DIY Network

Pendant Light Installation / Finishing Touches From "DIY to the Rescue" episode DTTR-212

The new pendant light.

The Swicks found their dining room ceiling fan a bit dismal and outdated. The Rescue crew will help the two install a new pendant light to give the dining room a modern feel.

Materials:

Screwdriver
Wire nuts
Needle-nose pliers
Adjustable wrench, or ratchet and socket set

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Note: Before beginning any type of electrical project, be sure power is turned off.

1. To remove the old ceiling fan, first remove the blades. Then, loosen the screws holding the fan in place. Gently pull fixture from mounting bracket.

2. Remove wire nuts from wires, disconnect fixture and remove mounting brackets.

3. To hang the new light, first attach the new mounting bracket to the junction box.
   In many cases, the old mounting bracket will use mounting screws that screw in from the bottom. Some new mounting brackets have open bolts on the bottom that are capped with a cap nut.

4. Attach the wires to the new fixture based on the manufacturer’s instructions. This is usually white to white, black to black and ground to ground.

5. Secure the connections with wire nuts, then attach the bare ground wire to the green ground screw on the mounting bracket. On some fixtures, the neutral wire may be a black wire with a white stripe.

6. Slide the new fixture over the bolts in the mounting bracket, then attach mounting cap nuts.