How to hang a chandelier without drilling. How to fix a lamp and chandelier on the ceiling

Hanging a chandelier with your own hands is not that difficult. A person who has no experience in carrying out such procedures may at first be intimidated by the need to work with electricity. However, no serious knowledge is required to complete this task. To install a chandelier on the ceiling, you need to perform only two operations: connect it to the electrical network and secure it.

Safety precautions

Before starting any electrical work, you need to take care of safety. Mounting a chandelier involves contact with wires carrying high voltage current, so this issue must be approached with complete seriousness. Here are the basic recommendations and guidelines:

  • all electrical installation work must be carried out with the power turned off (you can simply turn off circuit breaker in the shield);
  • after turning off the machine, you should be on the safe side and check that there is no light;
  • Having checked the absence of voltage in the wires with an indicator screwdriver, you can safely begin installation;
  • Often, a Chinese manufacturer resorts to using low-quality materials when making chandeliers, so their choice should be treated more carefully.
Checking the presence of a phase with an indicator

How to determine the location of wiring in the ceiling?

Before hanging a chandelier on a concrete ceiling, you need to know the exact location of the electrical wiring. If this is not done, when drilling holes for the chandelier fasteners, it will be possible to easily drill through the wires. The search process must be performed while current is flowing in the wires. Therefore, this procedure can be divided into the following stages:

  1. Power outage.
  2. Installing a temporary socket with a light bulb.
  3. Electricity supply.
  4. Turning on the temporary light.

To determine the location of live wires, there are many devices from different price categories. This device must be installed perpendicular to the line along which the wiring is supposed to run. You must place a mark where the phase is detected, and then continue moving the indicator. The next mark is placed at the point where the phase disappears.

To control, these steps should be repeated in the opposite direction. The wiring is laid in the gap between the resulting marks. Now you can safely drill holes for fasteners and hang the chandelier.


Methods for attaching a chandelier to the ceiling

If everything has become clear with the wiring, now the question arises: what methods of attaching a chandelier are there? Today, three most common technologies are most often practiced, allowing you to quickly and easily hang a ceiling chandelier. Relatively lightweight products can be fixed on hooks. In cases with heavier lighting fixtures, the use of anchor bolts. In addition, there are chandeliers that are attached to a bar (bracket). Another way is to attach directly to concrete ceiling.

How to hang a chandelier on a hook?

The simplest way to attach a chandelier to the ceiling is a hanging hook. To fix it in the ceiling, you need to drill a hole with a diameter of about 8 mm. If the weight of the chandelier does not exceed one and a half kilograms, you can use a regular hook with a thread, which is screwed into the dowel inserted into the hole. For heavier products, expansion anchors with a diameter of at least 10 mm should be used.

If you plan to secure the hook in a dowel, it is recommended to choose a corrugated one. Such fasteners are better fixed in the ceiling. The screwed hook should be wrapped with two layers of insulating tape.

After these manipulations, you need to connect the wires from the chandelier to the electrical network. This can be done either using regular twisting or by resorting to the use of terminal blocks, which are most often included with most lighting devices.

On next stage you should attach the chandelier to the hook, and then move the special decorative trim as close as possible to the ceiling surface. This bowl will hide all wire connections. This completes the installation of the chandelier. The main disadvantage of this type of fastening is the gap between the ceiling and the lining. It can be either a couple of millimeters or 1–2 cm.

It is important to understand that installing a chandelier on a plasterboard ceiling in this case is fraught with unpleasant situations. While lightweight products can still hold out, plasterboard will not withstand heavy lighting fixtures. The hook must be attached to the frame, so its installation should be planned during the construction of the ceiling.


How to hang a chandelier with a strip?

There is a way to secure a chandelier without a hook. This procedure is a little more complicated, but quite doable.

The kit should include a special mount for the chandelier to the ceiling. This fastener is called a bracket. This chandelier strip must be attached to the ceiling, and then marks for drilling holes for dowels. You need to fix a couple of screws in the bracket itself. In this case, the distance between them should be equal to the distance between the holes on the decorative cover.

After fixing the bracket, connect the wires. Hanging a chandelier of this type can only be done with an assistant, as it will be very difficult to do it alone. One should hold it, and the second should connect it to the power supply.


At the next stage, you need to get the screws fixed in the bracket into the holes decorative overlay, then tighten the nuts. Once the lamp has been installed and functionality has been verified, the mounting procedure ceiling chandelier can be considered completed.

Mounting ceiling lights directly to the ceiling

Often, such fasteners are used for small chandeliers and light-weight lamps. On the back side of such products there are always several holes designed for fixing to the surface. If the base is made of wood, it can be fixed ceiling lamp straight to the screws. If you want to hang the lamp on a concrete ceiling, you first need to drill holes for the dowels, and then fix it.


Installation under a single-key switch

While anyone can hang a chandelier on a concrete ceiling, connecting to the electrical network can sometimes be difficult. Most chandeliers installed nowadays have two conductors. By standard marking The blue or white-blue wire is zero, and the white or brown wire is phase.

If your home has not been rewired for a long time, there will be two aluminum conductors in the ceiling. As a rule, they are not marked, but you can determine where the zero is and where the phase is using an indicator screwdriver. If the wiring is relatively new, there will be three wires in the ceiling: neutral, phase and ground. We don't need the third one, so we can insulate it and bend it to the side.

If the chandelier has two or more shades, the wires coming from them must be connected to each other. Zero must be connected to zero, and phase to phase. After this, the neutral from the electrical network is connected to the connection of the neutrals from the chandelier, the same with the phase. Next, you can attach the chandelier to the ceiling.


When hanging lighting fixtures, you need to understand that directly connecting aluminum and copper wires is not recommended. Over time, such contact will begin to oxidize, and the connection itself will lose strength, as a result of which the twist will begin to overheat. IN best case scenario The chandelier will fail, or at worst, the wiring. In such situations, chandeliers can only be hung when connecting the wires using terminal blocks.

