Wiring a Lamp - Wire a Lamp Socket
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
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Wiring a lamp is an easy do it yourself project.
Replacing the socket, cord and plug on a lamp is an easy, do-it-yourself project.
On new lamps, if the socket is not working, it is a simple fix to just replace this part. For old or antique lamps, replacing the cord and plug as well as the socket will create a safe and dependable light source. The insulating layer on old cords can become brittle and crack as it ages, creating a shock or fire hazard.
I cover the steps on wiring a lamp by replacing the socket, cord and plug.
Always unplug the cord from the outlet before you wire a lamp. - Jak na to + styl
Fantastic tutorial. Clear, easy to follow instructions. No extraneous talking. Video is tight, focused on the steps. Well done.
Glad it was helpful
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I suffered through several videos to find one that taught what I needed. Thank you.
Everybody like this, so it appears higher in the YT algorithm.
You're welcome
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Thank you; that underwriter's knot is sweet!
You're welcome.
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Before this video, I didn't think A/C lamps cared which wire attached to which connector. However, since I'm planning to use LED bulbs, any diodes/electronic controls involved could be destroyed. Glad to find out about the ribbed/smooth wire and silver/brass screws. Would be good know know if the electricians have a mnemonic to remember that configuration.
Thank you!!! Among the various CZcams videos covering this topic, yours definitely seems to be the most accurate and complete. Really appreciate the help!
Thanks.
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Thank you for such a great video! I'm planning to electrify several old oil lamps and have been searching videos for good, simple, straight forward information. Yours is one of the best.
Jean Louise Kennedy Thanks.I have more tips on our weekly podcast itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fix-it-home-improvement/id880903087?mt=2
This is a good tutorial. Some I've watched do not use the old cord as a lead for the new cord to be pulled through the lamp body. They show a simple lamp where you can just pull the old cord out and shove the new one through. In most of the lamps of repaired this is not the case. You need that old cord to be the "leader"! Thank you for showing that simple solution to everyone.
Thanks.
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This helped sooooo much. I was checking the wires themselves for smooth and rigged. It never said anywhere in the manual to look at the thing covering the copper wire itself. I almost shocked myself doing them backwards. Thanks so much for this video. It took forever to find a decent one on CZcams. Bless the Internet.
You're welcome.
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Blurry video (of course it's from 11 years ago), but instructions are so clear and very easy to follow. Thank you very much.
You are welcome
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Thank you! Your directions were very thorough! I rewired a lamp that I was going to throw away using an old cracked lamp I found by the dumpster. It works and I don't need to purchase another lamp set!
Great. Glad I could help.
Appreciate the minutiae on this video (AND your FB page & Podcasts) ! Once again you've saved me. You are one of the few who know, its the little tips and how-to's stuff (which others considered not worth mentioning, or assume we know how to do thus and such), that can make or break whether we can successfully complete a project, after watching a DIY video !
MaxiesGal Thanks. Glad it was helpful.
I bought the most beautiful lamp at Home goods, looked high and low for a second one with no luck. Imagine my dismay when I get home and the light doesn't work, bad switch. I bought the kit and did the replacement. Voila perfect! Thank you! It's the second time I have used your video to wire a beloved lamp. I especially love the safety feature of the knot. Other videos do not have this!
gaia butterfly I'm glad it helped you out.We have more tips on our weekly podcast itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fix-it-home-improvement/id880903087?mt=2
This is so perfect! Just bought two vintage lamps yesterday and now I'm confident that I can rewire them both safely. Thank you!!!!
I know its like 7 years ago since you wrote this comment but.... did you survive? 😄😉
@@lizc1417 great to hear. haha will do.
Thank you so much! I replaced the socket in a lamp that's been broken for years! My husband is so impressed!
Glad I could help
FIX IT Home Improvement Channel m!!!@?””900000 yüp it
Thanks man - this helped me wire my first lamp socket EVER when I bought a hanging lantern-thingy. Much appreciated, great instruction.
+Samuel Johnson Thanks.
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Great video! You're a great teacher!
I like that you're using an older lamp, really showing how to do everything from A to Z.
