a similar mounting principle.
Hanging a chandelier in your living space doesn’t mean you’ll never have to remove it. There are chances that your chandelier stops working after a few weeks.
I remember I had an old-fashioned chandelier in my bedroom. I used this chandelier for no less than four years.
Now, I wanted to replace it with a modern crystal chandelier. I decided to replace it without hiring an electrician, and I succeeded in it.
Today, I’ll share steps you can follow to get the chandelier down yourself. So let’s start!
You’ll see people recommend hiring an electrician to get a chandelier down. It is because chandeliers mostly have a large size, and you can’t handle them alone.
To prevent any damage while removing the chandelier, hiring an electrician is a wise choice. But if you are a responsible person who has confidence in yourself, you can do the task without hiring a professional.
Honestly, I decided to remove the chandelier myself because I wanted to save money. Regardless of what the reason is, trying new things always gives a new experience.
HOW TO GET A CHANDELIER DOWN? THE GUIDE!
Here is the list of equipment and steps you can take to get a chandelier down yourself.
Equipment Needed to Get a Chandelier Down:
You’ll need the following equipment to assist you in removing the chandelier:
- Ladder
- Screwdriver
- Blanket
- Hand gloves
- Wire stripper
- Sticky tape
Once you have all this, you are ready to rock. I’ll again recommend taking help from your partner. It will increase the chances of removing the chandelier without damaging it.
HOW TO GET A CHANDELIER DOWN? STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE?
Step 1: Switch off Electricity Supply:
- Look for the central electricity panel and switch off the electricity supply for your chandelier circuit.
- The labelling on the panel will help you find the switch for the desired circuit.
- If you can’t determine the switch, I recommend switching off the entire electricity supply for your house.
- After switching off the electricity supply, confirm that the chandelier doesn’t turn on.
Step 2: Lay the Blanket:
- Take the blanket and lay it under the chandelier fixture.
- Make sure to use a large and soft blanket as it will catch everything if dropped while removing the chandelier.
- Laying the blanket must be your supreme priority if you want to get a crystal chandelier down.
- In the case of other chandeliers, a blanket will help you if you drop a screw while removing them.
Step 3: Set the Ladder:
- Set the ladder and balance it, so you don’t fell off from it.
- If you have a partner, ask him to support the ladder and let you do your job.
- In some cases, houses don’t have high ceilings.
- If your living space has a low ceiling, you can use a table or chair to reach the chandelier.
- Also, don’t forget to wear hand gloves before you start the process.
Step 4: Remove the Bulb:
- Before removing the chandelier, make sure to remove the bulbs.
- Not removing them might result in damaging them while you are getting the chandelier down.
- If the bulbs aren’t in working condition, you can skip this step.
Step 5: Unscrew the Chandelier:
- Take the screwdriver and unscrew the canopy first.
- Hold the canopy with one hand and unscrew the screws and nuts slowly.
- If you have a large-sized chandelier, you’ll need one or maybe more than one helper to support you in the process.
- And don’t depend on the blanket to catch the screws.
- After unscrewing, remove the canopy, and you’ll see a bunch of ugly wires.
Step 6: Remove the Wires:
- In most cases, you’ll see wires after removing the canopy.
- You’ll have a clear view of all three wires (black, white, and copper).
- If you can’t differentiate between the wires or see all three wires, hire a professional to avoid short circuits.
- Using the wire stripper, disconnect the chandelier from these wires and unscrew the wire connectors.
Step 7: Get the Chandelier Down:
- After unscrewing the chandelier and disconnecting the wires, it’s time to get the chandelier down.
- Perform this step carefully as you have to balance yourself along with the weight of the chandelier.
- Doing anything in a hurry would spoil your hard work.
Now that you have removed the chandelier, you have to put it in a safe place.
Step 8: Cover the Wires:
- Now take the sticky tape and cover the bare wires.
- Put the wires back into the junction box and cover it.
- If you have a new chandelier or pendant light that you want to install immediately, skip this process.
- But don’t consider yourself as a working machine.
Take some rest before you start to mount a new chandelier at the same place.
THE AFTER STEP: INSTALLING A NEW LIGHTING FIXTURE!
After you remove the chandelier, you’ll not have any light connected to the circuit.
You don’t want your room to look dark at night, do you?
After you get a chandelier down, you have to install a new chandelier or a pendant light as quickly as possible.
To install a new light, you’ll have to perform a few easy steps. The guide down below will help you in the case!
HOW TO INSTALL A NEW CHANDLEIER OR PENDANT LIGHT?
Have a look at the following if you want to install a new light after removing the old chandelier.
Step 1: Measure the Height:
- For installing a new chandelier or pendant light, you have to measure the ceiling height.
- Spare some time and go through the features of the light that you’ll use.
- The best idea is to purchase a product that comes with an adjustable height feature.
- It will let you adjust the light for maximum illumination.
Step 2: Connect the Wires:
- After adjusting the height, take the wire stripper and remove the coating of the wires.
- Now connect all three wires carefully (black with black, white with white, and copper with copper).
- Cover the connections with sticky tape.
Step 3: Screwing:
- After connecting the wires, drag up the canopy and screw it tightly.
- If you are hanging small pendant light, the process will take no more than a few minutes.
- But if you want to install a large-sized chandelier, it will take a lot of time and effort.
- After screwing, assemble all the parts and install the bulbs. See if any part or screw is loosely attached
Step 4: Switch on Electricity Supply:
- After you complete the installation, go to the central electricity panel of your home and switch on the electricity.
There you go!
You have a brand new light installed to add an elegant touch to your living space. Enjoy its illumination unless you feel that you have to replace it with a new item.
These are the four easy steps that you need to install a new light. The thing to pay attention to is the connection of the wires.
NOTE:
I repeat that there are three wires black, white, and copper. You have to make sure you see all these wires when removing or installing a light. If you can’t have a clear view of these wires, hiring an electrician is what you must prefer.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Can you lower a chandelier?
Yes, you can lower a chandelier as per your room’s demand. A too high mounted chandelier will obstruct the light, and will dim the elegant ambiance. Therefore, lowering a chandelier in the case will help you create light you want, and the design you desire.
Q. How do you remove a ceiling light fixture that has no screws?
You can remove a ceiling light fixture that has no screws by following the process: With the help of screwdriver or knife, make a hole between the base of the lighting fixture and the ceiling or wall. The hole should be big enough to help you get your fingers pass between the base of light fixture and ceiling. Now, pass the fingers and pull the fixture out of the springs, and you’re done!
Q. Is it hard to change a chandelier?
The difficulty level of changing the chandelier depends on the size, type, and installation process of the chandelier. To make the process less complex, leave in place the existing electrical box, and wiring in the ceiling.
THE CORE-CRUX
Thanks for making it this far till the end of the blog. How to get a chandelier down might not seem an easy task, but it is also not that difficult. If you follow the steps I shared today, you’ll never have to hire an electrician to remove or install a chandelier or pendant light.
Do let me know if you have any questions related to the topic. Also, feel free to share your experience about how you managed to get a chandelier down yourself.
That’s all I got for you today. I’ll see you with a new topic. Till then, Be Sound!