Installation under a two-key switch

If you want to install a chandelier under a two-key switch (that is, one key turns on only part of the light bulbs, and two keys together turn on all the light bulbs at the same time), the principle changes slightly. In this case, all the zeros of the chandelier are connected together and connected to the mains zero, and the phases are divided into groups.

In the first group it is necessary to combine all the phase conductors of the lamps that should light up from the first switch, in the second - from the second. Next, the first group is connected to the phase coming from the first key, the second - to the phase from the second key. The installation of the chandelier can be considered complete once it is attached.


How to check the strength of the fastening?

After completing all procedures, you should definitely check. Small flaws may escape your attention, so you should immediately visually determine the quality of the work. The wires must be completely hidden under the decorative cover.

You can determine the reliability of the fastening by slightly loosening the lamp. Well, the main indicator is a performance check. If, after turning on all the switch keys, the light bulbs light up and the wiring does not sparkle, then you installed the chandelier on the ceiling correctly!

How to hang a chandelier from the ceiling with your own hands? It would seem, what a question. Slide the top cap of the chandelier down, hang it on the hook, connect the wires, push the cap on - that’s all. But even in this simplest case, difficulties may arise. Which? Let's figure it out.

How are chandeliers hung?

There are four ways to hang chandeliers:

  • The ceiling hook is the oldest and most reliable. Requires a solid ceiling and special fastening in it.
  • Standard mounting plate (bracket) - due to the distribution of the load over several fastening points with the light weight of the chandelier, it is quite reliable when fastened with dowel nails into plastic sleeves.
  • A cross mounting strip works similar to a straight mounting strip, but has more attachment points. Used for chandeliers adjacent to the ceiling.
  • The I-beam mounting platform is designed for mounting heavy chandeliers at several points.

All these mounting methods do not allow you to pull the chandelier close to the ceiling in low rooms. The mounting strips are curved to allow wire exit. Further in this article we will describe a modification of the mounting strip, which allows you to press the chandelier close to the ceiling.

Installation of standard chandelier mounts is simple: using self-tapping screws in sleeve-clips. The diameter of the screws can be determined by the mounting holes in the mounting plate; screw length – 40-60 mm. For low ceilings It is preferable to use chandeliers without a rod.

Much more attention should be paid to safety precautions when installing chandeliers: when working at a height, even a slight electric shock can lead to a fall and serious injury. Will also be considered various kinds non-standard situations related to the suspension and installation of chandeliers: suspended ceiling with a chandelier, how to hang a chandelier on drywall.

Phase indicator and wire phasing

First of all, you need to check the phasing of the wires for the chandelier. The neutral wire (neutral) is common, and the phase wires are connected to the lamp sections through a switch.

The phase/zero of the wiring is determined by a special device - a phase indicator. It can be purchased at any electrical goods store. The indicator is inexpensive. Phase indicators come with a neon lamp and a quenching resistor and electronic ones.

The indicator looks like a screwdriver. When using it, the device is lightly clamped between the index and middle fingers of the right hand in the place intended for this; it is either highlighted in color or has a notch and is separated from the sting by a safety cuff. TOUCHING THE INDICATOR TIP WHILE OPERATING IS DANGEROUS TO LIFE!

When checking phasing thumb touch a special metal terminal at the end of the handle of the device, or a button in an electronic indicator, and touch the wire being tested with the tip of the indicator. If it is phase, the light flashes or the corresponding symbol appears on the display. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD THE WIRE WITH THE OTHER HAND EVEN BY THE INSULATION! The indicator can be used with ONLY ONE - THE RIGHT - HAND!

Before checking, turn out/turn off BOTH plugs. Then they expose the ends of the wires protruding from the ceiling for the chandelier, move the ends apart, turn on the plugs, and turn on the switch. Place a stool on a rubber mat, and from it, right hand, the indicator finds a phase wire or two phase wires if the chandelier switch is double. Then turn off the switch without touching the plugs, and check the phasing again. Now the indicator should not light up when you touch any of the wires.

If a phase remains somewhere, the switch must be switched into a phase break, and the neutral wire, if the switch is unipolar, must be connected directly. This work is not difficult, and there is no need to pick at the wall. But, if you are not an electrician, then you need to invite a specialist to do it. No jokes with electricity are in vain.

Search for wiring

Before drilling holes in the ceiling for fasteners, you need to determine where the wiring is located so as not to interrupt it when drilling. To be reliable, the wiring search must be done under load, i.e. under current. Load the wiring as follows:

  • Turn off the traffic jams and the chandelier switch.
  • Wires protruding from the ceiling are temporarily extended to the floor; The joints are insulated with electrical tape.
  • Instead of chandelier sections, sockets for incandescent lamps are also temporarily connected.
  • Screw light bulbs into the sockets with a power of at least 60 W, and better – 100-150 W.
  • Includes plugs and switch; You can start looking for wiring.

It is best to search for wiring using an electronic indicator; The neon indicator only works in direct contact with live parts. There are special devices - wiring finders, but they are more expensive, and the accuracy is no more than two thicknesses of plaster. If the wiring is also hidden in grooves, then the error will be about 5 cm, which is not enough. The indicator gives an accuracy of 1-2 cm at any depth.

The indicator is led, placing a finger on the button, along the ceiling perpendicular to the intended direction of the wiring. When the phase icon appears on the display, make a mark with a pencil and move on. If the icon disappears, make a second mark.

Then they pass the same place in the opposite direction; you will get two pairs of marks. The wiring lies in the middle between the internal ones. Then they move 15-20 cm along the wiring and repeat the search until the end of the working area.

Installation of the chandelier on standard mounts

Installation of a chandelier on standard mounts comes down to routing the power wires to the sections of light bulbs. When checking the phasing of the wiring, the neutral wire must be immediately marked somehow, at least by bending it close to the ceiling with the tip of the indicator. Then the plugs are turned out/turned off and the wires are inserted into the chandelier.

