Various connection schemes

The connection scheme will depend on how many wires come out of the chandelier and how many wires are connected to it along the ceiling. Therefore, several options are possible.

• phase of the first group of lamps;
• phase of the second group;
• common neutral wire.

These wires, taking into account the marking and purpose, are connected to three wires running along the ceiling.

This connection scheme, in its essence, is fully consistent with the one in which three wires pass through the ceiling, and three or more are output from the chandelier. The fourth wire is the ground wire accepted in modern electrical installation practice. In the chandelier connection manual, this wire will be designated as "PE". Therefore, you simply need to connect the yellow-green wires to each other, and perform the rest of the installation according to the scheme described above. If an old-style chandelier is installed, then it may not have grounding. Therefore, the yellow-green wire on the ceiling is cut off and carefully insulated. However, the purpose of the fourth wire on the ceiling may be different if it is used as another phase. This scheme is used to connect to a three-gang switch, which allows you to control three groups of lamps on a chandelier at once.

The final stage - we put the wires in the switch

The switch is always installed on the phase wire, opening it or distributing it for each phase in the chandelier (when using multi-key switches). Ground wires, if any, are present in the apartment or house wiring, bypass the switch, directly to the chandelier.

As a rule, one-, two- and three-gang switches are on sale. Their connection scheme will be slightly different, so you need to consider three options.

1. Connecting a single-gang switch.

This scheme is the simplest and only allows you to turn on and off all the lamps in the chandelier at the same time. It is used in the presence of two lead wires on the ceiling, regardless of the number of wires coming out of the chandelier.

The direct connection of the switch will consist in mounting it on the wall and including the phase wire in the gap. You can determine this wire at the connection point by sequentially touching the input wires with an indicator screwdriver. Upon contact with the phase, the indicator glow will be noticeable on the screwdriver. If the indicator is off, then this means a connection to the neutral wire.

2. Connection to a two-gang switch.

Here the connection diagram will be complicated by the presence of two phases for two groups of lamps in the chandelier. Therefore, at the water point, the phase is connected to the switch in the manner discussed above. At the output of the switch, there will already be two conclusions. These will be the phases for each of the groups of lamps. They should be connected to the appropriate wires running along the ceiling to the chandelier.

3. Connecting a chandelier to a three-gang switch.

Such switches are used to control multi-track chandeliers, in which it is possible to distribute the lamps into three independent groups. Accordingly, in the ceiling wiring, one more free core should be provided, if we compare the circuit with the connection of a two-gang switch. The rest of the steps will be similar: a phase is connected to the switch input, and phases are connected to the output for each of the three groups of lamps.

When installing the switch, it is necessary to carefully observe all safety regulations. Otherwise, repairs in the apartment can turn into a tragedy. Therefore, all work on laying wires, mounting switches on walls and connecting wires on the ceiling should be carried out only when the power is turned off. You can make sure that it is turned off with the same indicator screwdriver. At the input point, when it is connected to all of the available wires, the indicator should not light up.

In general, it is quite possible to connect a chandelier on your own even with minimal skills of an electrician. To do this, you should follow only a small list of rules:

• to carry out installation only with the power supply disconnected;
• even before starting to thoroughly study the connection diagram;
• try to use as few extensions and wire connections as possible, preferring solid cables.

The result will be safe and long-term operation of chandeliers with any number of arms in the most comfortable lighting conditions.

Short video with connection process

After reading the title of the article, surely someone will definitely say - “why about e so-and-so write, with such work any landlord himself will be able to cope. Yes, of course, the installation and connection of 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 an apartment depends.

The chandelier is connected to electricity, and all electrical appliances, if they are incorrect installation become source of danger - electric shock or even fire. In addition, this lighting fixture 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 directions - ensuring its correct connection to the mains 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 fixture, relying primarily on its external design, so that it matches the overall interior design of the room. However, at the same time, one should not forget about some other aspects of the choice.

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

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

— For rooms with an average level of general illumination (kitchen, bathroom, bathroom) or where it is planned to install additional lighting for specific workplaces (study or nursery) the norm will be from 15 to 20 W / m².

- For rooms with bright illumination (living room), this indicator is taken equal to 20 W / m².

In accordance with the calculated power, a lighting fixture with the required number of horns should be selected. An important nuance - in no case should you raise the overall illuminationusing more powerful lamps than allowed by the manufacturer. The material of the ceiling lamps, cartridges, the cross section of the internal wiring may not be designed for increased loads, and this will lead to damage to the device or even to 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, conversely, too small will simply get lost on the plane of the ceiling of a vast hall. 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- chandelier diameter in centimeters

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

So, for example, for a room measuring 5 × 3 m, the best option would 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 to the ceiling version of the lighting fixture, 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 unassembled, so special attention is paid to completeness, matching of threads on all collapsible parts, and the integrity of decorative elements. Be sure to check for clear and understandable installation instructions for the product.
• Unfortunately, the lighting market is literally oversaturated with cheap and low-quality goods and outright fakes for well-known brands. On such products, cartridges made of low-grade plastic, which is not designed for high temperatures, can be installed. They will issue a counterfeit poor-quality installation of the electrical part, twisting of wires, lack of terminal connections, etc. Often you have to independently carry out wire switching, their desoldering and insulation in accordance with all the rules. In particular, this applies to "fancy" chandeliers with LED additional circuits, power supplies or current transformation, remote control devices, etc. In order not to take on these extra chores, it is better to choose a product with a really high-quality cable and electrical "stuffing", demand assembly and testing of the product in the store.