Thanks!
😊
Easy to understand, even I redid lamp socket. Thank you.
You're welcome.
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Your Instructional Video is Awesome!!! Best of the Best !!!!
Glad it was helpful
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Thanks for great detail in video and narration. I had wired to two bottom screws (one was black) and blew a breaker. The three screws were new to me and this video was clear on how to wire the ribbed line correctly
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Just what I was looking for, thank you!
Thanks so much, great information and instructions! New wiring works perfectly.
Glad it helped
Terrific video, thanks. Great to know about both the 'Underwriter's Knot' and the need to "press hard and twist out" the top part of the socket shell in order to separate the two halves -- often the most challenging part of the project, I've found! In fact, whenever I can, I now use the slightly more expensive sockets that use a threaded collar to connect the two halves instead of that poorly conceived 'push 'n' click' system.
Also, I've learned through trial and error that the 'pull-through' trick works much better when you strip-away about 1" of insulation on both the old wire and the new one, and then knot the two pairs of wires together instead of just twisting them and using electrical tape, which needlessly adds bulk to the wires and increases the likelihood of them getting stuck and/or coming apart, given how narrow, rough, and grimy those old threaded tubes often are.
Also, as long as the wire isn't some kind of 'vintage fabric', it helps to wipe the new wire with a little vaseline or mineral oil to help it slide (making sure to wipe it off once it's through, of course). But we all have our own ways of doing things, so whatever works, right?
Thanks again for the tips and your wonderfully clear step-by-step instructions.
+Martin Allen Great tips. Thanks!
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@@FIXITHomeImprovementChannel Just downloaded this through Kindle Unlimited! Thank you!
Great video and instructions. Thank you so much!
You're welcome.
We have more home improvement tips on our weekly podcast castbox.fm/u/6389499.
Excellent video and meticulously tutorial! Thanks to you, I'm able to fix my lamp.
Binh Minh Pham Thanks.
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Great video, so nice to encounter an tutorial without music. Could you do a video on converting a plug-in table lamp to a battery powered lamp? Thank you :)
I'm doing a development project and this is very useful, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
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Hi,
Thanks, glad it helped.
+Anthony Bruno Hi, we are reworking the website. It should be up soon.
I love that lamp!!
Great thing to check first!
Thanks, I will put it in the video.
Thank you! I'm making a new lamp but the directions really don't do any good for me. I really needed to see what to do step by step! Many thank yous! I will check out more of your videos!
Hi, you should always try to have the socket polarized for safety. What parts are you changing? If just the socket, you can mark the plug to which side you will plug into your wall outlet on the small slot. This is your hot side. Follow this side of the wire to the socket and attach it to the gold screw. If the screw is not gold, find the screw that is attached to the center contact tab inside the socket. You can also use a continuity tester to trace the wire to the plug and mark it hot.
Thank you
Thank you! I was able to re-wire an old floor lamp that had a great deal of sentimental value to me but was starting to scare me.
After a little bit of drama with the thickness of the wire I'd purchased (my hardware only had 18/2 lamp wire and I didn't know the difference anyway - needed another trip to return the plug and buy one that would accommodate the thickness) I was successful - you provide all the little steps that someone like me doesn't just know in a clear, concise manner. Your little trick for pulling the new wire through using the old one was really helpful too.
I was a bit bummed that I couldn't re-use the old socket as it has threads at the end that the lampshade screws onto (and I have no idea where to get a new one like that) but I'm pretty sure the disintegrated cardboard in the socket was the source of the sparks! Maybe someday I'll find a tutorial on how to re-insulate that old socket :)
Glad it was helpful.
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You can try using the cardboard, or even many parts of any NEW socket to repair yours.
Thank you thank you thank you! Great video!
thank you for the help. I. couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. now my lamp works.
+Sparky ily Great.
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Nice lamps. I’d suggest ditching the fork spade connectors and wire the socket straight using the industry standard UL knot on the lamp cord for safety purposes.
Glad I could help.
Glad it was helpful
Very informative… thank you.
