How to Hang a Pendant Lamp

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Things You'll Need

  • Step ladder

  • Tape measure

  • Screwdriver

  • Wire connectors

Make sure your pendant lamps are hung at the correct height.

Pendant lights are installed on the ceiling and hang down at the end of a wire or metal post. Pendant lights typically have a globe attached to the bottom. These types of lights are not designed to provide bright lighting options. Instead they are placed in locations that require spot lighting, such as over sinks and kitchen islands. The most important aspect of hanging a pendant light is making sure that the globe is positioned at the correct height.

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Step 1

Turn off the electricity to the light outlet where you will install the pendant light. This is done at the main fuse box by flipping the switch for the room where the light is located.

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Step 2

Place a step ladder underneath the light outlet where you want to install the pendant light. Remove the existing light and mounting fixture by taking out the screws with a screwdriver. Untwist the black, white and green (or copper) wires on the light from the ones in the ceiling.

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Step 3

Place the end of the tape measure on the ceiling and extend it down toward the counter top below it. The bottom of the pendant lamp should hang 30 to 40 inches above the counter top.

Step 4

Test the height by having someone stand under the light to see if it is too high or too low.

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Step 5

Install the mounting fixture for the pendant light by inserting it into the ceiling hole. Insert the screws into the holes on either side of the mounting fixture and secure them with a screwdriver.

Step 6

Attach the white wire from the pendant light to the white light in the ceiling by inserting the wires into a wire connector and twisting the connector clockwise.

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Step 7

Connect the black wires to each other and the green wires to each other. If the ceiling does not have a green wire, attach the green wire on the light to a metal part of the light fixture. Sometimes the wire will be copper colored instead of green.

Step 8

Adjust the wire length of the pendant light by unscrewing the nut on the inside or outside of the globe. Pull or push the wire through until it is the length you decided and re-tighten the nut.

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Step 9

Push all of the wires gently up into the hole in the ceiling. Push the base of the pendant light against the ceiling and secure it using the provided screws.

Step 10

Turn the electricity back on and test the pendant light.

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