Wiring diagram for a two-button lamp. Do-it-yourself ceiling chandelier connection. Extending or building up wiring during the connection of one chandelier

A chandelier, a popular ceiling lamp, is in every home, and not just one. Therefore, from time to time, everyone needs to install and connect a chandelier. Of course, it is not at all difficult to invite an electrician for this, who will do this work for you for a certain amount. But you can learn to connect the chandelier yourself, it does not require special abilities. A positive attitude, the presence of the simplest knowledge of electrical engineering and compliance with elementary safety rules will allow even an inexperienced person to be able to connect the chandelier on their own.

Necessary tools and equipment:

1. Pliers.
2. Screwdriver.
3. Voltage indicator.
4. Marker.
5. Stepladder or other stable device of sufficient height.
6. Terminal clamps.

How to connect a chandelier - identifying wires

Before starting work, you must read the instructions-passport of the chandelier, which indicates the main technical specifications, as well as a diagram and the order of connecting wires.

For convenience, the wires differ in color:

• "neutral" wire should be of blue color;
• ground wire - yellow or yellow-green;
• "phase" wire - usually red, brown, black or another color, except for blue, yellow and green.

You should also inspect the place of hanging the chandelier. In apartments on the ceiling, there is usually already a special hook for hanging. It is necessary to pay attention to the number of wires emerging from the ceiling: two or three. The presence of three wires (unless, of course, one of them is a ground wire) allows you to connect the chandelier in sections to apply different levels of illumination. The presence of two wires deprives you of this opportunity, it is only possible to simultaneously turn on all the lamps in the chandelier.

Modern home wiring is usually done using marked colored wires. The distribution of colors is similar to the above.

If you have old wiring, and all the wires are the same color, then use the voltage indicator to identify the phase wires on the ceiling and mark them with a marker.

Connecting a chandelier to a single switch

The easiest way to connect a chandelier. The wires of the home electrical wiring and the wires of the lamp are connected in pairs to each other in pairs.

1. Connect the neutral wire of the chandelier to the neutral wire from the junction box.
2. The phase wire from the junction box must be connected first to the switch and routed under its key. Connect it to the phase wire of the chandelier.

When connecting wires, the most reliable and safe option- use of screw terminals. However, in practice, twisted joints are often isolated with special caps. We strongly do not recommend using PVC tape for insulation, after a while, due to its drying, the quality of the insulation can deteriorate significantly, which can cause a short circuit and is fraught with unpleasant consequences.

Connecting a chandelier to a double switch

This connection method is used when connecting a three-arm chandelier or ceiling lamp with more than three lamps. This type chandeliers allows you to adjust the level of illumination in the room and, moreover, allows you to save on electricity bills. If you want to install a chandelier of just such a modification, when buying, pay attention to the number of wires coming out of it: there must be at least two phase wires, not counting the ground and zero wires.

Your home electrical wiring should also be done accordingly: three wires from a double switch are connected to the place where the chandelier is attached. One of the wires is a neutral wire, the other two are phase wires passing through different keys in the switch.

The wiring diagram of the chandelier with a double switch allows you to step-by-step adjust the level of illumination in the room.

Execution sequence:

1. Divide the wires from the chandelier lamps into two sections.
2. From each section, connect one twist to the neutral wire.
3. Connect the two remaining twists separately to the phase wires.

As a result, with this connection, you will get three different lighting modes.

Wiring diagram for two or three chandeliers from a single switch

In a large area, several chandeliers are often installed or a large number of halogen lamps, LED lamps, which are switched on all at the same time by one single switch. Also, sometimes it becomes necessary to install a switch so that it can turn on the lighting at the same time in several rooms. In this case, apply parallel connection chandeliers, like several shades in one chandelier.