Prices for chandeliers and ceiling lights

Chandeliers and ceiling lights

We deal 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 appropriately qualified specialist. But everyone should be able to connect an ordinary chandelier on their own.

First of all, a few theoretical questions from the field of 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 on two wires - phase and zero. If a ground loop is provided in the house (in modern housing this becomes a necessity and, most often, this issue is foreseen in new buildings), then a third wire connected to the ground bus is included in the wiring.

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

A characteristic nuance - if the neutral wire always has a blue or blue color, and the ground contact is yellow-green, then the color of the phase wire may 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 fixtures, to switch between different modes of their operation:

Ideally, both the chandelier and the house wiring should use this 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.

Particular attention should be paid to safety measures when working with electrical wiring. It is strictly forbidden to touch bare wires with bare hands, unless the general power supply is turned off. You must wear shoes with rubber soles. To work under the ceiling, you need to provide a reliable foundation - an unstable stool or bedside table can lead to loss of balance, falling and injury. For these purposes, the best option would be a stepladder mounted on a rubber mat.

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

• To check, you must have a special device - a phase indicator. Most often, it is made in the form of a screwdriver with a transparent case, although modern models may have other designs, 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 on the switchboard. This is necessary in order to thoroughly clean the wires from insulation and oxides to a length of 5 ÷ 8 mm. After stripping, the wires are bred to the sides as much as possible to prevent their short circuit. After that, turn on the machine on the shield.
• Then, with the switch in the off position, both wires are checked in sequence. None should show the presence of a phase. If there is a phase on one wire, then the wiring in the house is not done correctly - on the switch, apparently, “zero” is interrupted. It is very difficult to change anything in this case - it should just be borne in mind, exercising 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 tape).

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

A similar check should be carried out even if color-coded wiring is installed - just to eliminate the errors of the electrician who once installed it.

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

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

• In the case when 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, this can be seen quite clearly on chandeliers, and such switching will not be difficult.

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

There are other methods for determining the internal wiring of a chandelier, based on calculating the resistance of a circuit with lamps of the same rating screwed into all cartridges, but in practice it is still probably easier to just 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 a group of contacts on the lighting fixture itself.

Video: wiring diagram for a five-arm chandelier to a two-gang switch

Mounting a chandelier on the ceiling of a room

If everything became clear with the electrical part, it is necessary to ensure that the chandelier is securely fastened to the ceiling. The technology of work depends on the design of the chandelier, and on the type of ceiling covering.

Hanging a chandelier on a hook

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

In older multi-storey buildings, hanging hooks were installed in the ceiling holes at the construction stage. If it is worth it, then the problem is less, however, it does not hurt to check 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 is easily maintained, then there should not be any special concerns.

But what if the old hook is unreliable or its condition does not inspire confidence that it will withstand the load? No problem, you can install it yourself.

In principle, there should be no problems with a wooden ceiling - a hook-screw is easily screwed in there.

With a concrete floor slab, there can be various solutions:

— You can hang a hook on a transverse steel rod, which is inserted into the cable channel of the plate. In this case, care must be taken not to damage the wiring passing 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.

- If this option is not possible, for example, in the case when there is no "regular" opening for the hook, it will be necessary to drill a hole in the concrete floor for a plastic dowel, but it is still better - for a metal anchor with a ring or hook.

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

If the internal cavity of the plate is caught during drilling, a special metal dowel for hollow structures - with screwing it in, a “skirt” is formed that securely holds the fastener in the ceiling.

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

If the hook is reliable, you can hang the chandelier for a regular mount. Be sure to turn off the general power supply of the room in order to connect the contact part. The wires are connected by terminal connectors - twisting is not allowed, as sparks can occur on them with melting of the insulation. The connection is carried out in full accordance with the wiring diagram, about which it was written above.

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

After completing the installation, turn on the power supply at the panel, then at the switch, in order to immediately verify that there are no short circuits. It does not hurt to check the absence of a phase on the metal body of the chandelier with an indicator. If everything is fine, then when the switch keys are turned off, the necessary lamps are screwed or inserted into the cartridge and the practical functionality of all chandelier horns is checked in all switching modes.

After checking, you can proceed to 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 designed for low spaces, are not hung on hooks, but are installed using screw fasteners on a special mounting plate fixed to the ceiling. This greatly improves the reliability of the overall installation, as the load is evenly distributed across multiple attachment points.

The design of the mounting plate can be different - it all depends on the specific model of the chandelier and its weight. The bar can be straight or curved, with brackets for fixing the body of the lighting fixture, or with protruding studs or screws.

Particularly heavy chandeliers can be supplied with cruciform planks or in the form of a reinforced I-profile.

