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How to Rewire A Table Lamp
Find out how to rewire a favorite lamp by reading this informative article!
Lamps are not cheap to buy. They can cost quite a bit of money out of your pocket. So, when your lamp fails to work properly anymore, it will probably cost a lot less to simply fix whatever is wrong with it instead of replacing the entire lamp.
If the lamp will not light up, check to make sure it is plugged into a wall socket. If it still does not work, check to make sure it has a good working bulb in its socket. If it has, then the next step is to check your electrical panel box to make sure the breaker which supplies the electricity to the lamp has not tripped. If this still does not remedy the problem, then check the plug of the lamp along with the entire cord. The prongs on the plug should be straight and unbent. If the prongs are slightly bent, you can straighten them back out by using pliers and your fingers. Be sure to bend the metal slowly and carefully so you do not break off one or both of the prongs. The lamp can and should work even if the prongs of the plug are bent, but they should be straight. Check the plug to see if there are any dark or burnt spots where it might have sparked at some time. If so, then it is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced immediately. Also check the entire cord of the lamp and look for frayed or worn spots. A frayed cord can cause the lamp to short out, spark, and flicker. And, most importantly, it is very unsafe.
Before you do any work whatsoever on the lamp, be sure to unplug the lamp cord from its power source. Then if you need to replace the plug, most plugs nowadays snap on and off. Purchase a new plug--make sure it is compatible with the existing plug by--and follow the manufacturer's instructions on putting it onto a new lamp. If the plug is not the problem, and you need to replace the cord, then you will need to remove the lampshade and the shade holder first. Now, go to the other end of the lamp and carefully remove the cover of the lamp base. There is usually a nut screwed on the bottom of the lamp. Unscrew this and slide the wire holder out part ways. Now, carefully unscrew the lamp socket and remove the outer casing as well as the inner insulated sleeve. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the actual socket and remove it too. Remember to pay attention which wire is attached to which terminal. That is, the hot wire will be connected to the brass screw and the neutral wire will be attached to the silver screw.
Your next step is to remove the old lamp plug and splice the ends of the old cord to the new cord so you can feed the new cord completely through the length of the lamp holder. Now, remove the old cord and divide the top end of the new cord down a couple of inches. Use wire strippers and strip off about a half inch of the wire covering. Now is the time to either install a new socket if the old one is shot, or you can simply reinstall the old socket back into the lamp. Attach the wires and replace the insulated sleeve and then the outer casing back onto the lamp. Remember--the ridged wire is the neutral wire. It gets attached to the silver terminal. The second wire is the hot wire, and it gets attached to the brass terminal. Retighten the nut at the base of the lamp and replace the bottom cover and your lamp should be back in business!
Teach you how to rewire a table lamp.
Keywords
Table Lamp
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