If the number of wires in the chandelier and on the ceiling do not match

It may turn out that there are three wires in the chandelier you purchased, but there are only two wires on the ceiling where the chandelier is attached, and the switch, respectively, is single. Or vice versa. The algorithm for connecting a three-arm chandelier to a single switch looks like this:

1. Connect the neutral wire of the chandelier to the neutral wire on the ceiling.
2. In the terminal block of the chandelier, install a jumper between the phase wires or clamp them in one terminal and connect them to the phase wire on the ceiling.

With such a connection scheme, it will no longer be possible to adjust the level of illumination.

In the opposite situation, when there are three wires in the home wiring (two phase and one zero) and a double switch, and there are only two wires in the chandelier, the connection is made in the following sequence:

1. Using a voltage indicator, you need to determine the neutral wire, connect it to any of the wires on the chandelier.
2. Clamp the other two wires (phase) in one terminal, or put a jumper.

ATTENTION: similar situation be sure to check all three wires with an indicator so as not to accidentally close the network if the third wire is not phase, but zero. This, unfortunately, also happens.

How to convert a chandelier designed for a single switch to a double switch

If your chandelier is designed for a single switch, that is, only two wires come out of the base of the chandelier, and there are several lamps, and your electrical wiring allows, you can try to convert the chandelier to a double switch. The process is laborious, but the result is worth it.

In a chandelier of this design, all wiring from lamps (plafonds) comes into one combination of phase and neutral wires. You need to find this place and divide the ceiling into two sections, each of which will be turned on by the corresponding switch key.

After we have found the connection point, we do the following:

1. The neutral wires remain connected to each other, they do not need to be touched.
2. We divide the phase wires into two groups of wires instead of one. The division scheme is at your discretion, depending on the number of shades and your personal preferences.
3. Connect the common (neutral) wire to the neutral wire coming from the junction box.
4. To connect the phase wires from the resulting sections of the ceiling sections, it is necessary to throw one more additional wire from the chandelier to the place where the chandelier is connected to the electrical wiring from the double switch.

Thus, it is quite easy to transform an ordinary chandelier into a three-mode one.

The most common mistakes in connecting a chandelier

Errors during installation and connection are found not only among novice electricians, even among experienced professionals it often happens that the chandelier does not shine at all as it should. These errors are typical and commonplace.

Incorrect connection of the double switch

This is the most common mistake in that the incoming phase wire is connected to one of the output contacts of the switch. With such a connection scheme, the chandelier cannot function normally, since one section of the lamps turns on only if voltage is applied to the other section. That is, if the input phase is connected to the left contact of the switch, when the left button is pressed, the phase enters the junction box through the lower input contact and turns on one section of lamps. Pressing the right button again turns on another section. But when the left key is opened, all sections are disabled.

When the left key is released, it is impossible to turn on the right key.

The reason for the dependence of the right key on the left is that initially the phase went through the input contact of the switch of the left key, and the left key, when turned off, breaks the phase at once on both sections.

To eliminate this error, it is necessary to swap the connections of the incoming to the switch and the outgoing phase.

Instead of a phase wire, a neutral wire passes through the switch

According to the rules for the installation of electrical installations, a procedure is provided for connecting a switch that closes and opens the circuit by breaking the phase. How does it look on the diagram? The neutral wire, bypassing the switch, is laid from the junction box directly to the neutral wire of the ceiling lamp. The phase wire from the junction box passes through the switch key, which breaks the circuit.

However, in practice, sometimes there is an incorrect connection: not a phase wire, but a neutral wire passes through the switch. That is, when the switch button is turned off, the wiring remains energized, despite the fact that the lighting is not on. This is fraught with the possibility of defeat electric shock when replacing a lamp, when accidentally touching the bare parts of the chandelier ceiling or when the wire insulation is broken.

Therefore, if possible, it is desirable to eliminate such an error in the connection.

You can detect this violation of the wiring diagram using a voltage indicator, which, when the switch is in the “off” state, shows the presence of a phase on the ceiling wires.