The bar may have a hole with the edges covered with an insulating sleeve for the passage of wires coming out of the ceiling. You can place the bar in the immediate vicinity of the cable outlet - the body of the installed chandelier will hide both the hole in the ceiling and the wiring.

The mounting plate is fixed to the ceiling plane in various ways, depending on the specific conditions. In fact, this is described above, with the only difference being that instead of dowels with a ring or hook, ordinary ones are used, with a clamping head “under hide».

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

Quite often, a situation occurs when the location of the dowels too close to the old hole in the ceiling does not ensure the reliability of installation - the edge of the concrete may crack or crumble. So the optimal choice of fasteners and installation location still remains with the direct executor of the work.

Fastening the chandelier itself to the mounting plate can also have its own characteristics. Perhaps, in this case, help is required - the lamp will have to be held on weight while the cable part is being switched. After the wires are connected, the body of the chandelier is attached to the bar with decorative nuts or screws.

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

Features of fastening the chandelier to the plasterboard ceiling

By and large, the placement of the chandelier should not be planned even before its installation. In this case, no problems are foreseen - one or more additional metal profiles are provided in advance for attaching the mounting plate or installed a hook, which will then be easy to build up with a chain or rod. In the drywall sheet, a hole is immediately marked and drilled in the right place for the exit of wires and a hook.

But what if this question of hanging a chandelier arose later?

• In the case when the lighting fixture is of a suspended type, it is impossible to install the hook directly into the GVL - its strength is unlikely to be enough for a point load. You can do it like this:

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, a hole is drilled in the floor slab along the anchor fastening with a long drill installed in a puncher.

An anchor with a long threaded stud is inserted and fixed to the limit in the hole made, so that the stud comes out beyond the drywall plane.

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

If there is a void or an old hole in the ceiling - everything same way, as when working on a conventional ceiling, only the fasteners do not have a ring, but a long threaded part, so that it comes out.

• If the chandelier is a console type, that is, it is installed on a mounting plate, then a lot depends on its mass.

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

The first are held as a result of the expansion of the plastic structure under the drywall sheet when screwing in the self-tapping screw. The second principle of operation is different - a very high and sharp thread with a large plane of contact with the sheet material creates a reliable connection when screwing in. The "snail" is screwed in completely, flush with the GVL surface, in the right place, and a hole remains in its center, into which an ordinary self-tapping screw easily enters.

- If the chandelier is heavier, then to fix the mounting plate, 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 mounts for a slatted or cross-shaped console.

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

Video: fixing a chandelier to a plasterboard ceiling

Prices for different types of anchors

Anchors

Mounting a chandelier on a heavy ceiling

No practical advice on self-assembly of the chandelier on a heavy ceiling will be given - this should be done only by masters and exclusively before hanging the ceiling canvas.

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 on the planned height of the stretched canvas. Based on the location of this embedded platform, the craftsmen must cut and properly process the holes themselves, reinforcing their edges, through which the wires and fasteners will pass.

Attempts to cut holes on your own in order to hang the chandelier on an already installed stretch ceiling, using methods of working like a plasterboard ceiling, will not lead to anything good. With a probability close to 100%, they are doomed to failure. A deplorable, but logical result of such amateur performances will be the need for a complete replacement of the canvas.

After the “ceiling” masters finish their work, leaving the necessary holes reinforced with special eyelets for the chandelier and fasteners, the installation of the lamp is carried out with the utmost care so as not to break or puncture the surface in any case.

On a heavy ceiling, it is preferable to use a pendant 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 spoil 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: an example of mounting a chandelier on a heavy ceiling

The chandelier is a ceiling lamp that should provide shadowless lighting in the room. Light is evenly distributed by spotlights located at a certain distance from each other. Light sources today are incandescent, fluorescent and LED.

Purchasing a chandelier is a pleasant moment when you finish furnishing your home and after buying a new piece of furniture, it remains to connect it. Assembly time depends on the complexity of the design and the type of fastening. Moreover, you can cope with this task quickly and easily, just follow the instructions and have simple installation tools in your arsenal, and in order to connect it, you also need to understand the electrics.

A multi-lamp lamp is available in all apartments and houses. For even distribution of light, it is usually located in the center of the ceiling. Let's see what knowledge is required to connect the chandelier with your own hands.

Where to begin?

First you need to figure out how many cords come out of the ceiling. Usually there are two or three. If there are two of them, then the design provides for the simultaneous inclusion of all the bulbs and there will be no difficulties with connecting the chandelier. And the presence of three cords makes it possible to turn on the bulbs individually and group them to change the level of illumination. As a result, the difficulty arises in the fact that you need to understand which wires to connect to each other. In order for the chandelier to work properly, it is important to connect everything correctly. Before starting work, be sure to familiarize yourself with the cable arrangement. So, let's proceed in order.

Observe safety precautions

The main requirement during the connection of the chandelier is the de-energization of the entire section of the electrical wiring. Simply turning off the light in this case is not enough, you need to completely turn off the machines in the shield.

Then you need to prepare the cables for testing. They should be opened to prevent further contact with each other.

