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
Watch the full episode:
www.thisoldhouse.com/watch/TK
How to Install a Dining Room Chandelier | Ask This Old House
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[@Skammerd]

That dust catcher attachment!

[@penneyreed7316]

That looks like a dollar store mixing bowl would work excellent

[@TENTHIRTYONE]

That bowl dust catcher is amazing if you don’t have a 2nd person to hold a shop vac hose!

[@bnasty267]

Anyone else notice he ran 14/3 from the switch to the fixture box? That's a smart electrician there. Now, if in the future they want to switch to a fan, they have the ability to have 2 switches for the fan/light without running a new wire.

[@timhanby5662]

bnasty267 yep. I bet every single electrician in my area wouldn’t have done that to save one penny.

[@compactcow]

He wasn't smart enough to put the hole in the closet tho

[@Vanilla_Icecream1231]

@@compactcow lmao

[@FernandoRodriguez-ds5ri]

Compactcow There will be no room to work around inside the small closet space. Plus the camera crew would have no angle. ;-)

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

This wasn't what I needed (was curious about just taking down the existing chandelier in my apartment to exhange for a new one), but I've heard so many good things about This Old House that when it popped up from my search, I decided to watch anyways. Don't think I would ever try this myself but it was still awesome to watch happen! Her new dining room looks great with the chandelier, good job!

[@shaylahelrick13]

This is the exact situation I have in our dining room! Interesting to see how it can be done

[@vince6829]

Nice job!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@carwashslayer4235]

Heath Eastman rocks I like this new guy.

[@generaldiego]

Haha I love that after all that done like he left them with the hopefully you can take care of that other hole. I ABSOLUTELY would and be like ya thanks for the dope hookup and teaching me this. Thanks

[@TotallyNotDad]

I'm glad they mentioned the 12 gauge wire in the dining room thing, that is important. Best way to figure out if you have 12 or 14 gauge wire is take your strippers and measure the wire with them. If on the 14 gauge hole the wire bites and you cannot move the strippers on the wire when the tool is fully closed then you have 12 gauge wire, the tool should be able to freely move on a stripped end of wire and with the correct gauge size you select.

[@RainbowMedicine2000]

Should have made the second hole for fishing the wire in the closet, not in the room.

[@kenc2257]

Very informative--especially about the "legal bedroom--used as a dining room" difference in wiring requirements.

[@KitchenerLeslie2]

Oh good. I love when the homeowner assembles the fixture to “help” me.

[@michaelsteinbach]

Right? Lets add all the glass to the thing we need to lift to the ceiling.

[@Engineer9736]

You sound like a unthankful prick

[@cup_and_cone]

@@Engineer9736 calm down Richard

[@Engineer9736]

@@cup_and_cone ok

[@r0me063]

I love the video and get a lot of good information from them. Would you be able to make a video about how to apply and remove masking tape to prevent peeling or damage the paint?

[@steggy53]

They already did a segment on this a while back. Long story short their advice was to peel off the tape when the paint is tacky. If it's too wet, you'll risk runs, entirely dry and you can peel away the paint.

[@minhlu85]

I have a chandelier is currently mounted on the foyer and the electrical box has been secured into the joist. Do you think I need to use the mounting bracket for the new heavy chandelier (90-120lbs).

[@electroimpex8897]

Nice electrician guy

[@catsmeow8504]

Interesting.

[@Aaronproductions]

How did I go from a switch leg on the original switch to a proper hot and neutral connection? I know how to do it I’m just saying they never discussed it

[@4realjacob637]

Why they skip over fishing the wire? Between strapping, insulation, and joists was it really that easy?

[@davidredpath4781]

I would assume Heath is the new Scott Caron??

[@Revlemmon]

When did they get a new electrician?

[@yaosio]

This is his first segment.

[@Revlemmon]

@@yaosio I must not have been paying enough attention, I didn't catch that.

[@davidredpath4781]

Scott’s contract was up.

[@davidredpath4781]

The Cat Man yes

[@mattkrywyj5184]

Scott was awful. I called him "Short Cut Caron. My man loved running wires on the surface and couldn;t fish for his life...

[@jake3040]

im stealing a plastic bowl out of the cupboard now and making one of those nifty dust catchers

[@FernandoRodriguez-ds5ri]

Give this man a cape

[@johnroberts9560]

Hi TOH , I like the new electrician , I love that pretty chandelier that he hung over the dining room table !! 👍😃

[@shaunghaben4653]

Why you did not choose a crystal chandelier

[@shaunghaben4653]

Why you did not choose a crystal chandelier.

[@kw5371]

Scotts funnier and has more chemistry with Kevin but Heath seems way more informative.