Incorrect wiring diagram for the neutral wire of the chandelier

This error is the reason that only a part of the light bulbs normally turns on in the chandelier, the rest either shine weakly or do not turn on at all. As previously discussed, in the presence of three wires, the phase wires are each connected to a separate section of the light bulbs, while the neutral wire is common to all light bulbs, which are all connected in parallel to it. If you confuse the wires, and the interconnected bulbs, for example, connect the first section to zero instead of the phase, and connect all the bulbs of both sections (instead of zero) to the phase, then when you press the first key in the first section, the bulbs will turn on, since they go there at the same time and zero and phase. When you press the second key in the second section, the bulbs will not light, since both incoming wires will be phase, and in order for the bulb to shine, you need to apply a phase with zero to it at the same time.

Compliance with safety rules when connecting a chandelier

Working with live parts is always associated with a certain degree of risk. Connecting a chandelier to a home is no exception, and besides, the work is done at a height. To protect yourself and others during electrical work, you must observe the following safety rules:

1. Carefully study the instructions for connecting the chandelier.
2. The power tools used in the work must be in good condition, especially for the insulating parts of the tools.
3. Equipment for climbing to heights - ladders and other devices to check for reliability and stability of the structure.
4. Before starting work, cut off the power supply by turning off the machines in the electrical panel.

Before buying and installing a two-gang switch, you first need to decide what it is for at all? And it is intended to control two lighting circuits from one point.

Do not confuse it with pass-through switches, which play other roles. They differ from each other in the number of contacts. Therefore, when choosing, look first of all not at the front panel, but at the back of the switch.

two-gang light switch

two-gang simple switch

Let's say if you have 2 or more bulbs in the chandelier, using a two-gang switch, you can make it so that when you press one key, only half of the lamps turn on, and when you press the second, all the rest at once.

It can also be controlled by two different lamps located at separate points from each other - for example, lighting sconces at different ends of the room or even in another room.

The two-key switch differs from its one-key counterpart not only in the number of switches, but most importantly, in the number of contacts. There are only 3 of them here. One common and two outgoing. Through them, the phase is separated and then returned to the junction box by separate wires or goes directly to the fixtures.

Note that you will need at least a three-wire wire to install a double switch, even if you do not have a PE protective earth conductor in your apartment wiring.

Installation of a two-gang light switch and wire connection

There is nothing complicated in the connection diagram and in the process of installation, installation and connection of wires to the switch contacts. First of all, the switch must be disassembled. To do this, dismantle the keys themselves. If you can’t do it manually, simply by pulling them towards you, use an ordinary screwdriver, prying the keys from the side.

As a result, you have the body itself with fasteners on the sides and the inner contact part in your hands. The main task is to supply voltage from the phase conductor to the common contact. Further, when two keys are closed, this phase will diverge to one or the other lighting circuit.

To find the central contact, look at the marking, since it may not always be located exactly alone and in the center.

But what if you do not understand the inscriptions or they are erased and painted over? Then you need to use a contact screwdriver with a tester with a battery-powered dialing function.
Insert any metal object (stud, screw) into the intended common contact. You wrap your fingers around it, and touch the other two contacts with a screwdriver.

When you alternately press the keys, that is, turn on one - check, then turn off the first and turn on the second - check that the screwdriver LED should light up every time. If this does not happen, then this is not a general contact.

To connect a common contact, use the conductor phase coming from the junction box gray color. You clean the end of the core, put it between the contact plates and tighten the screw with a screwdriver.

Next, connect the other two wires in the cable to the outgoing pin connectors.

The connection of the conductors directly to the two-gang switch itself is now complete. Insert the case into the mounting box and tighten the fixing screws.

Then you tighten the two spacer screws, which help the fastening fork with teeth to rest against the walls of the box as much as possible and firmly hold the switch body inside it.
After that, you can return to place all the decorative frames and the keys themselves.