According to the marking, cables are designated in Latin letters:

It should be noted that the marking is not always present, because it began to be applied not so long ago. In this case, you should use the machine located in the shield and turn the switch to the "ON" position. Then, with an indicator screwdriver, you need to touch the bare ends in turn - if the LED lights up inside during the process - the cable is energized and is a phase. After determining the types of wires, turn off the power again and proceed to connection work.

There are two ways to connect cables to each other:

Chandelier mounting options can be found by clicking on the link:

The following parameters can affect the way the chandelier is connected:

• the number of cords in the chandelier;
• the number of wires in the ceiling;
• number of keys on the switch.

Scheme one. Two cords on the chandelier and two wires on the ceiling

This method of connecting a chandelier is the easiest, because it does not require much effort. In this case, it is necessary to simply connect the cables to each other using a twist or terminal block, having previously determined where the phase is and where it is zero. Moreover, the connection order can be any.

The neutral cable (blue in the diagram) should be connected from the junction box directly to the neutral wire coming from the lighting device. And the orange cable, with a phase, should be connected to both the chandelier and the switch.

When connecting a chandelier with a large number of light bulbs to a switch with one key, you must first connect all the neutral wires of the chandelier, and then connect them to the neutral cable from the junction box. Then combine them with the phase and lead to the switch.

It's important to know! According to the requirements of the electrical installation rules (PUE), the phase must be connected to the central contact in the electrical cartridge, and the phase wire must be opened by a switch. Compliance with these rules will increase the safety of the operation of lighting devices.

Scheme two. Two cords on the chandelier and three wires on the ceiling

Today, in the construction of houses in electrical wiring, three-core cables with wires of different colors are used. It is logical to assume that three wires will need to be connected to the lighting fixture. How to connect a chandelier in this situation, if it has only two cables?

To begin with, using the indicator, you need to deal with the types of wires that come out of the ceiling. Two of them will be phase, and the third will be a conductor. Two phases in this case imply a switch with two keys. However, given the fact that the chandelier has only two cables, a switch with one key will suffice.

It's important to know! Before connecting, it is necessary to carry out insulation, having previously turned off the voltage.

Scheme three. Three or more cords on the chandelier and two wires on the ceiling

In the case when only two cables come out of the ceiling, all the lamps in the lighting fixture will burn at the same time. To connect, you need to combine the neutral wires, and then lead them to the zero ceiling cable. Next, it is worth repeating the procedure with phase.

Scheme four. Three or more wires on the chandelier and three on the ceiling

This connection option can provide a more reasonable use of lamps. It will be possible to combine their work or turn them on in turn. In this case, a two-gang switch will be used.

The marking of the ceiling wires is as follows: phase - L1 (orange), phase - L2 (yellow) and zero - N (blue). Due to the fact that manufacturers of cable products do not always indicate designations, and electricians may not adhere to color scheme standards when installing wiring, it is better to double-check their purpose with an indicator screwdriver before connecting them.

It's important to know! Do not forget that phase cables are always laid to the switch, and zero cables to the lighting fixture.

Connecting a chandelier with several cords is carried out with a certain sequence of actions. First, the wires from the light bulbs must be divided into two groups. All sections are individually connected to only one wire, to which the phase leads, and then the sections are combined with zero.

With this setting, one group of light bulbs will light up with the first key, and another group with the second. This connection option allows you to connect one, two or three bulbs together using only one switch button.

The second way to connect a chandelier, for example, with six horns - the first key turns on 5 light bulbs together, and the second - the sixth.

With a large number of horns in the lighting device, the installation will proceed in an identical way. It remains to decide which combination of lamps you want to use in lighting this room.

Scheme five. Three or more wires on the chandelier and four on the ceiling

If it is necessary to connect a chandelier in a new building or a private house, most likely, a cord with a protection function will come out of the ceiling. As a rule, this cable is yellow-green and is marked in Latin letters PE, which literally means a grounding conductor. As a result, from the side of the ceiling there will be wires with phases L1 and L2, a neutral wire and a fourth pinching wire - PE.

In no case will such a cord interfere with the connection - just connect it to the yellow-green wire from the side of the chandelier. If the lighting device does not provide for the presence of this wire, then the cable is insulated from the ceiling side.

Installation of several chandeliers on one switch

This connection case is very relevant for lighting control in several rooms, large living rooms or in a room with a false ceiling with a group of LED lamps.

In this situation, all lighting fixtures must be connected in parallel.

Moreover, each chandelier can have its own junction box.

Mounting three chandeliers on a three-gang switch

This connection method is used in kitchen, toilet and bathroom lighting, and the three-button switch is very convenient here.

Also, a switch with three keys is used in the corridor to control the light in different areas.

Installation of a chandelier with a fan

Connecting such a model is a fairly rational solution, especially in hot weather. Before installing this type of lighting device, you just need to read the instructions, which will detail the connection diagram.

To make it clearer: the fan in this case acts as another lamp, which is connected in parallel.

At your request, you can also make a separate switch key for it.

As you can see, connecting a lighting fixture is a simple task if you know how to do it right. Follow the diagrams, follow the installation rules, and you can easily cope with the connection without outside help.

