Installing Your Chandelier (using an electrician)

Hiring an Electrician to Install Your Magnificent Chandelier

You're excited about your new exquisite chandelier purchase at the lighting bazaar. It's still wrapped up in a box and you need to assemble it. You're like a kid at Christmas; you can't wait to tear into it Then you realize it. You realize that a chandelier uses electricity.

Electricity, if you haven't figured it out lately, can be lethal if you are not careful. It's a fairly common way to die among electricians. There are a kazillion volts of electricity running through hundreds of wires all over the house. You know not to touch any of them unless you have a really reason. Even then you have someone at the fuse box to turn all the juice off just in case something goes awry.

So rather than paying an overpriced electrician $100 to come in and ease some of your burden, you play macho and try to download something online that would walk you step by step through your installation process. So you say to yourself, "how hard could it be? A few wires, a few snips, and then bingo, instance elegance!"

You can do that but I wouldn't recommend it. First, unless you're a trained and experiencd electrician, you could really hurt yourself. No, I mean really really hurt yourself.

Secondly, I have always operated under the principle of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." In other words, if you do mess up any of the electrical connections and circuitry in your house, think of how much you would spend to have a qualified electrician come and undo your damage. Probably more than $100.

Lastly, get the job done right the first time. Period. If he (or she) screws up, you bring him back to fix it. Simple. The electrician should have some sort of 30 day or 60 day guarantee. It's standard.

So, how do you find a good electrician? Ask your friends if they know someone. It's not necessary to get a union shop to take care of you, though that guy will probably know what he's doing because of all the training and experience he has. It'll cost you but it's probably worth it. Asking around will probably get you in contact with one or two. Otherwise, let your fingers do the walking or let your mouse do it for you.

Installing your new chandelier shouldn't cause you mental angst. But if you want the job done right, hire someone who will get it right the first time. You want to be able to enjoy your chandelier a bit.