Installation of connections of a two-gang switch in a junction box

The following cables can enter the junction box or junction box:

• power cable from the machine in the shield
• cable going down to the switch
• one (if you have a chandelier with two lighting circuits) or two cables (if the light points are in different places) to outgoing fixtures

In order not to get confused, follow the following order:

Connect all neutral conductors first. They are usually blue. Zero does not pass through the two-gang switch and comes directly from the shield to the lamp, through the connections in the junction box.

All stripped cores can be connected using Wago quick-clamp terminals.
Although everyone has a different attitude towards them, but it is for lighting circuits with minimal loads that they are ideal.

Next in order is protective grounding. This is a green/yellow wire. If you don’t have a grounding conductor in your apartment or the lamp body is insulated and the cable is two-core, then, accordingly, this connection will not be in the junction box.

It remains to connect the phase conductors. Here you need to be extremely careful. First, clamp the phase in the Vago terminal block, which comes from the power supply. Then, in the same terminal, insert the core that comes from the common phase contact of the two-gang switch.

You should have 4 free unconnected wires left. Two of them are the wiring that goes to the chandelier or sconce, and the other two cores are phases connected to the lower outgoing contacts of the two-keyboard.
Take two more clamps and SEPARATELY connect these conductors through them. Thus, you will connect two lighting circuits to the fixtures independently of each other.

Connection on a chandelier or lamp

In a lamp or chandelier, terminal blocks are usually used for connection. Run on them the cores of the cable coming out of the junction box according to the color marking.

The factory lamp must have wires of exactly the color that are prescribed in the rules. Phase - a gray or dark-colored conductor should go to the central contact of the lamp, and zero - blue to the bulb base itself.

Grounding yellow-green colors can be attached both to the terminal and directly under the screw on the housing.

Errors when connecting a two-gang switch

The first mistake that an illiterate specialist can make is to put on the switch not a phase, but zero.

Remember: the switch must always break the phase conductor, and in no case zero.

Otherwise, the phase will always be on duty on the base of the chandelier. And an elementary replacement of a light bulb can end very tragically.

By the way, there is one more nuance because of which even experienced electricians can rack their brains. For example, you wanted to check directly on the contacts of the chandelier - the phase comes there through a switch or zero. Turn off the two-keyboard, touch the contact on the chandelier with a Chinese sensitive indicator - and it glows! Although you have assembled the circuit correctly.

What can be wrong? And the reason lies in the backlight, which are increasingly equipped with switches.

A small current, even in the off state, still flows through the LED, applying potential to the lamp contacts.

By the way, this is one of the reasons for the blinking of LED lamps in the off state. How to deal with this can be found in the article "". To avoid such an error, you need to use not a Chinese indicator, but a multimeter in voltage measurement mode.

The second error is when the phase supply conductor is connected not to the common contact of the switch, but to one of the outgoing ones. In this case, the circuit will not work as it should. All lights will only light up if you press two keys at the same time. But if you press only the key to which the phase does not come initially, then the chandelier will not light up at all.

If you moved into a new apartment where it was not you who connected the chandelier, and it behaves in such a strange way, that is, it does not react as it should to the two-key switches, then the point is most likely precisely in such an erroneous installation of the supply wires. Feel free to disassemble the switch and check the common contact.

If you have a light switch, indirect sign such an incorrect connection may not be the performance of the neon light bulb. Why indirect? Since here everything depends on which key you will start the phase on.

The third common mistake is to connect the neutral wire on the chandelier not to the common zero in the junction box, but to one of the phase wires.
To avoid this, use and observe the color coding of the wires, and even better, if you do not trust the colors, check the voltage supply using a high-quality indicator or multimeter before turning on the lamp.

Connecting electrical lighting fixtures does not look complicated if there are only two outlets. If there are more, the task becomes more difficult. In this case, various connection schemes can be used. The article discusses various situations that may arise when connecting a chandelier.

To hang and connect the lamp, you will need the following tools:

• A multimeter or indicator screwdriver will be required if you need to determine the purpose of the contacts.
• Terminal clips or caps are used for a secure connection.
• Pliers.
• Marker.
• Screwdriver.