When buying a new lamp, few people think about how to connect the chandelier, how many drives are there and what kind of switch is needed? In the store, the seller gave recommendations on how to care for the lighting fixture, read the manufacturer's advertisement by heart, and on this the purchase is considered complete. But, having come home, having unpacked the lighting device, wires of different colors are found. How to be? What to do?

After all, the store said that only two lamps can be turned on in the chandelier, and not all five, and it is connected to a single-gang switch. This article covers all connection options, as well as security measures.

Safety

Before you start connecting the chandelier to the mains, install the switch, you need to familiarize yourself with the safety precautions in working with electricity. To do this, you do not need to study the Talmuds of "physics on electricity", you should familiarize yourself with the rules:

1. In all used tools for working with electrical appliances, as well as for electrical wiring, the handles are insulated.
2. To carry out work, the electricity in the entire room is turned off on the panel. To do this, turn off the light switch is not enough. It is required to turn off the plugs on the electrical panel (meter in a private house), but if there are no buttons there, the plugs are unscrewed.
3. The switch for the lamp is installed in the break of the "phase" wire.

If you follow these rules, then nothing will threaten life.

How to recognize wires?

All wires are available in several colors. This greatly facilitates the work of an electrician, and gives a hint to a beginner.

Common Standard:

• Grounding - yellow wire with a light green stripe (ground).

Attention! It is not used to connect electrical devices. This is only grounding (so that during the operation of the electrical appliance, the current does not pierce with “small trembling”).

• Blue (blue) wire - zero.
• Phase colors are colors other than those listed.

In houses and apartments with old wiring, all cables are the same, there was no grounding. To determine the type, you should make a call.

What threatens to swap the phase and zero?

There is an opinion from people who consider themselves professionals (I installed 1 socket in the house) that when installing the switch, there is no difference in connecting the wires, because electricity does not enter the lamp through open contacts. This is not true. You should know exactly what is the phase, and which wire goes "zero". With a broken zero, no electric current flows, but there is a phase current in all cables. What threatens to defeat a person with electric current. Otherwise, fluorescent lighting fixtures, as well as economy lamps, flicker or dimly shine with phase current.

How to connect wires?

Twisting is a very laborious business. If it is done incorrectly, a remake is made. Therefore, you should do it correctly, as well as firmly isolate it. If there are a lot of such twists, and there is a lot of voltage in the network or poor contact of the connection is heated, then the electrical tape may burn out soon, which will lead to a short circuit. Therefore, when twisting the wires, it is necessary to press them well and insulate them.

Terminal blocks are now used. They have proven themselves as fire-fighting elements. With their help, four or more twists are connected. One of them is WAGO. No tools are required for connection, installation takes place in a short time. To begin with, the levers open, insert the wires there and close the lever. In this case, the connection will be reliable, fireproof. The purchased new chandelier is disassembled, the quality of the blocks and screws is checked. If necessary, the screws must be well tightened. Especially if the chandelier is made in China.

Required tool for mounting the chandelier

In order to connect the chandelier to the wires on the ceiling, you will need tools:

1. Three different screwdrivers: flat-end, curly, indicator.
2. Side cutter and pliers.
3. Knife - must be sharpened.
4. Voltmeter.
5. Insulating tape.

A knife is required to expose a single-core wire, because pliers will damage or break the core itself. The exposure is done with a sharp knife blade in the same way as a pencil is sharpened. If burrs remain - this does not threaten anything.

The indicator is needed to find the phase. In such a screwdriver, the tip is made for tightening screws. You do not need to do this, because it is impractical and will soon break.

There are 2 types of measuring instruments: with a digital screen and with arrows. Preference is given to digital ones, since their readings are the most accurate. Digital devices shockproof, have overload protection. The pointer device is used in a horizontal position. Its advantage is that it shows the measurement without additional power (accumulators, batteries).

Attention! In all devices, the AC range is not more than 500-600 watts.

To connect the lighting device to the mains, you need to follow a step-by-step algorithm of actions with detailed instructions.

Preparatory work: ringing - phase detection on the ceiling

At this stage of preparation, it will be clarified what to do with the ground wire and how to distinguish between phase and zero on the ceiling? How to connect a lot of wires from a chandelier with cables on the ceiling? Connecting a lighting fixture with your own hands is a neat business, requiring minimal knowledge of electricity.

Ground wire

If the wiring has already been done on the ceiling (the wiring is done, say, under drywall in a frame base), then there is “zero” among them, the rest are phase and earth.

Attention! Wiring with grounding is made in new buildings and in rooms with repairs.

The ground wire is yellow-green. According to the international standard, it is designated PE. It connects to the same color wire on the chandelier. You can’t just leave the wire like this, as this can lead to a short circuit. If there is grounding in the chandelier, and old wiring on the ceiling, then you need to make PE insulation in the chandelier. Grounding insulation is carried out on the ceiling, if it is not in the chandelier. Insulation is done neatly and efficiently with insulating tape. It is unacceptable that the edge of the tape sticks out or peels off.

We are looking for phases and zero

All wires are checked - you need to determine where the phase and zero are. You can't rely on just the color scheme for several reasons. Firstly, it is not known (in many cases) how the wires were connected to the junction box - the qualification of an electrician or a neighbor; secondly, the color scheme can change, and if a person is sure that the phase is red in color, then this opinion may be erroneous.

