Can I replace this with a pedant?

[TheMorrigan76]

Right so that I'm asking may indicate I'm not very electrically minded!

We have this light fitting in our living room - yes that's a kraken disco ball - but we want to replace it with the IKEA PS 2014.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ikea-ps-2014-pendant-lamp-white-copper-colour-10311488/

I'm not sure is our current light is a glorified pendant / ceiling rose. Should it be straight forward enough to wire?

[Seeingadistance]

Pendant.

[TheMorrigan76]

Great - so should be fairly straightforward if we unscrew it and rewire it?

[StarbucksSmarterSister]

Get an electrician.

[Seeingadistance]

Sorry for being a pedant. Couldn’t resist!

I’m not an electrician, but think it should be easy enough to change the light fitting. I’d get an electrician to do it, as I’m scared of messing up things like that and setting the house on fire.

[HeddaGarbled]

You could but you’d get fed up with the nit-picking after a while.

[ThisIsBigMoon]

There is a full thread of pedants. Some of them is bound to be an electrician. Otherwise an easy job for an electrician.

Apologies. It was too easy.

[TheMorrigan76]

Oh, sorry! It's midnight. PeNDant. In my defense I wrote it correctly in my OP, if not the title

[TheMorrigan76]

I'm skint so would prefer to do it myself if possible - though if I feck it up I will defer to the higher power.

[MrsWooster]

That should be a straightforward swap. Make sure the screws through the base plate are good and strong-into a joist-for when you pull down in the new fitting...

[TheMorrigan76]

I've got a suspension plate with a hook from B and Q as had read that it was pretty impossible to fit without one!

[DramaAlpaca]

I don't think that would be too difficult. I'd probably make DH tackle it. Just make sure you turn off the socket at the fuse box before you touch it.

Disclaimer - I'm not an electrician, but I've watched DH change light fittings and he's not an electrician either, just quite handy.

[Tombakersscarf]

This made me very happy

[Rollercoaster1920]

Should be fairly straightforward. Switch off electric at fuse board. Test electric is off, then remove light. If you are lucky the ikea light will is the same holes in the ceiling, but I expect you'll need to drill a new one. Make sure it is into a joist to provide strength.

The new light looks like it'll hang quite low. Do you have enough headroom there to walk under?

[TitusP]

Very much not an electrician but when we wanted to replace a light with that exact Ikea light we unscrewed the old light to find it had three wires and the Ikea light only had space for 2. We had no idea what to do so got an electrician. Might be something to consider.

[SoupDragon]

It is fairly straightforward (I've done it many times) but if you are at all unconfident, get an electrician to do it.

Always, always turn the power to the lights off at the fuse box first.

[SoupDragon]

we unscrewed the old light to find it had three wires and the Ikea light only had space for 2.

The third one would be the earth wire. Very important for metal light fittings.

[PigletJohn]

the thing attached to the ceiling is called a ceiling rose. It has more wires in it than you might have expected. Some of them are live even when the light switch is "off" so you must turn off the power at the Consumer Unit before you start and until the job is successfully completed.

There are probably about three cables going into the rose, each with three cores; plus another three in the flex. If you have two-way switching from different ends of the room, as also used in halls and landings, there will be more cables and more cores.

You will need a small and a medium electrician's scredriver, preferably the insulated type marked "VDE" which have a hard plastic cover on the metal screwdriver blade to prevent you touching it. Like this but you don't have to buy a set If you have a neon screwdriver, smash it with a hammer and throw it in the bin as it is untrustworthy. You can buy a digital multimeter for around £12 if you like.

Before disconnecting anything take a photo of the way the wires are connected and preferably mark them with dots from a permanent marking pen so you can put each of them back where they were. It is very common for householders to make a mistake that turns the fitting into a fuse-blowing device.

With luck you will only have to remove the three cores of the flex that runs down to your lamp.

After turning off the power, you can unscrew the round cover by hand, and photograph what you find, then screw the cover back on and post the photo here.

Like everything else, it is ludicrously simple when you know how; and impossible when you don't. But if you decide to use an electrician instead of DIY, ask around for personal recommendations (not advertisements on paid-for websites masquerading as recommendations) and verify that they are qualified members of a self-certification scheme that you can check online.

[PigletJohn]

Oooops

I see the set I linked has Phillips screwdrivers, so was probably intended for the American market which still uses 1950's tech.

Here in Europe we use Pozidriv which is different.

[SallySun123]

Depends on the age of the fitting. We live in a 60s house and many of the (original) light fittings were not earthed. No RCDs in the fuseboard either. If it’s old then get an electrician in.

[redwoodmazza]

My son had an Ikea PS 2014 in the flat he bought in July!!!! It wasn't to his taste and I sold it [very cheaply] on Gumtree. The ceiling rose that comes with it accommodates any extra cable that isn't needed when you adjust the drop.
Good luck!

[TheMorrigan76]

Have tried to do it but it comes on and goes straight off again! Have checked the wires and can't see what's wrong!

[PigletJohn]

I think I can see two grey-sheathed cables, each with three cores. Is that right? Because I think I can see three red cores, which doesn't match.

Does it trip the breaker the moment you turn the power on?

Did you photograph and mark them before starting work?

Have you got a multimeter?

[TheMorrigan76]

Got it working- our crap old wiring just can't cope with led bulbs over about 6w. So we have a semi useless light.

[PigletJohn]

I don't understand that.

[Pppppickupapenguin]

You could but you’d get fed up with the nit-picking after a while.