Connection

You also need a stepladder that has a suitable height for work.

How to connect a chandelier with three or four wires

Before carrying out work, it is advisable to read the instructions for the lighting device. It usually describes the connection in detail.

The installation process of the luminaire may be different depending on the number of outlets on the ceiling and the keys on the switch.

If there are only two outputs on the ceiling, then one of them is phase, the other is zero. In this case, there is no grounding. When connecting a chandelier, one of them is connected to any contact, the other to the remaining one. If necessary, all contacts of the chandelier corresponding to the phase voltage must be combined.

double switch

To connect a chandelier that has 3 wires or more, you need to see if there is grounding. If it is, connect to the corresponding output of the chandelier. If it does not provide for this, then it must be isolated.

When there are zero and two phases, it is necessary to determine where they are and mark them with a marker. If one switch is used, then the following options are possible:

• All lamps turn on at once.
• Some of the lamps turn on.

The second situation is convenient when the owner does not need light from all light sources.

In the first case, both phases of the chandelier are connected to the power phase, zero - to zero. Now, when turned on, all the lamps will light up.

Marking

Each of the phase outputs is connected to certain lamps in the luminaire. In the second situation, which lamps are to be lit, and the corresponding contact is connected to the power supply. The rest of the exit is isolated.

From this article, you will learn what cross-section of wires is needed to connect to a chandelier, how to ring and determine the phases on the ceiling: we are looking for a ground wire, we are looking for phases and zero, the designation of chandelier wires.

How to connect a chandelier in a simple way, the rules for connecting wires, connecting a chandelier to 2,3,4,5, 6 to single and double switch and many other questions.

Design features of the chandelier

Chandeliers are most often used as lighting fixtures in residential premises - multi-lamp fixtures designed for ceiling mounting.

A chandelier is a structure that connects several lighting elements - light bulbs, which allows for good lighting in the room.

If you use an ordinary light bulb in the room, then to ensure proper lighting, you will need to install a powerful lighting element, and even then, with significant volumes of the room, it will not be enough.

But such light is not always needed, so more the best option is the use of multiple lamps.

But in the case of using conventional light bulbs to power each of them, you will have to lay your own wire or branch out from the junction box.

But if you install a chandelier, the design of which involves the installation of several light bulbs, then the connection in terms of complexity will be the same as one or more light bulbs.

But at the same time, all the lighting elements included in the design will be powered, and from one wire.

And all because the branching of the wiring occurs at the entrance to the chandelier, and not in the junction box.

Well, do not discount the aesthetic side of the issue. A lone light bulb hanging on the ceiling looks dull, or a beautiful chandelier.

To get good lighting in a room with a perfect combination of a lighting fixture with an interior, it is not enough just to purchase the right chandelier, it still needs to be hung and connected correctly.

What is taken into account before work is carried out?

Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

And one more thing - it's one thing to simply remove the old lighting fixture and connect a new one instead, and it's quite another to completely create a lighting power line, including from the switchboard, installation of switches, junction boxes and lighting fixtures, followed by connecting them to one network.

We will not delve into the features of self-laying the power branch of the chandelier, since we are more interested only in ways to connect lighting elements, although some points regarding wiring will be affected.

Helpful information

Here are some features that might help:

• Breaking the circuit with a switch is carried out only along the phase line, and the neutral core and the ground wire (if any) go directly to the consumer;
• For each branch, a separate phase wire is laid at the output of their switch (It is separated in the switch itself. A single-key switch has one phase conductor at the output, a two-key switch has two, a three-key switch has three). This affects the wire used leading from the switch;
• On the terminal blocks of the chandeliers, you can find the designation of the terminals, which facilitates the connection (marking "L" indicates that the output is phase, "N" - zero, "PE" - ground).

Now directly, how to connect the chandelier to the switch.

Let's assume that the line is made in advance, the switch is in place, and 2 or 3 wires stick out of the ceiling (and the third wire is "ground").

