How to Change Fluorescent Lighting to Pendant Lighting

Turn off the breaker at the main service panel that supplies electricity to the fluorescent lighting circuit.

Remove the fluorescent light cover and light bulbs. Squeeze the sides of the center ballast cover to release it from the metal tabs holding it to the fixture, and remove the cover. Untwist the wire connectors from the black, white and green ground wires and pull the wires apart to disconnect the fixture from the house wiring. Locate the screws holding the fluorescent fixture into the ceiling and remove them to detach the fixture.

Assemble your pendant light according to the manufacturer's directions. Locate the fixture crossbar included in your pendant light's mounting hardware. It's a flat metal bar about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide with a variety of holes drilled through it. Fasten the bar to the electrical ceiling box where your fluorescent fixture was attached, using the screws provided with the pendant mounting hardware.

Connect the black wire from the electrical ceiling box to the black wire from the pendant light by twisting an orange connector onto both wires. Repeat this connection for the white wire from the electrical ceiling box and the white wire from the pendant light. Connect the bare copper ground wire from the electrical ceiling box to the green ground wire from the pendant light by twisting another orange connector onto both wires.

Attach the pendant light to the electrical box using the screws provided with the pendant light's mounting hardware. Turn the breaker on at the main service panel to provide electricity to the pendant light circuit.