How to Hang an Antique Office Light

Spruce up your office with antique lighting.

Lighting can add mood, a soothing glow and even a splash of color to any room, including an office. If you're thinking of hanging an antique office light, there are a couple of things to keep in mind: You'll need to replace the electrical box (antique lighting tends to be heavier than current lighting; therefore, you need an electrical box that can hold over 50 pounds) and be very gentle with the antique light's shade, which can break easily.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Flathead screwdriver
• Fan brace
• Wrench
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• U-bolt
• Support flange
• Two hex nuts
• Nut driver
• Threaded nipple
• Twist-on connector
• New lamp canopy
• Retaining collar
• Light bulb(s)

Instructions

1. Turn off the main power to the room where the light is going to be hung. You will need to do this at the office's electrical panel.

2. Securely place a ladder under the old fixture to be taken down and climb up it. Unscrew the fixture's canopy using a flathead screwdriver and remove the canopy from the ceiling. You now have access to the crossbar, electrical box and wiring.

3. Snap or twist off all the connectors from the wiring and remove them, then take down the old fixture.

4. Unscrew the electrical box from the crossbar with the flathead screwdriver. Use the screwdriver (or your fingers) to loosen the screws on the cable connector. Slide the cable out of the cable connector.

5. Place the fan brace into the ceiling. Rotate the brace until its prongs stick into the ceiling joists and tighten it using a wrench.

6. Install the new electrical box equipped for heavier lighting. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to open the box's knockout plug. Slide the cable end through the cable connector and pull about 6 inches of cable through the box. Use the screwdriver to tighten the screws.

7. Adjust the U-bolt over the fan brace and the support flange to the threaded ends of the bolt. Thread a nut and use a wrench to tighten each nut. The holes at the top of the electrical box should now be perfectly aligned with the threaded ends of the bolt.

8. Tighten the two hex nuts to the U-bolt using the nut driver. This will keep the electrical box and fan brace secure.

9. Bring your antique lighting up to the ceiling. Slide the threaded nipple into the chain holder of the office light fixture, then slide the threaded nipple into the mounting bar. Thread the wires from the antique fixture through the nipple.

10. Screw the fixture's mounting bar into the electrical box using your Phillips-head screwdriver. Connect all of the wires from the fixture to the wires of the electrical box using twist-on connectors. All of the wires will be color-coordinated.

11. Wrap a copper wire around the grounding screw and tighten the wire with your fingers. This is your ground screw. Connect the wire to the fixture's ground wire.

12. Move all of the wires up inside the electrical box. Slide the antique light fixture's canopy up over its hanging chain and secure the canopy to the ceiling by threading the retaining collar onto the chain holder. Twist the collar clockwise to tighten.

13. Screw new light bulbs into the fixture. Turn on the room's main power at the electrical panel.

References

• The Family Handyman: Hanging a Ceiling Light Fixture