In general, the connection diagram is the simplest - "single-key switch - 1 lighting device."

If the chandelier is hornless (with 1 lamp), then the connection method does not differ at all from powering a simple light bulb.

Also, to a large extent, connecting a chandelier to one or more light bulbs simplifies.

One-button switch - 1 chandelier

Before starting work, you should determine where which wire is. It’s good if modern wiring with a color difference was used. On the initial stage only interested in the earth.

If the electricians did not mess up anything, then the ground wire will have a yellow-green braid.

But you will have to deal with the phase and zero on your own and for this you will only need an indicator screwdriver, but all precautions should be observed, since the check is done in live wiring.

Therefore, before applying voltage, make sure that the ends of the wires are separated in different directions and do not touch each other.

And only after that you can apply voltage (you also need to turn the switch to the “on” position).

After we touch the ends of the wiring with the sting of the indicator screwdriver, the lit control lamp, when touched, will indicate that the core is phase, which means that the second one is zero.

If there are three wires at the output, and it is not clear which of them is zero and “ground”, you can use a test light to determine (we connect a two-wire wire to a regular 220 lamp through a cartridge). After we reveal the phase with an indicator screwdriver.

If the lamp lights up after applying voltage, then the second wire will be zero (if it doesn’t light up, “ground” is connected to the control). For reliability, the wires should be reversed.

After determining which core is which, it remains only to connect them to the corresponding terminals of the chandelier terminal block, and then fix it on the ceiling hook. In general, everything is simple.

The scheme for connecting a chandelier to two terminals is as follows:

If the circuit is three-wire, then the connection is done as follows:

Now suppose that the chandelier is two-arm and you need to connect it to a single-gang switch.

Each horn is a branch and two wires (phase and zero) should go from it, while the “ground” is connected to the body, so it does not go to the branches.

Let's assume that there are blue and brown wires coming from each horn.

To connect the chandelier, you need to separate the wires of the horns by color and twist them together (blue is separate from brown).

Then we connect them to the power line, and it does not matter what color wires will be phase and zero.

For example, we connect the twist of brown wires through the block to the phase conductor, and the blue one to zero.

Then we isolate everything and check the performance. Here we note that with such a connection, no matter how many bulbs there are in the chandelier, when turned on, they will all light up.

It happens that the third wire in the chandelier or wiring is superfluous (the “ground” is not provided in the lighting fixture or power line).

In the case of a chandelier, we simply ignore this conclusion (this will not affect performance in any way), but the grounding wire of the wiring will need to be insulated.

In general, this is a general scheme for connecting a chandelier and it is identical for everyone, but there are some nuances that will be indicated below.

A little about the wiring. To do this, you can use both terminal blocks and ordinary twisting, followed by insulation with protective caps.

Each connection method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Terminals are more convenient for installation, but it is not always possible to install it.

The twist is more compact in size, but it is not always possible to twist the wires with high quality.

Two-gang switch - chandelier

Now about how to connect the chandelier to the two-gang switch.

Since the number of lamps and their division into groups can be very different, we will consider several options:

One switch - several chandeliers

Now consider how to connect several chandeliers to one switch. Here you will have to consider the features of the power line.

For example, let's take a single-key switch, from which three chandeliers will be powered at once.

The scheme of the lighting line with this switch is as follows: phase and zero go from the shield to the junction box.

A wire goes into it from the phase core to the switch, and returns to it again.

As a result, we have a zero and a phase in the box (with a switch included in the circuit), to which you can connect the wiring leading to the consumer.

Therefore, in order to connect three chandeliers at once to this switch, it is enough to throw one common line and insert the phase and neutral wires of lighting fixtures into it.

Moreover, the connection of each chandelier to a common line is best done in junction boxes (they must be additionally installed). And then, in the chandelier itself, divide it into horns (branches).