If only three wires come out of the ceiling, a switch with 2 keys is installed, then there can be two power wires for each section of the switch, and one zero is common. Ringing is done using a multimeter (tester), indicator.

To call you need to do the following:

1. Put on shoes with rubber soles. Be in a dry area. Hands and feet should also be dry. Water is a current conductor.
2. The voltage is turned on on the meter or shield, and the switch is set to the “on” mode.
3. Carefully so that the wires do not touch each other (so as not to burn all the wiring in the house), you should touch each one in turn with the indicator, the edge of the screwdriver. If the screwdriver ignites, there is voltage.
4. When connecting a measuring device, the tester will show, with an arrow or numbers on the display, what voltage is in the wire.
5. To be sure (if the memory is bad), the phase is marked with a marker or everything is written down on paper - what color.
6. After the phase is detected, the switch is turned off, and then the apartment is de-energized on the electrical panel or on the meter.

To determine the wires by the tester, you need to put the switch on the device on “volts”, select the scale “more than 220 V”. After that, carefully touch the probes, you need to hold the handle, and not the bare iron, to the wiring in stages, and not all at once. Two power wires between themselves do not give a ringing. If there is such a pair, then these are phase wires. And the third "zero". Further, each wire, the intended phase, is required to be connected with probes to zero. 220 V will appear on the tester screen. The cables should be marked with a marker on the insulation or the colors should be written down. Working with the indicator is easier: lit - phase, no - zero (indicated by the letter N). Phase - the letter L.

If there are only 2 wires in the ceiling, one of them is definitely a phase. The switch is single-key, and if there is a second one, then it is non-working.

Chandelier connection diagrams

The market offers a large variety of chandeliers that amaze with their beauty and originality.

• Chandelier with one cartridge.
• With rotating platform.
• With a large number of halogen and LED sources.
• There are models with built-in dimmers, drivers that allow you to turn on the lighting device with a remote control. And also with the help of the remote control, the brightness of the light and the sequence of operation of the lamps change.

But, despite such an extensive classification of chandelier models, they will all be connected according to the schemes below.

One of the main nuances is the correct connection of cables on the ceiling with wires from the chandelier. With the necessary tools, the connection is made quickly by a person who has no experience in working with electrical devices.

If the switch is single, and the chandelier is two-wire (for example, arion or sconce), then you need to follow the steps according to the chandelier-ceiling 2x2 scheme. That is, there is a two-core cable on the ceiling. This option is simple and fast. After the phase and zero are determined, the power supply is turned off. The neutral wire on the chandelier (you can find this out from the instructions for the lighting fixture, by color) must be connected to the desired "zero" on the ceiling. It is also done with the "phase". All connected wires must be properly insulated. There are no difficulties, installation is carried out quickly.

If the chandelier is five-arm or three-arm, and the switch is with one key, then it follows:

1. Consider all the wires in the chandelier. There are 2 wires coming out of each horn. This means that a phase and zero are connected to each. Then all the lights will turn on.
2. Preparation of wires for connection with the general wiring of the house. Each wire on the chandelier is exposed by 3 cm. Since they are very thin, everything should be done carefully. Further, all wires of the same color (say, blue) are taken and twisted into one group. It turned out twisting one core from each cartridge. The same twist is done with the remaining wires of a different color.
3. It turned out 2 twists - zero will be suitable for one, and phase for the second. After that, the indicator checks the closure of the cartridge-twisting circuit.
4. Two strands of wires are fixed to 2 wires on the ceiling. Be sure to use electrical tape.

Attention! Do not connect aluminum and copper wires. These 2 metals oxidize over time and the contact will disappear. There are special adapters for this.

The chandelier has 2 wires, the ceiling has 3 wires (double switch)

There are 2 options here: the third wire is grounding or the second phase, with a 2-key switch. In such a situation, you need to do this:

1. Be sure to make a call using the indicator. For this operation, the network must be electric, and the switch is turned on. Otherwise, the indicator will not show the second phase. Indicator behavior:

• The first case is when, when touched with a screwdriver, 2 wires illuminate the indicator, and the third one does not light up. This is a common wire.
• The second case - one is lit, and the other 2 are not. The wire that gives the glow is common.

If there is no indicator, then any 2 cables are taken from the ceiling and connected to the chandelier. Turn on the power on the panel and the switch. If the lamps light up, then the installation is proceeding correctly. And you don't need to redo it.

1. Designate the phases and zero, if they are of the same color, turn off the power to the meter.
2. After that, a common wire is fixed in the terminal and one of the remaining two to choose from. The wires from the chandelier are also connected. Exposure must be insulated.
3. If there is a desire for the chandelier to light up from any of the two keys on the switch, a jumper is placed.

After complete isolation, the power supply is turned on and the operation is checked.

If the switch is two-key, and the chandelier is five-lamp, then:

1. In the chandelier, 2 wires come out of each horn with a lamp.
2. Everything is collected in one bundle and divided into groups (double): 2 feeders, 1 zero. One color - 1 group. The rest of the outgoing people are divided into random groups.
3. All groups of wires are twisted with those indicated on the ceiling.