You're welcome
I'm now confident I'll be able to do this and you're a good instructor! I'll probably have to watch another one just for good measure though because the detail is a bit fuzzy here (480 resolution) and I don't want to electrocute myself. 😅
Hi, feel free to email me at fixitpodcast@gmail.com with any questions.
Great video!! Lots of good info! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful
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Great, thanks.
Hi,
By having the smooth wire connected to the brass screw, you are safely connecting the socket. When you turn off the switch, no electric is passing to the metal inside the socket. If you wire the hot to the silver screw, the switch will turn off the bulb, but the inside of the socket will have electric passing to it. If you stick your finger into the socket, it becomes a shock hazard and dangerous. Always wire it smooth wire to brass and ribbed wire to silver. Narrow blade to the brass screw.
Initially I had the ribbed and smooth wires swapped. With this video, you made it so I don't accidentally kill myself with electricity. Thank you!
Thanks for the video! I have extra extension cords that already have the plug attached. Can they be used in place of lamp wire?
Hi,
Yes, lamp wire is thinner than an extension cord. You are looking for 18 gauge wire. You can get a kit at your hardware store that has the plug attached, or you can get the wire and add a plug to the end.
Thank you!
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Thank you :)
I went to the link you provide and could not find anything to do with other situations of wiring.
UGH! Maybe it was obvious to everyone else but me, but maybe a little note to put the harp base on BEFORE screwing on the base of the new socket. I completely forgot about it and now I shall be starting over. Everything else was great.
You're welcome
There are two types of 18 ga wire SPT-1 and SPT-2. The difference is the insulation on the STPT-2 is much thicker. And it will not fit into a 1/8” pipe thread that’s 1/4” inside diameter. Just take a piece of the old wire with you when you go to buy the wire and purchase the correct one.
Ok I have a 3 way lamp with a light in the bottom of the lamp I have 4 wires going to the light socket with 3 places to hook the wires up at can you help
Thanks
You're welcome.
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I have a question i can't seem to find an answer to.
Would it be okay to wire two/four of these into one plug.
If i ran 2 i would like to aim for
96-200 watts
If i ran 4 i would like to aim for 196- 400 watts
I have a lamp with a chain...the wire & insulation is the same color, the screws are the same color. the plug prongs are the exact same size. Is this an indication that it does not matter which wire is connected to the screws?
Hi, Thank you for this video! It was super helpful. I got the socket switched out perfectly on one table lamp and then proceeded to swap the socket on an identical lamp. The 2nd lamp isn't working now. Any suggestions on what I should look for or how to troubleshoot this? I took the sockets off our previous table lamps and transferred them to new lamps because we liked the switch mechanism better on the previous lamps. Both sets of lamps worked before the swap. Thanks!
E Milmont Hi, if you have a multimeter, you can check for continuity from the plugs to the ends of the wires to make sure the wire and plug is good. You can then test the screws on the socket to the tab and inside of the socket to check to see if the switch is working. Let me know if that helps.
FIX IT Home Improvement Channel Hi, Just wanted to let you know that I tested the continuity and everything looked good. Turns out the connection to the bulb had gotten flattened out a little and wasn't hitting. We just bumped that up a little with a screwdriver and voila. Magic :) Thanks so much, I learned a lot!
E Milmont You're welcome.
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E Milmont I
thnx
I'm trying to fix my lamp and I'm to the point to where I need to put the wires on the silver and Brass screws. But I don't have a wire that's ribbed and a wire that smooth. They both feel the same way to me. Scared if I put it the wrong way I will shock myself. These are the same wires that were originally in the lamp. The reason I'm having to put them back on the screws as my large dog knocked my lamp over so hard that the wires came off. Just trying to get the wires back on.
Hi, if you use a multi-meter, you can test for continuity. Use the probes and touch one to the small blade on the plug, this is your hot and find which wire it is connected to. If you don't have a tester, your local hardware store would probably test the wire for you.
What are those wires called because I got shocked by those and I want to know what will happen to me
Great! Very helpful, but I wish it didn't end so abruptly. But thank you
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What if we accidentally cut some of the metal part of the wire? Can I still use it or do I needa cut that off and strip more of it?
