Friday, December 27, 2013

Update Suspended Ceiling Lighting

The idea of suspended lights, which hang down from the ceiling instead of being up against it, is basically as old as electric light itself. So just because you like the concept of a suspended light doesn't mean that the one in your home is the one you want. Replacing that suspended light with the new one is relatively simple, as the connections work the same way as with any other type of light. Keep in mind that you need head clearance under the light, so don't let it hang too low.


Instructions


1. Cut the electricity to the existing fixture at the house circuit box.


2. Remove the existing fixture, extracting the screws that hold it up the electrical box in the ceiling and disconnecting the wires behind it. You should be left with an exposed electrical box and a black wire, a white wire and a bare copper wire hanging from inside it.








3. Find the mounting bracket that came with your new light fixture. Attach it to the box by lining up the screw holes and inserting the provided screws.








4. Connect the copper wire (the ground) from the box to the green screw on the mounting bracket. Tighten the screw.


5. Assemble the suspended light unit as instructed on the fixture's packaging. You should end up with the socket fixture and a ceiling canopy connected by a cord, chain or other length of the support, with electrical wires (black and white) running from the fixture to the canopy.


6. Hold the canopy near the electrical box. Connect the wires from the canopy to the box by color, white to white and black to black. Make the connections by holding each pair of wires side by side and twisting a wire cap over both at once.


7. Tuck the wires up into the electrical box. Hold the canopy up to the mounting bracket. Secure it there with the provided screws.


8. Turn on the power and test the light.

Tags: mounting bracket, suspended light, copper wire, existing fixture, Hold canopy, provided screws