Connecting a chandelier with additional equipment

Now about connecting the chandelier in which the fan is mounted. This lighting device does not require anything extra special for connection, since the fan is the same consumer as a regular light bulb (that is, the circuit is the same as that of a two-arm chandelier).

It should be connected to a two-gang switch so that it is possible to turn off the light or fan if necessary.

Also, when connecting such a chandelier, you should read the instructions, which should indicate which of the wires going to power the fan is phase and which is zero, and use this information when connecting.

The same applies to chandeliers, which provide remote control using the remote control.

Inside such a device there will be a special execution unit with a controller that receives signals from the remote control.

So, this unit requires power, and it is carried out according to the same principle as a light bulb.

But in chandeliers with LED lamps, the lighting elements work from a 12V network with direct current. And for this, a step-down transformer is present in the design of the lighting device, in which there are phase and zero terminals.

Connecting this chandelier is as easy as connecting a regular light bulb.

Sometimes there is a need to install a combined switch to power the chandelier, combined with a socket.

And here the whole feature lies precisely in connecting the knife switch itself, and not the lighting device.

Since there is an outlet, in order for it to function, both phase and zero must be connected to it.

And if only a phase conductor was connected to a conventional switch, then in a combined one, a neutral conductor will also have to be laid. The connection diagram of such a switch is shown below.

There are cases when the part of the supply wiring protruding from the ceiling is not enough to connect the chandelier. In this case, they can simply be increased.

To do this, you can take two pieces of copper wire with a cross section of at least 1.5 mm. sq. and connect them to the line terminals with a twist. Then the joints should be insulated with high quality.

Popular with readers:, disadvantages and advantages of the device.

Safety

When connecting a chandelier, do not forget about safety. All work should be carried out only with de-energized wiring. Moreover, simply turning off the line at the switch is not enough, it should be de-energized at the switchboard.

Be very careful about the distribution of wiring before connecting.

5 / 5 ( 1 voice )

Today, chandeliers have not lost their popularity, still being a little pride of the mistress of the house. And it doesn’t matter at all whether it is big, tiny, massive or elegantly airy, expensive or not, but a chandelier is not just a lamp on the ceiling, it is part of the decor of the room, something that catches the eye in the first place. And many, doing capital or else redecorating rooms, often change the central lamp of the room. But during the construction or decoration of housing, as well as during its repair, for various reasons, a problem arises: how to connect a ceiling chandelier? It’s easier than ever to hire a professional electrician to connect, but this is fraught with unnecessary waste of money and time.

A ceiling chandelier is a multi-bulb fixture that provides light to a room. Most often, the chandelier is hung in the middle of the ceiling, which provides uniform lighting throughout the room.

But there is nothing complicated here - a little work with your head, a little with your own hands, and the connection is ready.

Where to start?

First you need to remember about the possibility of electrical shock. Therefore, the connection must be carried out with a de-energized power supply of the room. When the network is energized, then bare conductors and metal objects with which they have contact should not be touched with bare hands (well, other parts of the body). This can only be done with properly held hands (for the insulated parts of the device) with an indicator probe, pliers with plastic handles, a screwdriver with an insulating handle.

Cable design: a - two-core cable, b - three-core cable, c - four-core cable, where 1 - conductive core, 2 - zero core, 3 - insulation, 4 - screen, 5 - belt insulation, 6 - filler, 7 - insulation screen , 8 - shell, 9 - armor, 10 - protective cover.

First, we determine how many lived the cable that runs in the ceiling to the place where the illuminator is attached. There can be: 2 - this is typical for old buildings, 3 - for those that are newer, 4 - for new ones.

Two cores only feed the chandelier, which is controlled by a single-key switch, without being able to change the brightness of the luminaires of the chandelier, unless such a function is provided by the switch-dimmer device (dimmer, from English to dim - darken).

Three cores feed two groups of chandelier lamps, which can be turned on simultaneously or in turn. They are usually controlled by a two-gang switch. Thus, three lighting levels are obtained: 1 - when a smaller part of the chandelier lamps shines, 2 - when most of them are turned on, 3 - when the entire chandelier is turned on.

