Updating your home's lighting is an effective, high-impact way of revamping a room. Sconces or pendant lights can add some flair, but nothing makes an interior design statement quite like a showstopping chandelier.

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Installing a chandelier doesn't take long, and it gives you a striking new centerpiece that brings a touch of class to your living space. Here’s how to do it yourself.

Do You Need an Electrician to Install a Chandelier?

Working with electricity is something that must be done carefully and methodically. Whether you're trying your hand at outdoor light installation or swapping a standard pendulum light for a chandelier, it's crucial that you understand all of the steps and feel confident before you start work.

As long as the circuit is already in place and you're simply hanging ceiling light fixtures rather than extending wiring, chandelier installation is a job that's suitable for a competent DIYer. With that said, if you have any doubts or you're not confident in working with electricity, consult a licensed electrician for the safety of yourself and your loved ones.

How Long Does Chandelier Installation Take?

Hanging ceiling lights is a relatively simple job. If you take the time to research how to install a chandelier and gather all the parts together in advance, you should find the job itself takes no more than two hours from start to finish.

This assumes you're simply replacing an existing light with a chandelier. If you're doing anything more sophisticated — such as installing dimmer light switches — you'll need to budget extra time for that work.

How Do You Wire a Chandelier?

If you already have a ceiling fan or another similar light fixture, it will most likely be attached to a ceiling box. This box is attached to a joist and should be able to support between 50 and 75 pounds. The connections that you'll need to hook the chandelier up to are contained inside the ceiling box.

To wire up the chandelier:

1. Turn off the existing lights at the light switch.
2. Turn off the power to the light circuit at your circuit breaker.
3. Use a voltage tester to confirm that the power is off.
4. Remove the existing light fixture or ceiling fan and disconnect the wiring.
5. Connect the black wire from the ceiling box to the black wire of the chandelier.
6. Connect the copper ground wires following the same process.
7. Twist the ends of the wires together with a wire nut.
8. Connect the white wire (neutral wire) of the chandelier to the corresponding ceiling box wire.
9. Secure the wires in the electrical box and replace the decorative plate.

Always check the weight and make sure your existing ceiling box will be able to support the chandelier before you start the install.

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How Do You Hang a Chandelier With a Chain?

Hanging a chain chandelier is a similar process to replacing a standard chandelier. The main difference is that instead of the chandelier connecting directly to the ceiling box, it has a long wire, a chain and a canopy to cover the electrical connections where they meet the ceiling.

Before you hang a chandelier with a chain, it's a good idea to do a test fitting to confirm how much chain you'll need. Cut the chain to the correct length using pliers, then follow these steps:

1. Once you've got the right length of chain, thread the electrical wires through the chain and up to the canopy.
2. Cut away the excess wire, leaving about a foot of wire to work with for your connections.
3. Lift the chandelier into place, and screw the mounting bar into place.
4. Use wire strippers to expose enough copper wire to complete the connections as described above.
5. If in doubt, refer to a light fixture wiring diagram that likely came in the instructions.
6. Once the wires are connected properly, tuck them into place in the ceiling box and screw the canopy in place.
7. Screw the bulbs into the chandelier.
8. Replace any diffusers or covers that conceal the bulbs.
9. Turn the power back on and test the lights.

Work With Electricity Safely

Whenever you're working with electricity, the job should be done thoughtfully and carefully. Electricity is dangerous, and an improper light fixture installation could present a fire risk. Working with a licensed electrician gives you peace of mind that the job has been done properly.

If you want to fit a chandelier in an area where there isn't currently a ceiling box, you'll need to have some more extensive wiring work performed and then certified by an experienced electrician.