Hi, you can email me with pictures to fixitpodcast@gmail.com.
I had just changed my socket on the table lamp. Put it together, put a light in it & turned it on. It works, but then I watched this video...I don't know which wire I put where. Does it matter? Would it work if wired up backwards?
Hi, yes it will work if it is wired in reverse, but it could be a shock hazard. You want the hot wire going to the brass screw and the neutral wire going to the silver screw.
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Ok, thanks for getting back to, really appreciate it
many lamps i like that r sold in stores only allow 40 or 15 watt light bulbs, but i need it to be much brighter like 100 watt light bulbs, should i buy a new base & replace that only? do i need to replace the wires & plug too?
***** Hi, you can use a 26 watt CFL. That will give off the same light as a 100 watt bulb. You can also get a torch style light that will allow a higher watt bulb. Let me know if that helps.
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If you look inside your light socket it will tell you what it is rated for. Most standard sockets are rated up to 250w and 250v. Meaning it will work in Europe if you just add an adapter. In other words, don't listen to the sticker. Its a sticker made by a manufacturer enforced by a lobbyist. THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO SUE. For instance, your cat gets tangled in the wires, it falls over, bulb breaks, the fresh whiskey stain on the carpet catches fire, and your house burns down. Well, we told her to use only a 40w bulb and not anything more, not our fault. You think the whiskey stain and the 110v coming out of the wall knows about the sticker. Trust how fast the engine will perform, not how fast the dealer suggests. The dealer didn't build the engine! BAM!
Could you reuse a plug from a newer lamp that you are getting rid of and attach it to the wire?
Yes
I successfully followed your instructions, but I'm still wondering one thing from your video example and from my own work. How does the shallow metal cup (the "base" of the socket) have enough room to hold the Underwriter's knot and extra inches of cord while still allowing the switch to seat in it sufficiently when the sleeve of the socket is snapped into place?
Hi, you may have to adjust the length of the wire going to the screw terminals, but this is how it is designed. You will have enough room.
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Thanks for the response. It DID work for me on the first try, I just didn't understand how that shallow cup magically accommodated the switch base, the knot and the extra bit of wire!
Magical! I will use that from now on.
XD cool, have a nice weekend.
You too. Thanks
Hi!
I'm using exactly that fitting for a ceiling light. Your video is really helpful but you don't appear to have an earth/ground wire.
There doesn't appear to be a terminal for the earthing/grounding wire. Can I ignore it or do I have to do something with it?
Thanks
+James Dunn-Williamson Hi, for a ceiling light you should have a ground. In the video I did, we are in the Chicago area using conduit. The metal conduit runs from the box back to the service panel and grounds the box, when you screw into the box you are grounded. Most wiring in Chicago and Seattle don't use a ground wire because of this.
If you are using non-metallic cable you would want to ground the light with the bare ground wire.
+FIX IT Home Improvement Channel
Sorry I'm writing from the UK. There is a ground wire in the ceiling and the cable I am attaching it to also has a ground wire. The actual lightbulb holder (the same as the one in the above video,) doesn't appear to have a grounding terminal so what should I do with the grounding cable?
Hi, In most ceiling lights that we use here in the US have a screw or wire lead for the ground. Many lights have metal that could be a shock hazard. The light will work fine without the ground, you just won't have the extra safety that grounding gives you. You can cap off the ground and tuck it in the box.
+FIX IT Home Improvement Channel
Thanks!
+James Dunn-Williamson You're welcome. Let me know how it turns out.
We have more tips in our home improvement book www.amazon.com/dp/B013YR9UOC.
Help please! Is lamp wire different (thinner) than using an extension cord wire? I did the worst thing. I pulled the old wire out. Now I can't get the extension cord wire thru the post. It's way to tightt.
I know this is 9 years old, but maybe it will help someone else. Try running a stiff string, or a flexible wire through, and then pulling the cord through.
Hi there!
I hope it's not too late to ask a question? I'm a little confused by one step. You twisted the ends of the old and new wire together, taped them, and then pulled them up through the lamp...but then cut off the old wire completely? So did you untwist them at that point? Why did you twist them together if you were just going to cut the old wire off--why not just tape them together to pull up through the lamp? (Or was the twisting done just so the connection was secure enough to withstand the force of pulling them up?)