IN modern electrical appliances the neutral wire is always yellow with a longitudinal green stripe, and all the wires are pre-wired into a connector - a terminal block. The neutral wire of the wiring is connected first: insert it into the neutral terminal and tighten the screw. Then the phase wires are connected. Pull the cap into place - the work is finished.

What if the wiring in the room consists of two wires? Or a grandfather’s chandelier, or an antique one, and you can’t see where the phase is and where the zero is?

In the first case, a small piece of wire of the same cross-section (see figure) is added to the phase wire (THE PLUGS - TURNED OFF!) and both sections of the light bulbs are switched on to one phase. The entire chandelier will be turned on with one switch.

Chandelier dial

If the wires in the chandelier are not marked, and there is no terminal block, then the chandelier needs to be ringed. This is done with a regular tester. CALLING A CHANDELIER A CONTROL BULB FROM A 220 V NETWORK IS DANGEROUS TO LIFE!

To check the ringing, we screw in the IDENTICAL sockets into all chandelier sockets, i.e. same power and brand, incandescent lamps; better low-power ones, 15-25 W. Economy bulbs are no good; dialing them won't do anything.

The chandelier diagram is shown in the figure. From it, a person familiar with electrical engineering or at least not forgetting Ohm’s law from school can see that if the resistance of one light bulb is equal to R, then between zero and ФI there will be R; between zero and FII - 0.5R, and between phases - 1.5R. To ring three wires in pairs, six measurements are needed.

"Special" chandeliers

IN Lately Chandeliers have appeared on sale, equipped with a remote control for adjusting the light, a fan, an air ionizer, or even an air conditioner (more precisely, its evaporation unit). When purchasing such products, you must adhere to the following rules:

  • Immediately see how it connects. If, in addition to the usual terminal block for household wiring, there are some strange ends sticking out there, ask for instructions and read them.
  • If the instructions do not clear how to hang such a chandelier yourself, ask whether installation is included in the price of the product, and what the seller’s guarantees are.
  • If a retail outlet operates on the “sell and forget” principle, it’s better to look for the same thing elsewhere.

Chandeliers with additional functions– the products are quite specific; There are few companies or craftsmen involved in their installation, and “special” chandeliers are not cheap.

Emergency situations

How to properly hang a chandelier on the ceiling if there is no standard mount, or it is impossible to use it? To do this, you will have to stock up on tools for working on concrete, stone, wood, drywall, and work.

Low ceiling

The standard option is a chandelier-shade and fastening with a cross bar. What to do if the room is low, but you still don’t want to install a lampshade? In this case, you can gain 10-15 cm by hanging a chandelier with a rod on the ceiling without a hook.

To do this, the standard mounting strip is straightened, cut so that it is hidden under the cap, and new holes are drilled in it for self-tapping screws. Next, the chandelier needs to be slightly modified:

  • The shades and, if possible, all fragile parts are removed from the chandelier. It is better, if the design allows, to remove the rod immediately.
  • The chandelier wires are removed from the terminal block.
  • In the rod, immediately behind the thread, three holes of 4-5 mm are drilled in a row along the rod. You just need to make sure that they all end up under the hood.
  • Three pieces of fishing line are passed into the holes of the removed rod. Their ends are attached to the ends of the chandelier wires and tightly wrapped with narrow tape.
  • Place the rod in place, carefully sliding it over the wires and pulling up the pieces of fishing line until the ends of the wires come out of the holes. If one gets caught, it is corrected with a wire hook or tweezers.
  • If the rod is not removable, then pieces of fishing line are inserted into the holes one by one, starting from the bottom, and the wires are also brought out into them.
  • The wires are reinserted into the terminal block.

The purpose of this modification is to bring the wires out to the side so that they are not pressed against the ceiling and crushed by the edge of the rod. Attention: if the rod is fixed or shaped, the cap must remain on it. Otherwise, he won’t be able to get dressed later because of the wires sticking out to the side.

Next, a mounting strip is installed on the rod between two standard nuts, and the chandelier is attached to the ceiling with self-tapping screws. Most likely, nuts will not be needed: in most chandeliers, the strip is attached to the rod by flaring.

Connect the wires. It may turn out that the terminal block now does not fit in the cap - no problem, it is removed completely and the wires are connected by soldering; The joints are insulated with electrical tape. It is not recommended to connect the wires by twisting: later there will be problems with the flashing chandelier.

Now we mount the chandelier to the ceiling using self-tapping screws. We do not wrap the screws tightly into the sleeves, otherwise the chandelier will become askew.

Option for weak but dense ceilings: laminate, MDF, plywood. Instead of a mounting strip, we make a circle with a diameter 5 mm smaller internal diameter cap In the center there is a hole for the rod; in a circle - 4-6 holes for self-tapping screws. You will also need to make a hole for the wires.

If you need a hook

Attaching a chandelier to a concrete ceiling on a strip or I-beam does not raise any questions. What if the chandelier you like has a hook, but you don’t have one at home? With a little work, you can install a very reliable hook yourself:

  • If a hook-screw is used, then drill a hole in the ceiling with a diameter 10 mm larger than the diameter of the screw, and a depth along the thread length + 10 mm.
  • Lubricate the hook thread thin layer grease (thick) lubricant.
  • We tightly screw two copper wires with a diameter of 0.8 - 1.2 mm onto the screw threads. At the beginning and end of the thread, leave a 10 mm mustache and spread it 90 degrees. When viewed from the end of the screw, the whiskers should diverge perpendicularly in four directions.
  • We spray the hole inside with a spray bottle, or with a stick we put a generously moistened cloth into it, hold it for 1-2 minutes and take it out.
  • Prepare 50-100 g of alabaster or gypsum mortar; it is convenient to do this with disposable plastic cup. When mixed with water, the solution heats up. Mix to a creamy consistency.
  • Using a stick (not a spatula) as quickly as possible (alabaster and plaster harden quickly), we pour the solution into the hole until it is full.
  • Just as quickly, into the still liquid solution, we push the hook with the wire wound around the thread; the wire mustache will bend.
  • We remove the squeezed out solution and wait for it to harden in the hole. The solution should not only harden, but also cool to room temperature. This requires at least 2 hours, but it is better to wait a day. Now the chandelier can be hung.

