Pendant Lights vs Chandeliers
Light fixtures are an underrated way to decorate your home. The way each lamp throws light, and the way each shade fits into the decor, make rooms look more complete. Pendant lights and chandeliers, in particular, serve as gorgeous accents.
But “gorgeous” quickly loses its allure if that light fixture is difficult to maintain. When you have a choice between a pendant light and a chandelier, which one is going to be easier to handle?
What Is a Pendant Light?
A pendant light is one that hangs down from the ceiling with the bulb encased in a shade or some other type of covering. These lights usually have a long chain or rod extending down from the ceiling to the shade; nothing goes out to the sides. And there’s usually just one bulb. There are pendant lights that have multiple bulbs.
However, the bulbs are usually grouped together under the shade or structure. This gives the overall impression that they’re meant to function as one bulb. Bulbs in pendant lights usually point with the light down and the base up.
The shades/structures don’t have to be opaque. Some pendant lights have “shades” that are mostly open, and you can see the bulb easily. The chain or rod is often plain, although it can have a little decoration and still count as a pendant light.
The pendant part really refers to the overall shape. The light should make you think of a pendant necklace or a pendulum, where one object rests at the end of a longer connector.
Also, pendants don’t have to be by themselves. You’ll often see pendants in rows or groupings, and they’re fairly versatile. You can use them in dining areas and living rooms. Smaller pendant lights are great as spotlights for work areas like kitchen counters that extend into the middle of the room.
Pendants don’t really work in those rooms where you need more utilitarian light and headspace, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, and bedrooms.
What Is a Chandelier?
A chandelier also hangs down from the ceiling, but these fixtures usually have arms extending outward from a central column to form a ring. Bulbs in a chandelier usually point up, rather than down like they do in pendant lights. Chandeliers can be very simple and plain, or they can be incredibly ornate, with multiple layers of lights and crystals.
Chandeliers usually hang by themselves. Because they always have multiple bulbs, there’s no need to install multiple chandeliers in one average room. These lights are meant for show. Obviously, a nice pendant light or group of pendant lights make wonderful decorations, but a chandelier is made to be seen.
Chandeliers work in rooms like dining rooms/dinettes, living rooms and foyers with tall ceilings, where you want light to scatter and spread. Note that these are spaces where you impress people socially if you throw a party, and you wouldn’t really use a chandelier over a kitchen counter.
How Do You Maintain and Clean a Pendant Light?
Pendant lights are usually easy to maintain because you can take a dust cloth and run it down the length of the central rod or chain, and then over the shade. Chains are more difficult to clean than rods, simply because chains have more small openings that are harder to dust. If you happen to have a more decorative pendant light that has a lot of detail, compressed air is a great cleaner.
If the light becomes dirty (and not just dusty), cleaning is still generally simple. For glass, metal and plastic, a mild cleaner or a rag dampened with a little mild soap mixed with water should be enough.
You do want to turn the light off when you clean, and you do want to wipe the light dry. If the shade is made of fabric, then a handheld vacuum is a better choice than a dust cloth. You’ll also need to look at the type of fabric to choose an appropriate cleaner for stains.
What’s Involved in Maintaining a Chandelier?
Chandelier maintenance depends on how ornate the light is. Plain chandeliers, where maybe you have some metal rods extending out with bulbs at the end, could be treated like pendants in terms of cleaning. Ornate chandeliers, with crystals and all the trimmings, would need much more care and time. You’d have to dust all those crystals, remember.
One big issue that affects mainly chandeliers, but that can also affect pendants, is height and safety. You might need a stepstool or ladder to reach all parts of each light. For plainer lights, a dust cloth at the end of a telescoping handle could work. But for ornate lights, especially those high up in tall foyers in multistory homes, you’ll need to be very careful about safety if you have to stand on a ladder.
The Verdict: Which Is Easier to Maintain?
Overall, a pendant light is likely easier to maintain, simply because these lights tend to be plainer and tend to be in areas that are easier to reach. However, the overall ease of cleaning really depends on a number of factors.
A plain metal chandelier over a dining room table might be simpler to clean than an ornate pendant with a delicate fabric shade. You can think of any number of scenarios to make one light easier to clean than another. The best thing to do is look at different styles for the specific areas where you need light, and decide from there.
Good Maintenance Starts With Proper Installation
Of course, any maintenance is going to be more difficult if you don’t install the fixture correctly. If you’re in Niceville, FL, Mister Sparky’s electricians can install your new light fixtures for you.
And if you have questions about how to maintain different types of lights, ask away! We want you to have lighting that makes each room stand out. Give us a call now to find out more about our light fixture installation services.