Connecting a chandelier with three wires to a multi-key switch

If the chandelier is two-arm and more, then connection options are possible:

• If you turn on the switch, all the lights will turn on.
• With the help of one key, a group of light bulbs on a chandelier is turned on (for example, the lower cartridges in a multi-tiered lamp).
• With the help of one key, 2-3 lamps are lit, but not all.

There are 2 wires on the ceiling, which means that only the first option is possible - all the lamps will light up at the same time. To connect a chandelier with three wires to 2 on the ceiling, you should carefully study the technical characteristics of the chandelier. Basically, by the manufacturer, all the threads in the chandelier are connected in pairs. In this case, the connection takes place in an elementary way: finding the phase and zero, and connecting the chandelier.

If in the chandelier each wire comes from the ceiling, then all the wires are connected in parallel by installing an additional jumper wire.

Scheme for connecting a chandelier with several wires to a three-core cable on the ceiling

If it is required to turn on the lamps in groups in a three-lamp chandelier (five-cartridge carol), then the connection is made according to the diagram. At the same time, a two- or three-gang switch is installed. To do this, on the ceiling, a common wire, zero, phase in a three-core cable is determined by the indicator. At the same time, a switch for at least 2 keys is installed for everyone. 1 wire of their pair, coming from each chandelier horn, is connected to the common wire.

There will be 2 threads that join the free wires from the pairs from the cartridges.

Attention! Before installing a multi-horn chandelier to a multi-key (triple) switch, you need to carefully study the lighting device, its technical characteristics and instructions for use.

Connecting a chandelier to a switch block with a socket

In some cases, it is required to install an outlet and a switch nearby (this is often found in the kitchen). These two points change to one - the block "socket-switch" by anam. In this case, the switch has from one to four keys. Acting according to the scheme, which indicates the usual connection of the chandelier to the switch, installation will be quick. There is one wire in the circuit that comes out of "zero" and enters the socket outlet. The scheme is classical, but in practice, zero and phase are often reversed.

LED chandelier

It stands out because a typical spotlight contains additional elements for uninterrupted operation, laid down by the manufacturer. Such elements are: dimmers, drivers, converters. The light is controlled by the remote control.

A passport is attached to the chandelier indicating the options for operation, technical characteristics, as well as with an electrical diagram for connecting it to the mains. When connecting a chandelier, precise work is required, according to the scheme given in the passport, otherwise it will not work correctly or burn out. After connecting the lighting device to the network, adjustment and testing is carried out using a switch and a remote control.

Artificial lighting is an indispensable condition, without which no enterprise or household can fully function, especially at night.

In our article, we will try to tell you in detail how to independently assemble, install and connect almost any chandelier, whether it be simple with one lamp, or a complex design for several lamps with a fan or LED backlight.

And thanks to colorful illustrations and videos, even a person who does not have an electrical engineering education can repeat the installation of a chandelier. The main thing is not to forget about safety when working with electricity.

Step-by-step instructions for installing a chandelier with one lamp

Step 1: Marking.

Skip this paragraph if the chandelier will be installed instead of an existing one, with a similar mount. If the chandelier will be installed in a new place, or the old chandelier has a different type of mount, it is necessary to re-mark the new chandelier mount.

You need to find the center of the ceiling. To do this, measure the length of the walls, divide the result in half and lay the resulting size on the ceiling with a cord and a pencil. A small hole is drilled in the suspended ceiling for wires. In stretch ceilings made of PVC film, special limiting plastic rings are first glued, and then a hole for the wires is cut with a blade.

Step 2: Installing the ceiling beam.

In the case when the ceiling is made in the form of a complex design structure, in the form of a multi-level plasterboard structure, PVC stretch fabric or decorative hanging plates, which complicates the direct fastening of the chandelier to the surface, it is necessary to take care of the fastening system in advance. Otherwise, a wire break or even a part of the ceiling may be torn off.

If the chandelier is quite massive and its weight is more than 15 kilograms, then to support the chandelier on the ceiling, it is necessary to lay an additional beam behind the decorative ceiling in advance. It can be either a wooden beam or a metal structure, the main thing is that it is placed just at the place where the chandelier is installed. You can also use a special metal chain if the distance from the main to the decorative ceiling exceeds 1 meter.

Step 3: Installing the junction box.

From the installation site of the future chandelier, the wires are brought out and lowered to the wall, a junction box will be installed here. Also, wires from the mains supply and from the light switch are brought to this box.

Important note! According to safety regulations, the installation of the junction box is carried out no closer than at a distance of 15 centimeters from the ceiling. The wires from the box should come out with a margin of 10 centimeters.

To connect the lighting line, it is necessary to use a separate group of wires coming from the switchboard; it must be equipped with a residual current circuit breaker.

The wires in the box are connected according to the chandelier connection diagram. The connected wires are insulated with PVC tape and laid in a box so that they do not intersect with each other. The junction box is closed with a lid and screwed on. From above it will be possible to plaster and glue wallpaper.

Step 4: Install the mounting bracket.

