Rewiring A Lamp Plug

Each lamp cord is made of 2 wires stuck together.

Rewiring a lamp plug.

Properly wired plug and lamp socket. New plugs should only be attached to new or undamaged cords. A zinc plated nipple about 8 inches 20 cm long light bulb lamp cord lamp base plug lampshade socket socket cap harp knurl washer and a rubber washer. Now that you know how to rewire a lamp we ll shed some light in the next section on how to replace an incandescent fixture.

Illustration by steve stankiewicz. Once it is unplugged take the lamp to a hardware store to determine what type of cord and plug will suit it best. Always unplug a lamp before attempting any repairs. Cut off the old plug with a wire cutter stripper.

To install a self clamping plug 1 cut off the cord at a right angle near the old plug or further up if there is cord damage. If it is the neutral wire will be indicated by ribbed insulation a white stripe white. Changing plugs for large appliances can be complicated so amateurs should change only lamp radio clock or other small appliance plugs. Check whether the cord is polarized.

The prongs on the plug may have corroded and the switch may not operate correctly. Step 1 overview diagram for rewiring a lamp. Try the old cord to the new. If the cord and plug fail either test rewire the lamp.

Head to your local hardware store or visit an online supplier. Tighten wires under screw heads and clip off any excess uninsulated conductor before you plug in lamp. At the top of the lamp hook the ends of the old and new cords together. Replacing a plug and rewiring electronics.

How to wire a new plug safely. Either purchase a diy lamp socket kit or purchase the following. Strip the ends of the new cord and twist the strands clockwise.