If the hook has a support platform for fastening with self-tapping screws, we make the sockets for them in the same way, but use thinner wire - 0.4-0.6 mm. And you will have to mix a separate portion of the solution for each nest - it very quickly hardens to a mushy state.

Such nests serve for centuries without drying out like plastic. When you turn the hook in/out 2-3 times, the nest does not become loose. If necessary, it can be easily cleared of filling with a narrow chisel and remade. When repairing a plaster-alabaster nest, you can plaster it, and then dig a hole in the plaster for the hook.

Chandelier in a suspended ceiling

Installing a chandelier on suspended ceiling- most difficult case. First of all: a chandelier with incandescent lamps and a suspended ceiling are incompatible. Even from a three-arm chandelier with 40 W lamps, spots will appear on the ceiling in a month, and within 3 months it will begin to creep. Economy bulbs in chandeliers recessed into the ceiling quickly burn out due to poor heat exchange; The only option here is LED lamps.

Then, installing a chandelier in an existing suspended ceiling is impossible: it will have to be removed and a new one installed. It is useless to try to cut holes in an already stretched ceiling - the film or fabric will immediately unravel.

And finally, before calling a ceiling craftsman, you need to prepare the chandelier mount. The standard chandelier mount is not designed for installation in suspended ceilings, therefore, if the chandelier is hung on a hook, it must be installed in the ceiling in advance.

To attach to planks or I-beams on the base ceiling, you need to attach a cushion made of waterproof BS plywood or MDF, at least 16 mm thick, to the brackets, as shown in the figure. A wooden or ordinary plywood cushion in the inter-ceiling space will soon dry out, and this will end in an accident.

Based on the installed pillow, the ceiling makers will take measurements and make holes in the panel, framed with grommets. Through them, the chandelier will be attached to the pillow with long fasteners, with a gap to the “game” of the ceiling. The wide holes are additionally supported by “spider” supports, but this is a subject for another discussion.

If you plan to recess the chandelier into a suspended ceiling, then it should hang in place during measurement. But still, a chandelier in a suspended ceiling is not the best cost option. Only due to the uneven distribution of the load due to the presence of holes, such a ceiling is more likely to sag and lose its appearance than a solid one.

Chandelier on a plasterboard ceiling

Attaching a chandelier to a plasterboard ceiling is also not easy, but it is still easier than in a room with a suspended ceiling. There are three possible cases here:

  • The chandelier weighs up to 3 kg and is attached to a hook. In this case, you need a special butterfly hook. It consists of a specially designed plastic clip and a screw hook. A hole is drilled in the drywall under the butterfly clip, and the hook is screwed into the clip one or two turns. Then the clip is inserted all the way into the hole and the hook is turned until it stops. Interior The butterfly unfolds into petals, which fix the hook.
  • Chandelier – up to 7 kg weight. In this case, only mounting on slats (cantilever) is permissible. A butterfly dowel is used for each attachment point; simply - a mole. In design, it is similar to the clip of a butterfly hook, and when a self-tapping screw is screwed into it, it opens to the sides inside the inter-ceiling space in the same way.
  • Heavy chandelier. To hang it on a hook you will need one collet pin with a diameter of at least 12 mm; for mounting on a strip - at least two 8-10 mm each. To install a collet pin in the base ceiling, holes are drilled through the plasterboard along the diameter of the pin sleeve and the depth of its length. The pin is screwed a little into the sleeve, inserted through the hole in the drywall into the base ceiling until it stops, and again the pin is screwed in until it stops. The collet diverges and wedges itself in the base ceiling, and a threaded end remains on the outside, onto which you can screw a hook with a threaded socket, or several ends - on them you can put a pillow under the chandelier bracket.

Note: hanging a chandelier on a hook through drywall is unreliable - the collet is held in the ceiling by friction. Therefore, for hanging from a plasterboard ceiling, it is better to choose chandeliers with cantilever mounting.

How to remove chandeliers

How to remove a chandelier from the ceiling, if necessary? All described fastening methods allow dismantling in the reverse order of installation.

In the first place, again, safety precautions: turn off the switch, turn off or unscrew the plugs. Then we remove all fragile parts from the chandelier: crystal pendants, etc. Next, we disconnect the wires, insulate their bare ends, and only after that we proceed to disassemble the mount.

With a suspended suspended or plasterboard ceiling, we remove only the chandelier itself. We do not touch pillows, butterflies, collets and other auxiliary parts. This is especially true for collets and butterflies: these are disposable parts and are not designed for re-installation.

Finishing renovations or moving to new apartment, many inexperienced builders wonder: how to hang a chandelier correctly on the ceiling? Let us immediately make a reservation that this is difficult only at first glance. But after mastering the initial skills of attaching a chandelier, the problems will disappear on their own.

Note! Of course, you can always go to the housing office and call an electrician to your house, who will do everything for you, but this option is definitely not ours (we do everything ourselves!), especially in such a simple matter.

Electrical aspect of the issue

You have most likely seen a hole in the ceiling with wires sticking out of it (usually three - two phases and one neutral). First, determine “xy from xy”, for which take an induction screwdriver and touch the wires one by one. And if the light in the screwdriver lights up, it means the cable is phase, and if not, then, accordingly, it is zero.

Note! Use a screwdriver to touch only the bare part of the wire, and if there is none, clean it by first de-energizing it (using a switch or panel in the entrance).