[@tampabaylightning2189]

K W I thought his name is Keith

[@FernandoRodriguez-ds5ri]

Lol

[@bnasty267]

Where's the tamper resistant outlet? Those are required now. Maybe it was one - I couldn't see exactly, but they should've mentioned that. Also, they didn't show the hardest part, which is feeding that new line down to the switch. I assume the old switch leg went through the attic, and the hole in the top plate was big enough to accept the new wire.

[@Kevin_Eder]

So because it was classified as a bedroom you went with a thinner gauge but normally you use a thicker one because people might use crock pots, hot plates, etc., Are you not allowed to use the higher gauge? If so, wouldn't it make sense to run the thicker wire since you're already doing it?

[@KitchenerLeslie2]

Kevin Eder it comes off 14 gauge feed. Why use 12 after? Because the guy at Home Depot recommends it?

[@ratdude747]

Because the addition is powering lights, not outlets. In an ideal world, one would upgrade the feed to the outlets to 12 gauge (and the breaker to 20A)... but that's a lot of work and expense (especially since they're not gutting the room), so as long as the homeowners know not to push the limits, letting the existing 14 gauge be is fine.

[@justanotherguy8791]

@@ratdude747 yeah it would be near impossible to do without swiss cheesing the drywall

[@VolpeInCalze]

Only think I would have done differently is I would have took a trip to the attic so you didnt have to make the hole in the ceiling.

[@dyshuk]

1st floor....

[@KitchenerLeslie2]

You mean the 2nd floor. Rip up the floor and sub floor, then repair? That may have been slightly harder.

[@Connor-wv6ln]

@@KitchenerLeslie2 doesn't look like there is a second floor, one story home maybe? i could be wrong though

[@Connor-wv6ln]

@@dyshuk don't think there was a second floor, looked like an attic to me

[@KitchenerLeslie2]

Connor G :50 2 story.

[@juliof970]

Who the hell is this?! Where's Scott?

[@Aaronproductions]

His contract with TOH is over

[@motifman07]

I would prefer the light would be in the center of the room. Now you can’t move the table around

[@eli-_-.]

That’s my teacher

[@TheDizzack]

Didnt show 3-wrie used, didn't show the attic drilling of top plate to feed switch...

[@KitchenerLeslie2]

Anthony Zack it wasn’t 3-wire and there was no attic.

[@TheDizzack]

@@KitchenerLeslie2 its obviously 3 wire, you can see the red traveler

[@maxd7228]

Where's Scotty boy?

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

It's never quite that easy. I almost always run into the joists running the wrong way, and have to cut holes through them, which means breaking a lot of the ceiling.

[@John_GGG]

The ceiling had strapping between joists and drywall. Much easier.

[@lenovovo]

Soooooo ..... I take it that Scott Caron, the electrician, that used to be the guy who did the electrical segments, is no longer with "This Old House" The new guy seems to know his stuff. I believe he is going to work out just fine. And by the way, I still have this gut feeling, like I stated in another "This Old House" video that I really believe that Norm Abram is not doing well these days. I just have this strong intuition feeling about him.

[@fadetounforgiven]

After a quick search, it seems Scott is no longer with TOH since last year already.

[@timhanby5662]

fadetounforgiven :(

[@josemv25]

Both are dead

[@sweetboykenny9754]

Where’s Scott and who’s that new electrician

[@brad4841]

Yah! What hapoened to Scott ?

[@Aaronproductions]

He is not contracted with TOH anymore

[@SteS]

Who thought sticking lighting / power on the same circuit would be a good idea?!

[@yaboylevi]

basically all houses are like that

[@darylfitz4189]

I wonder how the cameraman fit through that little hole.... (?)

[@senortizzle]

Hamsters need jobs too

[@danilorosich]

probably with a tiny camera

[@venividivici4253]

To the people complaining about Scott. His contract was up.

[@nishiladina9161]

Veni Vidi Vici Did they delete the videos he was in too?

[@DIYManiacJohnP]

BRING BACK SCOTT

[@timhanby5662]

John P I think you mean “Scahhhtt” lol. I wonder if this is a permanent thing, I hope not :(

[@Aaronproductions]

Tim Hanby his contract is over

[@DIYManiacJohnP]

Aaron Productions resign him!!!!!

[@bryanc531]

Good video, and nobody cares if you are the first second or third person to comment

[@davidpulit9587]

It made no sence to cut that second hole too run the wire the light switch. To make a second hole for no purpose

[@cardo1111]

Second

[@VolpeInCalze]

No one cares

[@gamerguygaming5344]

First

[@VolpeInCalze]

No one cares

[@DrCanadianGamer]

fourth

[@VolpeInCalze]

Good job.

[@DrCanadianGamer]

Gumba Sal good job here’s a bottle of beer🍼🍺

[@1971mav]

If you're not first you're last.

[@kav0r]

scott was way better than this guy. bring back scott

[@samsquires2877]

How to install a chandelier hire a licensed electrician. Also known as not a “DIY” project.

[@isabellalockett8741]

That’s my teacher