Hang a Pendant Light From a Recessed Light Fixture
Changing recessed lighting fixtures to pendant lights can give a room new dimension by providing a fresh focal point. Pendant lights also can shift light closer to a work surface. Instead of pulling out your recessed lighting can from the ceiling and patching the drywall to cover a 6-inch or larger hole, use a recessed can converter to hang a pendant light. A can conversion kit also will save you the hassle of crawling into the attic to add supports for a new fixture.
Instructions
1. Turn off the power to the recessed light fixture. Remove the light bulb and trim.
2. Assemble the recessed can converter bracket according to the manufacturer's directions. This might include attaching offset sliding brackets with screws and wing nuts to the flat bracket. The offset sliding brackets slide in and out to convert to the width of the recessed fixture.
3. Screw the power adapter into the recessed can's light socket. The power adapter is a threaded socket base with black and white lead wires. These wires become your power supply to the pendant light.
4. Look inside the recessed fixture for the wing nut holding the recessed can's socket bracket. Loosen the wing nut with your fingers and push the bracket as high as possible inside the recessed can. Tighten the wing nut to hold the socket at the top of the can. This moves the adapter away from the installation site of the recessed can converter.
5. Remove the three sheet metal screws along the bottom edge of the recessed can. Use half-inch self-tapping sheet metal screws if your recessed can does not have pre-existing sheet metal screws. Start one self-tapping screw in the side of the recessed can about 1 inch from the lip. The other two screws are installed once the converter bracket is in place.
6. Insert the recessed can converter bracket into the recessed can and hold the converter in place with the sheet metal screws. Secure the bracket with the self-tapping sheet metal screws if you had to install the screws into the can.
7. Screw the threaded pipe provided with the recessed can converter's mounting hardware into the center of the recessed can converter. Feed the lead wires from the power adapter through the threaded pipe.
8. Place the beveled medallion that came with the conversion kit, or any ceiling medallion that can hide the recessed can, against the lip of the can and ceiling. The threaded pipe should extend past the medallion by a quarter of an inch. The pendant will hold the medallion to the ceiling once installed.
9. Thread the flat mounting plate provided with the recessed can converter's mounting hardware onto the threaded pipe. The plate must sit flush with the ceiling because it takes the place of the pendant light's mounting strap.
10. Assemble your pendant light according to the manufacturer's instructions. Connect the black wire from the power adapter to the black wire from your pendant light by twisting a wire connector onto the wires. Connect the white wire from the power adapter to the white wire from the pendant light with another wire connector.
11. Slide the canopy from your pendant over the threaded pipe and against the medallion. Thread the screw collar from the pendant light onto the threaded pipe. The screw collar holds the canopy and medallion against the ceiling. If your pendant attaches to a chain, the chain hooks to the loop on the screw collar to support the pendant light.
12. Turn on the power to the pendant light's location.
Tags: hang, pendant, light, recessed, fixture, recessed converter, threaded pipe, metal screws, power adapter, sheet metal, sheet metal screws, pendant light, pendant light
