How to Install a Dining Room Chandelier | Ask This Old House 

Ask This Old House master electrician Heath Eastman makes his first house call to install a chandelier in a homeowner’s dining room.
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Time: 3-4 hours
Cost: $500
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Installing a Chandelier:
Measuring tape [amzn.to/2qU7fAV]
Plumb laser [amzn.to/32Ud3ID]
Drill [amzn.to/2BQB1IN]
Hole saw [amzn.to/2WmAPun]
Insulation rod [amzn.to/32SnTic]
Screwdriver [amzn.to/2qTOk9h]
Dust shroud [amzn.to/2BMCkIK]
Fish tape [amzn.to/2MX7yn3]
Shopping List:
Light fixture [amzn.to/34cjjLQ]
Painter’s tape [amzn.to/343Pltw]
14 gauge non-metallic cable [amzn.to/36i5XQr]
Electrical tape [amzn.to/2pkBCzR]
Old work fan bracket [amzn.to/31SnyuA]
Steps:
1. Start by turning off the power to the room.
2. Next, identify the location for the light. In most cases, this will be in the center of the room, but consider the placement of the dining room table and if it should be centered over that (if the table is not in the center of the room).
3. To get the light perfectly centered in the room or over the table, measure the width and height of the area and mark the center point from both directions. You can use a piece of painter’s tape on the floor or on the table to mark the exact center of the room.
4. Use the plumb laser directly over the marks on the painter’s tape. This will display a red dot on the ceiling, which can then be marked as the location for the ceiling light.
5. Poke a small hole in the ceiling using the screwdriver. Bend the insulation rod to roughly 2 inches to accommodate for the 4 inches diameter of the electrical box. To help stay oriented, bend the bottom of the rod in the same direction.
6. Poke the insulation rod into the ceiling and spin it around. As long as the area above is clear, it’s safe to drill.
7. Drill a hole in the ceiling using a 4 inch hole saw and a dust shroud.
8. Run wires from the nearest power source up to the hole in the ceiling. This will requiring taping fish tape to the Non-metallic cable using electrical tape to help pull the wires through the ceiling.
9. Depending on where the hole is in the room, it’s likely that you’ll need to install an old work fan bracket between two joists, with the box centered over the hole. The box will need to be secured to the bracket using screws and the screwdriver.
10. Wire the light fixture to the wires through the ceiling and mount the fixture to the box.
Resources:
Heath installed the Newbury Manor Collection Bronze Chandelier [amzn.to/3471aza], manufactured by Home Decorators Collection and sold at The Home Depot (www.homedepot.com).
Heath used a plumb laser to locate the ceiling fixture, which was manufactured by PLS Laser [amzn.to/2MUT9aX] (www.plslaser.com).
All of the other tools and materials for this project, including an old work fan bracket, non-metallic cabling, lineman’s pliers, and needle nose pliers are available at home centers and electrical supply shops.
Expert assistance with this project was provided by Eaton and Eastman Electric (www.eatonandeastmanelectric.com).
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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Keywords: Ask This Old House, electrical, Heath Eastman, dining room, chandelier, lighting
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How to Install a Dining Room Chandelier | Ask This Old House
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