Then do the same with the chandelier - identify all the wires by ringing or “by eye”. If there are several lamps in the chandelier, then place the switch on two keys and make it so that when you press one button, only part of the lamps will light up, and when you press the second, the entire chandelier will light up. This can be done by specially connecting the wires using terminal blocks, shown in more detail in the diagram.

Video - Correct connection of the chandelier

Having decided on the wires, you can hang the chandelier: zero to zero, phase to phase.

How to hang a chandelier correctly?

Now that everything is clear with the “electrical” issue, you can hang the chandelier. This can be done in one of two ways - on a hook or on a decorative strip. Let's talk about each of the methods.

Hanging the chandelier on a hook

Take and drill a small hole in the ceiling. If there is such a hole, simply insert a plastic dowel there and screw in a pre-prepared hook. Connect the wires, wrap the joints insulating tape, cover everything with a decorative “cup” (it should be included) and perform a test run.

Hanging a chandelier on a decorative strip

To hang a chandelier this way, you will again need a hammer drill. First, place the bar at the location of the planned fastening and mark the locations for the holes. Make holes of the appropriate diameter, insert plastic dowels there (just be sure to be corrugated!).

At the next stage, take self-tapping screws or screws and use them to screw the decorative strip to the ceiling. As in the previous version, connect the pre-prepared wires, fix the chandelier and cover everything with a decorative “cup”.

Video - Installing a chandelier

This concludes the lesson, now you know how to hang a chandelier right and what is needed for this. And remember about safety precautions. Good luck!

How to choose the right chandelier
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If you need to hang a chandelier weighing several kilograms on the ceiling, then there are usually no difficulties. But when hanging a massive heavy chandelier, work needs to be done by choosing the type of fastener and the correct method of fastening.

The chandelier hangs at a height, is connected to electrical wiring, people pass under it, so the reliability of the fastening must be taken with full responsibility in order to prevent the lamp from falling on someone’s head.

If the lamp weighs less than a kilogram and is an electric socket with a light bulb, then you don’t have to worry about the hanging method and attach the chandelier directly to the electrical wires. I used this method of hanging during the renovation of the apartment since all the lamps were removed from the ceiling. If the chandelier consists of fittings and shades, then it is necessary to install a special mount in the ceiling in the form of a hook or anchor.

How to hang a chandelier on the ceiling using a hook

If the chandelier weighs less than ten kilograms, then to hang it best mount a simple threaded hook on a straight section can serve.

There are hooks different sizes, so it is possible to choose based on the weight of the chandelier. A hook with a rod diameter of 2 mm will hold a chandelier weighing up to 3 kg, 3 mm - 5 kg, 4 mm - 8 kg, 5 mm - 10 kg, respectively. To attach a chandelier weighing more than 10 kg, you will need an anchor.


If you want to hang a chandelier on a wooden ceiling, for example in a log house, then just use a drill to drill a hole in the ceiling with a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the hook thread and screw the hook into the ceiling.

If you don’t have a hook at hand, you can hammer a nail 80 mm long into the ceiling halfway and bend its protruding part into a half ring. A chandelier weighing up to three kilograms will hang securely.


In a ceiling made of concrete slabs, to attach the hook, you must first install a dowel in the ceiling. When purchasing a hook, a dowel is usually included in the kit. The hook shown in the photo with a rod diameter of 5 mm is designed for hanging a chandelier weighing up to 10 kg.

To install a dowel into the ceiling, you must first drill a hole in it with a diameter equal to the outer diameter of the dowel to the depth of its length. The dowel is driven into the hole and all that remains is to screw the hook into it.

Since there are cavities in concrete floor slabs, when drilling a hole, the drill may fall into the void. And after the drill is removed from the hole, sand and construction dust will begin to fall.


And there is an explanation for this. Plates ceiling made of concrete. To reduce their weight and increase strength, reduce thermal conductivity and sound insulation, round pipe-shaped cavities are made at the factory along the entire length of the slab. When stored at construction site gets into some pipes construction garbage, that’s why it can crumble.

If the thickness of the concrete to the inner cavity does not exceed half the length of the plastic dowel, and it does not fall through when driven into the hole, then you can screw a chandelier hook into the dowel. If its weight does not exceed 3 kg, then the fastening will be quite reliable.

If the chandelier weighs more than 3 kg, a metal dowel is required, for example, the Molli system, specially designed for fastening to any walls and ceilings, including hollow structures.

To install Molly dowels in the ceiling, you first need to drill a hole and insert it into it cylindrical part dowels and turning clockwise until it stops, screw in the hook, applying significant force at the end of screwing. It is better to tighten the hook using a lever, for example, by inserting a metal rod or rod into it. When twisting central part The dowel cylinder will move apart and securely cling to the walls of the concrete slab. This dowel will support the weight of a chandelier up to 30 kg.

How to hang a heavy chandelier on the ceiling
using an anchor

To fasten products on a solid ceiling or wall with a load of more than 30 kg, a metal Anchor is used, which translates from German language means anchor.

To hang a chandelier on a ceiling weighing more than 10 kg, you can use not only a hook with a plastic dowel, but also a simple, inexpensive drive-in anchor that can withstand a weight of up to 30 kg when installed on a concrete ceiling.

As can be seen in the photograph, a driven anchor is a piece of metal tube, inside of which a metric thread is cut up to half the length, and the second half has a narrowing internal diameter and is divided into four sectors by slots. The outside of the tube has a diagonal notch for better adhesion to the wall material.

A metal liner is inserted from the threaded part of the anchor tube. To install a drive-in anchor, you need to drill a hole in the ceiling with a depth of 5 mm greater than its length, hammer the anchor into drilled hole and wedge it using special device. The device can be a metal rod with a diameter smaller than the anchor thread. Impacts on the rod will push the liner into the tapering part of the tube and the anchor collets will move apart, cutting into the concrete.

Main technical characteristics of drive-in anchors

Based on data from manufacturers of drive-in anchors, I compiled a table of their technical characteristics. Manufacturers recommend loading the anchor no more than 25% of the maximum load.

