Rise and Fall Frequently Asked Questions

Rise and fall is a term used for lighting that can be pulled down over a table to focus light at a lower level to provide ambient lighting or pushed up when the light is needed more generally to light the room. I guess the effect is much like that of a dimmer switch. There are two main types of rise and fall suspensions. One, which is the more traditional kind, is a weighted pulley system. This works where a counter balanced weight where gravity is used to displace one weight with the other the shade and a ballast or waste at the other, basically this operates much as a child’s see-saw.

Using a Rise and fall pendant light over a kitchen island, or a breakfast bar is ideal location.

Rise and fall lights that are dimmable are available online here at the Lighting Company.

Make sure that you have dimmable LED bulbs and a suitable switch and you’re ready to go!

The difference in the ambience from the rise and fall being in a high position and on full brightness to a low position and dimmed is a wonder to behold. The lower setting is perfect for an intimate dinner party, where the walls disappear into the shadows to allow your dining table to be the star of the show.

The general rule of the clearance from the bottom of the shade is to have at least 2 metres and 10 cm (approximately 7 feet). Obviously, this can be lower if it’s positioned over a coffee table or another obstacle which ensures that it won’t get walked into.

If you’re placing them over a dining table, kitchen island or breakfast bar, we’d recommend a clearance of 76 to 86cm. Obviously, the point of a rise and fall is that you can raise and lower it, so the lowest we’d recommend when pulled down is around 55cm, or in line with the tallest person at the table. You don’t want a cosy dinner party and not be able to see eachother around the light!

Firstly, a health and safety reminder, that all lights should be installed by a competent person or electrician. It’s good to know that there is nothing different required electrically for these types of lights.

In practical terms, you do want to ensure you have a tall enough ceiling to allow the free movement of the light being raised and lowered. Most lights can be shortened but rise and fall differ, as shortening them can effect balance or range of movement. Generally speaking, rooms with low ceiling heights are not suitable for rise and fall lighting, as much of the benefit of being able to raise and lower the light shade are lost.

As rise and fall lights are balanced by the weight, it’s not a good idea to change the shade. On a counterweight type of rise and fall the shade and ballast weight need to be the same.

On a recoil mechanism, the curly cable types of rise and fall, there is a tension adjustment in the ceiling rose. To change the shade, you’d also adjust tension which means you are messing about where the electrics are connect. Ensure you switch off the power supply at the fuse board before attempting this. We’d advise against changing shades – it can be done on most, but not all light fittings. Take plenty of care and we’d advise consulting an electrician.

Curly cable fittings that are normally fixed to the ceiling and pulled straight down, the action allows the cable to move freely. If mounting on a slope, it will cause stress and rubbing on the cable, causing breakage over time.

With counter balance rise and fall lights, you’ll encounter the same issue, as the cable runs through a wheel at the ceiling rose. if mounted at an angle this would not allow the cable to be positioned on the wheel as it should.

We would recommend to avoid using rise and fall lights on a sloped ceiling.

Yes – you can! The cheapest style of rise and fall light is the recoiled cable designs. These tend to look more modern, so if you have a traditional home, you should probably save up to invest in one which is more inkeeping with your home. That said, did you know that we offer PayPal credit on our site, where you can split the payments over 3 months?