This was SUCH a great, helpful video, though, thank you so much!
Hi, I was taught lamp repair by an older gentleman at one of my hardware stores. This is how he taught me. You could just tape the wire together and pull it through if you have room.
@@FIXITHomeImprovementChannel Oh, thank you so much! So I'm right, then, that it's not necessary to making the lamp work properly but is just for safety/habit/Best Practice?
And after you pulled the wires through the lamp, you just untwisted/cut off and discarded the old one, and the two wires you then connected to the socket were the "original" ends of the new wire (in other words, there was no other prep needed to the new wire, and you didn't do anything else to the ends before connecting them to the socket--you just untwisted or cut off the old wire, right)?
Sorry if it's a silly question, it's just that a lot of DIY videos tend to assume you know how to do some of the steps, so, like, the narrator will pick up a part and say, "First, prepare the sneezleborg for scrimping," and then there will be a cut and they'll say, "Now that that's done, let's wind the zunderbat," or whatever, and I'm sitting there wondering exactly how they prepared the sneezleborg and what I'm supposed to do! Obviously you don't do that sort of thing, so thank you, but I wanted to make sure.
I'm actually a pretty experienced DIYer, but electrical/wiring is the one area I've never gotten into before. I'm very excited to get started now!
my bedroom lamp has a nite light in the bottom part then the regular light on top but the bottom nite light has stoped working i replaced the bulb but then noticed that there is a black wire loose inside the bottom need to know where this connects
delores davis Hi, on a lamp with a night light, there is an extra screw terminal on the socket. Unplug the lamp and take apart the socket and you should find the screw. Let me know if this helps.
Hi, I used Mom's tools for this video. I use Gardner Bender electrical screwdrivers for most my work, but whatever gets the job done. We have more tips on our weekly podcast www.stitcher.com/s?eid=36290220&refid=stpr
My socket key spins but won’t click. How do I fix that??
Hi, are the threads too big or stripped? If you take off the key, will the threaded rod click?
But how to remove if the old socket does not have screws connecting wires?
Hi, you can email me with pictures to fixitpodcast@gmail.com.
I'm so confused about the hot and neutral wire. Both wires seemed smooth when I touch em. Is there another way to see which is which. I have got the lamp all opened up but stuck at this. Plz help:(
Mariam Hi, you can use a multimeter and test for continuity. Touch one of the leads to the narrow blade on your plug and then test the wires. You will find the hot wire. The narrow blade is hot, the wide blade is neutral. If you don't have one, take it to your local hardware store, they should be able to test it for you.
The only other way is to take out the wire from the lamp and trace the wire coming from the narrow blade of the plug. Mark this one to go to the brass screw. Let me know if that helps.
FIX IT Home Improvement Channel I got it. Thank you!! You saved my lamp. Excellent video and extremely helpful.
Great.
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The narrow blade with the smooth covering is hot. The narrow slot in an outlet is hot. The wide a lot is neutral.
+Orlando Holwerda You're welcome.
I've been looking for like ten minutes but I don't see or feel any difference between the two wires
Oh, nevermind 😂😂😂
Didn't work for me - the slot was too narrow to pull a new cord through
disable closed captioning
the black wire is coming off the switch
You almost know the cord trick. However, wiring both leads and wrapping in tape is way to bulky for most antique rods. The older rods tend to be narrow. I won't tell you how, b/c its how i make a living, but use your imagination. You break off enough cord in an arm and you'll figure it out. That being said, you have one of the better videos. Good Job.
+Lamp Man (Calloway's) Thanks
+Lamp Man (Calloway's) Drop me a line at fixitpodcast@gmail.com. Would love to get any tips you have. Thanks, Jacy
Did everything with a new cord and socket but light is not turning on. ...grr something is wrong with one of the new parts I'm guessing...back for a refund...
Just sayin when you have redone this four time and it STILL doesn't work,, you may want to make sure the brand new bulb isn't dead!!!!! Frustrating!!!!!!!!