The load characteristics in the table are given for the ideal case of installing an anchor in high strength concrete, V natural stone or in brick without cavities. Therefore, taking into account the impossibility of taking into account the characteristics of the wall or ceiling material, I recommend choosing an anchor with a tenfold load reserve.

Basic specifications drive-in anchors
Anchor designation Anchor diameter, drilling, mm Anchor length, mm Drilling depth, mm Internal thread
M6950 8 25 30 M6
M81350 10 30 35 M8
M101950 12 40 45 M10
M122900 16 50 55 M12
M164850 20 65 70 M16
M205900 25 80 85 M20

After the drive-in anchor is secured into it, you can screw in a fastening element of any shape, for example, a hook, ring or stud on which any structure can be secured using a nut. The drive-in anchor is perfect for attaching heavy wall cabinets, sports equipment, sewer pipes and any other heavy objects.

This photo shows ceiling mounting using a drive-in anchor. water pipe. A bolt is screwed into the anchor, onto which a bracket is attached using a nut, holding the pipe.

After reading the title of the article, someone will probably say, “why about this?” something like that write, any apartment owner can handle this kind of work himself.” Yes, of course, installing and connecting a chandelier does not belong to the work of the highest category of complexity, however, these processes also have specific nuances, on which, by the way, the safety of living in the apartment depends.

The chandelier is connected to electricity, and all electrical appliances, if not installed correctly, installation become source of danger - electric shock or even fire. In addition, this lighting device is often quite massive, and can cause a lot of trouble if it is not securely fixed to the ceiling. Thus, the whole complex of problems related to how to connect a chandelier with your own hands is conditionally divided into two areas - ensuring correct connection it to the electrical network and its reliable and most beautiful placement on the ceiling plane.

Find out useful information from our new article.

What to consider when choosing a chandelier

It is clear that the vast majority of apartment owners choose this lighting device, relying primarily on its external design, so that it matches the overall interior design of the room. However, we must not forget about some other aspects of choice.

  • General luminous power The chandelier must correspond to the size and type of room for which it is intended. There are certain standards of illumination, which can be briefly presented as follows:

— For rooms where soft diffused, dim light is required (a typical example is a bedroom), you should proceed from 10 ÷ 12 W/m² of area.

— For rooms with an average level of general illumination (kitchen, bath, toilet) or where it is planned to install additional lighting for specific workplaces (office or children's room) the norm will be from 15 to 20 W/m².

— For rooms with bright lighting (living room), this figure is taken equal to 20 W/m².

In accordance with the calculated power, a lighting device with the required number of horns should be selected. Important nuance– in no case should you increase the overall illumination by using more powerful lamps than allowed by the manufacturer. Material of lampshades, sockets, cross-section internal wiring may not be designed for increased loads, and this will lead to damage to the device or even a fire hazard.


  • The dimensions of the lighting fixture must be in harmony with the overall dimensions of the room. A huge chandelier will look ridiculous in a fairly cramped room, or, on the contrary, one that is too small will simply get lost on the ceiling plane of a vast room. Designers recommend proceeding from the following considerations:

— The optimal diameter of the chandelier can be approximately determined by the formula:

D = ( L+ S)×10

D – diameter of the chandelier in centimeters

L And S – length and width of the room, respectively, in meters.

So, for example, for a room measuring 5 × 3 m the best option there will be a chandelier with a diameter of 80 cm.

  • The type of chandelier you choose depends on the height of the room. If the ceilings in the room are low, about 2.5 m, then it is better to give preference ceiling version lighting device, so that there is at least 2.0 ÷ 2.2 m from the floor to it. The suspended option will be appropriate in a room with high ceilings, and here the length of the suspension will be determined only by aesthetic considerations.
  • Be sure to compare the type and material of the ceiling with the weight of the chandelier and the method of hanging it - this will be discussed below.
  • Chandeliers are most often sold disassembled, so Special attention completeness, matching threads on all collapsible parts, integrity decorative elements. Be sure to check for clear and clear instructions for product installation.
  • Unfortunately, the lighting market is literally oversaturated with cheap and low-quality products and outright counterfeits of well-known brands. Such products can be equipped with cartridges made of low-grade plastic, which is not designed for high temperatures. They will give out counterfeit goods poor quality installation electrical part, twisted wires, lack of terminal connections, etc. Often you have to independently carry out reconnection of wires, their unsoldering and insulation according to all the rules. This is especially true for “sophisticated” chandeliers with LED additional circuits, power supplies or current transformation devices, remote control and so on . In order not to take on these extra troubles, it is better to choose a product with really high-quality cable and electrical components, ask the store to assemble it and check the functionality of the product.

Prices for chandeliers and ceiling lamps

Chandeliers and ceiling lights

Dealing with the wires on the chandelier and on the ceiling

In this article we will not consider particularly complex options with chandeliers stuffed with electronics - their installation in most cases will definitely require the services of an appropriate qualified specialist. But everyone should be able to connect an ordinary chandelier on their own.

First of all, a few theoretical questions of their field home wiring. As you know, the power supply in our area is organized with a standard voltage of 220 V and a frequency of 50 Hz. Household wiring is carried out through two wires - phase and neutral. If the house has a grounding loop (in modern housing this becomes a necessity and most often, in new buildings this issue is provided for in advance), then a third wire connected to the grounding bus is included in the wiring.

There is a generally accepted color marking for wires in a single-phase electrical network:


A characteristic nuance is that if the neutral wire is always blue or blue in color, and the grounding contact is yellow-green, then the color of the phase wire can vary:


Often, several phase wires of one or more colors can be assembled in one cable - this is used, among other things, when connecting lighting devices, to switch different modes of their operation:


Ideally, both the chandelier and house wiring should use the same color coding. However, practice shows that in both cases this rule is not always observed. For example, in old houses, aluminum or copper wires in single-color insulation were used for wiring. In this case, you will have to deal with them yourself.