Most simple modern chandeliers for one lamp are equipped with a bracket in the form of a bracket. It serves as a supporting fastener and allows you to install a chandelier in a short time. Also, thanks to the two mounting bolts, maintenance of the chandelier becomes much easier than in older designs with unreliable hooks.

After marking the middle of the ceiling, the mounting bracket is applied near the wire outlet. With the help of a pencil, the place for drilling a hole is marked for the future fastening of the bracket to the ceiling. If the chandelier is already equipped with fasteners, then the drill is selected according to the diameter of the dowel. The hole for the dowel should not be located in the place where the wires pass.

Step 5: Connect the wires and fix the chandelier.

The wires coming out of the ceiling must be long enough so that when the chandelier is removed, there is access to the junction of them with the wires of the chandelier.

The wires are stripped of insulation and connected using a terminal block according to the diagram. If there is no terminal block included with the chandelier, then the wires are stripped to a distance of 2 centimeters and twisted in pairs, then the junction is soldered with a soldering iron. After that, everything is isolated with insulating tape.

If the chandelier is made of metal and has a screw on the body for connecting a protective earth, do not forget about it. The corresponding wire coming from the junction box is stripped, folded into a ring shape and screwed tightly with a screw.

After all the wires are connected and insulated, you can mount the chandelier. Make sure that the wires do not fall under the mounting bolts, attach the chandelier to the bracket on the ceiling, aligning the mounting holes and bracket screws - tighten the bolts.

How to connect a chandelier with two or three lamps

The procedure for installing a chandelier with two or three lights is not much different from installing a chandelier with one light, which is given above. The exception is the number of power wires. For a simple chandelier with one lamp, you need two power wires and a ground wire, if you are going to connect a chandelier with not one, but with two or three lamps, then you will need three power wires and one ground wire.

Video: How to connect the chandelier yourself

To connect such a chandelier, the wires from the lamp holders must be connected in accordance with the diagram. One wire is taken from each cartridge and connected together - this will be the middle point, it is connected to the neutral supply wire.

If there are two lamps, then each of the remaining wires from the cartridges is connected to the corresponding phase power wire. If the chandelier is designed for three lamps, then the remaining wire from the third cartridge is connected in parallel with the phase wire from the first or second cartridge. The wires are also connected by terminal blocks or by soldering and insulated with electrical tape.

It should also be noted that to turn on such a chandelier, you will need a two-gang switch and, accordingly, three-wire wiring laid to it. In this case, when one key is turned on, one lamp will light up, when the second key is turned on, two other lamps will light up, and when both keys of the switch are turned on, all three lamps will light up.

How to connect a chandelier with 5 lights

If it becomes necessary to connect a chandelier with four or five lamps, this will also not be difficult. The technology is the same as when connecting a chandelier with two or three lamps, the only exception is the number of lamps in groups of phase conductors. The number of groups and lamps in them depends on your imagination and is limited by the number of supply phase wires and groups of keys on the switch.

How to connect a light switch

To turn on simple chandeliers with one lamp, a single-gang switch is used, its installation is as simple as possible. When connecting a chandelier, in which the number of lamps is two or more, two and three-gang switches are used.

If the wiring has already been laid, and the number of groups of lamps in the chandelier corresponds to the number of keys on the switch, it is changed to a new one, following the connection diagram.

If the circuit breaker is installed on new wiring, attention must be paid to the structure of the circuit breaker. In two and three-gang switches there is one common terminal, it is necessary to connect the supply phase wire coming from the junction box to it. And each of the remaining terminals, in accordance with the location of the key and the desire to turn on a certain group of lamps, is connected to the wires going through the box to the chandelier lamps.

It should be noted that the switch must open exactly the phase wire of the power supply! This will protect you when you change a burned-out lamp with the switch off.

Chandelier with fan

There are models of chandeliers in which two devices are combined: a lighting chandelier and a fan. Such a constructive solution will be a good help on hot summer days. Connecting such a chandelier is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

Before connecting, read the passport for the chandelier, there will be a connection diagram and a color code for the wires, the main thing is not to confuse anything.

For easier connection, the fan outputs can be figuratively represented as another lamp. You can switch the fan on according to your desire, either together with the lighting, or with a separate switch button.

In the case where the fan is turned on separately from the lighting, you will need a three-wire power line and a two-gang switch. The connection in this case will be identical to connecting a chandelier with two lamps, only there will be a fan instead of the second lamp.

If you plan to turn on the fan at the same time as turning on the lighting, then you need to connect the wires from the fan in parallel with the terminals of the lamp holder.

In some modern models of chandeliers there is a decorative illumination on multi-colored LED light-emitting diodes. Such chandeliers create a more interesting light, thereby emphasizing the interior of the room.

The connection of such a lamp is carried out strictly according to the scheme, which is given in the passport for this product. The LEDs are designed for low-voltage power, so a step-down LED driver is used in the chandelier kit. The power supply of such an LED driver is designed for a lighting network voltage of 220 volts.

When connecting such a chandelier, you can use the above instructions for connecting a chandelier with a fan, only here instead of the fan wires, the power wires of the LED driver are used.