Four cores are the same three, but with the possibility of the fourth to ground the metal parts of the ceiling chandelier. To do this, a ground wire with yellow-green insulation is connected to the ceiling.

When building new premises or overhaul in order to get more lighting modes, you can lay 5, 6 or even 7 cores in the cable in the ceiling. At the same time, you need to immediately decide on the switches, what they will be: three-, four- or five-gang (the current market is replete with a variety of electrical accessories).

The voltage tester is used to test AC and DC voltage.

Here is an approximate list of tools and materials that you may need to connect the fixtures:

• screwdriver;
• probe-indicator (220 V);
• connecting blocks (screw terminal clamps);
• junction boxes;
• chandelier;
• wires;
• switches or dimmers;
• a roll of insulating tape or polymer caps.

The connection is best made using contact-connecting blocks with a screw clamp.

It is better to connect using connecting blocks, but in their absence, you can simply twist the bare conductors with pliers, and then place them inside polymer caps or wrap them tightly with electrical tape. You need to twist the wires so that they tightly wrap around each other, and do not wrap one around the other.

When twisting wires, it is necessary to take into account the material of their cores. It is desirable that it be the same (copper-copper, aluminum-aluminum). Otherwise, they oxidize very quickly, begin to burn, and then the contact will disappear. When there is no other way, then the place of twisting should be tightly covered with waterproof varnish (you can even use women's nail polish). But better copper wire pre-tin (cover with a layer of solder), then the connection will be reliable.

Back to index

Connecting a ceiling chandelier to a two-core cable

Chandelier connection diagram, if two wires come out of the ceiling and chandelier

If you really had to connect the fixtures to a two-core cable, then everything is simple here. If the chandelier has two outlets, then one is connected to one core, and the second, respectively, to the other. And if there are several pairs of taps from different components of the lamps at the output, then we twist them in pairs into two groups, one from each lamp. After that, each group must be connected to one of the two cable cores.

But if you really want to be able to adjust the brightness of the light, then you should install a dimmer instead of a switch. It is the same size and mounting characteristics as a conventional switch, so it is just as easy to connect it.

Chandelier connection diagram, if two wires come out of the ceiling, three wires come out of the chandelier.

Another way out of this situation is to install remote control. A controller with at least five taps is installed inside the chandelier body, after which two separate wires of its input are connected to the cable cores in the ceiling, and three to the taps from the fixtures. At the same time, we connect the black wire of the controller with the common wire of all the lamps, and the other two - with the connected wires of two switching groups (each group combines lamps that are planned to be turned on simultaneously in any lighting mode).

Today, there are heavy low-voltage power chandeliers - their case contains a step-down transformer. Usually they have terminals, as well as designations by which we determine the input-output. Two conductors from the ceiling cable should be connected to the input of the transformer (220 V), and two wires from the lamps should be connected to the output (12 or 24 V).

Back to index

Connecting a chandelier with a three-core cable

Chandelier connection diagram, if three wires come out of the ceiling, several wires come out of the chandelier.

Before making the connection, we do the following: we check whether the ends of the cable cores near the installation site are one to one or a metal object. With a voltage applied to them, we touch each of the cores with a probe-indicator. If there are no breaks in the circuit at both ends, the indicator will show the presence of phase voltage, but not at one. So, if the lighting device has several pairs of taps from different components of the lamps, then we twist their blue wires into one group, and the brown wires in pairs into two other groups, determining at our discretion the number of lamps in the group. After that, each group must be connected to one of the two cable cores. The blue insulation should be connected to the core where there was no phase voltage, and the two groups of brown wires should be connected to those where it was during the test.

If the cable in the ceiling has a fourth core for grounding, then it (it usually has yellow-green insulation) is screwed to the illuminator body with a screw.

We isolate the connected wires and close them with a decorative cap of the illuminator or its body.