When working with electrical wiring, special attention should be paid to safety measures. It is strictly forbidden to touch exposed wires with unprotected hands unless the switch is turned off. general nutrition networks. You must wear shoes with rubber soles. To work near the ceiling, you need to provide a reliable base - an unstable stool or bedside table can lead to loss of balance, falling and injury. For these purposes the best option there will be a stepladder installed on a rubber mat.

1. So, the simplest option is a cable with two wires coming out of a hole in the ceiling. It is clear that one of them is phase, and the other is zero. By existing rules the neutral one should go directly to the distribution box, and the phase one should be interrupted at the switch. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to check - very often electricians “don’t bother” with these issues.


  • To check, you need to have a special device - a phase indicator. Most often it is designed in the form of a screwdriver with a transparent body, although modern models may have a different design, including even an indication of the phase voltage value.
  • First of all, it is necessary to completely de-energize the room or the entire apartment at the distribution panel. This is necessary in order to thoroughly strip the wires of insulation and oxides to a length of 5 ÷ 8 mm. After stripping, the wires are spread as far apart as possible to prevent short circuits. After this, turn on the machine on the dashboard.
  • Then, with the switch in the off position, both wires are checked sequentially. Neither should show the presence of a phase. If there is a phase on one wire, it means the wiring in the house is done incorrectly - the “zero” on the switch, apparently, is interrupted. It is very difficult to change anything in this case - you just need to keep this in mind, taking special care in further work.

  • The phase is checked in the same way when the switch is in the on position. As a result, a phase wire will be identified, which can be marked in a certain way (with a marker or colored electrical tape).

2. If a switch with two or more keys is installed in the room, then from the ceiling the holes should be the appropriate number phase wires. The test is carried out in the same way as described above, with each phase marked separately, in accordance with the location of the switch keys.

A similar check should be carried out even if color-coded wiring is installed - simply to eliminate mistakes by the electrician who once installed it.

3. Now - about the cable part of the chandelier itself.


  • The easiest way is when the chandelier has one or two or three arms, without dividing them into groups. All wires from the cartridges are collected in two contact groups– zero and phase. If there is a ground wire, it is usually attached to the metal body of the lamp.

  • In the event that it is necessary to divide the horns with cartridges into two or more groups, then all the blue “zero” wires are connected into one bundle, and the phase wires are divided into several, according to the number of keys on the switch.

Very often on chandeliers this can be seen quite clearly, and such switching will not be difficult.


The simplest case: all the wires are in full view
  • In both cases, the bundles of twisted wires should be thoroughly soldered and placed in a screw terminal block or separate spring terminals.

  • It is somewhat more difficult to understand when the design of the chandelier does not make it possible to visually understand its internal wiring. However, you can figure it out here too by calling all the outgoing wires using a multitester. To do this, you can sequentially screw an incandescent lamp into the sockets (an energy-saving fluorescent lamp will not help in this case), and experimentally find out which horn is powered from which wire. After this, it will be easy to distribute the horns into groups.

To “ring” hidden wires you will need a multitester

There are other methods for determining the internal wiring of a chandelier, based on calculating the resistance of the circuit with lamps of the same rating screwed into all sockets, but in practice it is probably easier to simply ring each horn.

So, the result of checking the chandelier circuits and fixed wiring in the room should be a clear understanding of the circuit, prepared for switching and marked wires on the ceiling and groups of contacts on the lighting fixture itself.

Video: diagram of connecting a five-arm chandelier to a two-key switch

Mounting a chandelier on the ceiling of a room

If with electrical part everything became clear, it is necessary to ensure reliable fastening of the chandelier to the ceiling. The technology of operation depends on both the design of the chandelier and the type ceiling covering.

Hanging a chandelier on a hook

This is an old and proven method of installing chandeliers, which have a special loop, ring or hook for this purpose.

In old multi-storey buildings hanging hooks were installed in the ceiling openings during the construction stage. If it’s standing, then there’s less of a problem; however, it doesn’t hurt to still test it for strength. To do this, it is necessary to hang a load with a total mass twice the weight of the chandelier planned for installation. If such a load can be easily withstood, then there should be no special concerns.

What to do if the old hook is unreliable or its condition does not inspire confidence that it will withstand the load? It's okay, you can install it yourself.

WITH wooden ceiling In principle, there should be no problems - a hook-screw can be easily screwed into it.


WITH concrete slab overlaps may be various solutions:

— You can hang the hook on a transverse steel rod, which is inserted into the cable channel of the slab. When doing this, be careful not to damage the wiring running there with the rod.


— Another option with an old hole in the ceiling is to insert a hook with a butterfly lock into it. Having passed into the cable channel, the “wings” of this fastening will straighten and create the necessary support, and all that remains is to fix the entire suspension with a washer and nut.


Hook with spring lock-butterfly

— If this option is not possible, for example, in the case where there is no “standard” opening for the hook, it will be necessary to drill into concrete floor a hole for a plastic dowel, but it’s better still for a metal anchor with a ring or hook.

Before drilling, it would be useful to evaluate the direction of the wiring from distribution box to the outlet on the ceiling, so as not to accidentally break the cable with a drill or break its insulation.

If, when drilling, an internal cavity of the slab is encountered, use a special metal dowel for hollow-core structures – with screwing it in forms a “skirt” that securely holds the fastening element in the ceiling.


After installing any type of hook, it should be tested for load - as described above. It is recommended to then insulate the protruding metal part by wrapping it with electrical tape or putting it on it. heat shrink tube of the appropriate diameter followed by heating.

If the hook is reliable, you can hang the chandelier using the standard mount. Be sure to turn off the general power supply to the room in order to connect the contact part. The wires are connected using terminal connectors - twisting is not allowed, as sparks may occur on them and the insulation will melt. The connection is carried out in full accordance with the wiring diagram described above.


The place of the contact connection of the wires and the suspension on the hook is usually covered with a decorative glass (cap).

