How to remove the chandelier from the ceiling with your own hands: step by step instructions

During the repair or renovation of the interior of the room, it is the turn of replacing or updating the ceiling lights. In view of the danger of the procedure, many ordinary people ask themselves how to remove the chandelier from the ceiling: on their own or ask for help from qualified specialists. Therefore, in this article we will analyze all the nuances of removing a chandelier in stages.

Dismantling options

Depending on the purpose, the chandelier can be removed for:

• replacement of lighting lamps;
• cleaning decorative elements;
• complete replacement of the lighting device;
• decoration or modernization of the ceiling.

In this case, the dismantling option will be fundamentally different for each case. So, to replace a light bulb, it’s not at all necessary to remove the entire structure, just remove the ceiling, which can be dismantled by unscrewing the bolts, unscrewing the threads, removing the spacers or pressing clamps.

If you need to wash the chandelier or perform finishing work, and the device is removed temporarily, and a cartridge with a bulb is installed for the period of cosmetic repairs. In this embodiment, the dismantling is also partial, since it is advisable to leave some elements in place. You only need to free the power wires, to which connect a temporary lighting fixture.

In the event of a complete replacement, all elements are dismantled. And if the fastening structures will interfere with the newly installed equipment, they are also removed.

Safety precautions

The first thing you should pay special attention to is your own safety, since you have to work in an existing electrical installation. Therefore, initially it is necessary to ensure the removal of voltage from live parts. To do this, it is not enough to turn off the switch key, since for several reasons it can break the neutral conductor instead of the phase conductor. As a result, hazardous potential will be present on the cartridge contacts.

To remove the chandelier safely, follow these steps:

• Disconnect the input circuit breaker on the switchboard, it will be good if it is a bipolar switch, simultaneously breaking both phase and neutral conductors.
• If the machine is single-pole or you operate not with an input, but with a dedicated machine, be sure to check for voltage. The easiest way is to enable switchif the chandelier did not catch fire, the machine broke the chain. But this does not guarantee the absence of potential if the machine breaks zero instead of phase. Therefore, it is advisable to use an indicator screwdriver.
• When performing work on removing or replacing a chandelier, you must install a stepladder so that all work is done on your side. Since when under the device, there is a chance of small particles and debris getting into the eyes.
• If nothing is immediately connected to the supply wire after dismantling the chandelier, it is better to insulate the wires. So you will be sure that you will not receive an accidental electric shock from touching them.

Step-by-step instruction

Before you undertake to change the chandelier, you should decide on the features of its attachment to the corresponding elements. The most common options are: mounting on a hanging hook, mounting brackets or dowels. And due to the wide spread of stretch ceilings and the danger of damage to the film coating, the dismantling of the chandelier in the tension structure should also be distinguished in a separate category.

How to remove the chandelier from the hanging hook?

Structurally, the chandelier is suspended from the ceiling hook by means of a cord or chain. In most cases, in order not to spoil the appearance of the room, the place of curtaining is hidden under a decorative cap. In order to remove the lighting device, perform the following sequence of actions:

1. Remove any moving parts from the suspension that could fall and break when dismantled. This also includes plafonds that do not have rigid fixation and spotlights.
2. Inspect the decorative cap carefully; it is fastened with a bolt, which can either be on the surface or hide in the recess.
   

   Fig. 1: cap fixing bolt
3. Using a screwdriver, release the cap fixation, while the chandelier remains in place, and the cap can move freely in a vertical plane.
   

   Fig. 2: unscrew the cap fixing bolt
4. Lower the hood down to open the suspension. Here are the supply wires, which should already be de-energized.
   

   Fig. 3: lower the hood down
5. Strip the wires and disconnect them from the general internal wiring network. If necessary, insulate the supply wires.
6. Remove the chandelier from the mounting hook. If in the future you do not need this method of suspension, the hook can be removed - unscrew, bend or cut.

   

The chandelier is removed, in its place you can hang another lighting device or putty on the surface.

How to remove the chandelier from the bar?

The bar is a load-bearing ceiling structure that accepts the main load from the weight of the product. Linear and cross-shaped planks are fixed on the ceiling with dowels. To remove such a chandelier you need:

• Remove breaking parts that could be damaged during dismantling. This also includes incandescent, fluorescent or LED bulbs that may interfere with you.
• Unscrew the decorative nuts, under them there are pins holding the entire structure on themselves.

  

• But, be sure to consider that without nuts the whole chandelier can spontaneously move down.
• Lower the chandelier in a controlled way, under the decorative disk there is a place for connecting wires. The power must already be turned off. Disconnect the chandelier from the wires and remove it - the process is over.

  

If you want to remove the mounting strips, you need to unscrew the screws on which they are attached to the ceiling.

How to remove the chandelier from the dowel?

Today, this method of fastening is most common in suspended plasterboard ceilings, when there is free space behind the suspended structure. Older models feature plate chandeliers, which were also fastened with dowels to a concrete or wooden base. The difference between these fasteners is only in the type of dowel - for a suspended structure it is butterflies, and for a concrete slab it is a classic model.

To remove such a lighting device, you will need to get to the place of attachment, which can be closed with the same plate or classic shade. Pre-remove the cover, if the bulbs of the bulb interfere, they should also be removed. There should be enough space to unscrew the screws, then unscrew them and disconnect the wires. The chandelier can be removed.

How to remove a chandelier from a stretch ceiling?

The design of stretch ceilings is strong enough, but is catastrophically afraid of punctures from any sharp objects, so it is necessary to remove and hang the chandelier very carefully. Work with a screwdriver should be carried out only for unscrewing and twisting the fasteners, create forces under which the tip can slip and damage to the film is unacceptable. In total, there are two methods of fastening - on the hook and on the bar, by analogy with the two methods described above. To do this, you need to determine which of the methods is used in your case.

If the chandelier is suspended on a hook, to remove it, perform the following manipulations:

1. Remove any excess parts that may fall off the chandelier.
2. Gently release the fixing cap assembly.
3. Slide it down the wire, if movement is difficult, loosen the bolt on the hood.
4. You will see a hole in the tension web, gently insert your fingers inward along the supporting rod and feel for the place of its suspension.
5. Remove the chandelier from the hook and disconnect the power wires.

If the chandelier is suspended on a bar, perform the following sequence of actions:

• Unscrew the decorative nuts and let the chandelier slide down smoothly.

  

• Hold the chandelier at a distance convenient for you so that the place for connecting the wires is in the direct access area.

  

• Disconnect the chandelier from the power wires.

If for any reason you need to remove the hook or strap from the old lighting fixture, be sure to consider that we dismantle the mount with utmost care. Do not knock it or pull it out of the hole, all operations are carried out in a controlled manner. Hold the bar and hook so that they do not catch on the edges of the film when falling out.

Useful Tips

Some inhabitants, having set out to remove the chandelier from the ceiling, are faced with a number of unforeseen problems.

Therefore, further we will consider the most common of them:

• Due to prolonged inactivity, decorative nuts are not loosened - in this case, they must be treated with vinegar, transformer oil or WD-40 along the contact lines.
• After dismantling, you bit off the wires and now they are too short to connect to them - try to work out the surrounding area around the wire a little to free up at least one centimeter wires.
• If the lighting fixture is supported by disposable dowels, it is better not to use them again to secure the new lighting fixture.
• If you want the decorative cap to fit snugly against the stretch ceiling, the hook should be placed 3-4 mm above the canvas.
• The hook does not always need to be dismantled; in some situations, you can simply bend it to one side.

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