After completing the installation, turn on the power supply at the panel, then at the switch to immediately make sure there are no short circuits. It doesn’t hurt to check with an indicator that there is no phase on the metal body of the chandelier. If everything is normal, then with the switch keys turned off, the necessary lamps are screwed in or inserted into the socket and the practical functionality of all chandelier arms is checked in all switching modes.

After checking, you can begin the final installation of the chandelier - installing shades, hanging all removable decorative parts, etc., according to the assembly instructions attached to the product.

Installing a chandelier on a mounting plate

Many manufactured chandeliers, especially those intended for low rooms, are not hung on hooks, but are installed using screws. fastening elements on a special mounting plate fixed to the ceiling. This greatly improves reliability general installation, since the load is evenly distributed over several attachment points.


The design of the mounting strip can be different - it all depends on specific model chandeliers and its masses. The strip may be straight or curved, with brackets to secure the light fixture housing, or with protruding studs or screws.


The set with particularly heavy chandeliers may include cross-shaped strips or in the form of a reinforced I-beam profile.

The strip may have a hole with grommet-lined edges to accommodate wires coming out of the ceiling. You can also place the bar in close proximity to the cable exit point - the body of the installed chandelier will hide both the hole in the ceiling and the wiring connection.


The mounting strip is attached to the ceiling plane different ways, depending on specific conditions. In fact, this is described above, with the only difference that instead of dowels with a ring or hook, ordinary ones are used, with a pressure head “under hide».

Just as when using a hook, the reliability of the fastening under load must be checked.


The fastening must be checked under load - to prevent situations like this

Quite often a situation occurs when placing the dowels too close to the old hole in the ceiling does not ensure reliable installation - the edge of the concrete may crack or crumble. So optimal choice fasteners and installation locations still remain with the direct performer of the work.

Attaching the chandelier itself to the mounting plate may also have its own characteristics. In this case, you may need help - the lamp will have to be held suspended while the cable part is being switched. After the wires are connected, the chandelier body is secured to the bar with decorative nuts or screws.

Further work on performance monitoring and final installation is no different from what was outlined above.

Features of attaching a chandelier to a plasterboard ceiling

By by and large, you should plan the placement of the chandelier even before its installation. In this case, no problems are foreseen - one or several additional metal profiles for attaching a mounting strip or is installed a hook that can then be easily extended using a chain or barbell. IN plasterboard sheet A hole for the wires and hook to exit is immediately marked and drilled in the right place.

But what to do if this issue of hanging a chandelier arose later?

  • In the case where the lighting device is hanging type, it is impossible to install the hook directly into the GVL - its strength is unlikely to be sufficient for a point load. You can do this as follows:

A hole is drilled in the ceiling with a diameter smaller than the decorative cap of the lamp.

Exactly in the center of this opening, with a long drill installed in a hammer drill, a hole is drilled in the floor slab along the anchor fastening.


An anchor with a long threaded pin is inserted and fixed as far as possible in the hole made, so that the pin extends out beyond the plane of the drywall.


An eye-nut is screwed onto the protruding end of the stud, from which the chandelier itself will later be suspended. The excess hairpin is carefully cut off with a hacksaw.


Spring “butterfly” with hairpin

If there is a void or an old hole in the ceiling - that’s it Also, as when working on regular ceiling, only the fasteners do not have a ring, but a long threaded part, so that it goes out.

  • If the chandelier is of a cantilever type, that is, installed on a mounting plate, then much depends on its weight.

— In the case when the total weight of the fixture does not exceed 3 - 5 kg, you can attach the bar directly to GVL sheet. For this purpose, special dowels for drywall are used - “butterflies” or snails.


Butterfly and snail dowels for attaching parts to drywall

The first ones are held as a result of thrust plastic construction under a sheet of drywall when screwing in a self-tapping screw. The second has a different principle of operation - a very high and sharp thread with a large plane of contact with the sheet material creates a reliable connection when screwed in. The “snail” is screwed in completely, flush with the surface of the gypsum plasterboard, in the right place, and in its center there remains a hole into which a regular self-tapping screw can easily fit.

— If the chandelier is heavier, then to attach the mounting strip you will have to resort to the method with anchors with studs. - - as described above. The protruding threaded parts of two or more studs will become fasteners for a rack or cross-shaped console.

All further actions are no different from installing a chandelier on a regular ceiling.

Video: option for attaching a chandelier to a plasterboard ceiling

Prices for various types of anchors

Anchors

Mounting a chandelier on a suspended ceiling

None practical advice By self-installation chandeliers will not be installed on suspended ceilings - this should only be done by craftsmen and exclusively before hanging the ceiling sheet.

Read detailed information about what is important to know in our new article.

To install the chandelier, a mounting platform is prepared in advance and suspended from the floor slab, the lower cut of which should fall at the planned height of the stretched fabric. Based on the location of this embedded platform, craftsmen must cut and properly process the holes themselves, strengthening their edges through which wires and fasteners will pass.


Attempts to independently cut holes in order to hang a chandelier on an already installed stretch ceiling, using working techniques like plasterboard ceiling, will not lead to anything good. With a probability close to 100%, they are doomed to failure. The deplorable, but logical result of such amateur activity will be the need to completely replace the canvas.

After the ceiling craftsmen have completed the work, leaving the necessary holes for the chandelier and fasteners, reinforced with special grommets, the installation of the lamp is carried out with the utmost care, so as to in no case allow the surface to rupture or puncture.

On a suspended ceiling, it is preferable to use a suspended one so that the lamps are not in close proximity to the canvas. In addition, ordinary incandescent lamps, “halogens” or fluorescent “housekeepers” are not suitable for these purposes - they will quickly ruin the decorative effect of the ceiling covering. Therefore, in order for the ceiling to retain its attractiveness for as long as possible, only LED models are needed.

Video: example of installing a chandelier on a suspended ceiling