Rewiring A Lamp Plug

How to wire a new plug safely.

Rewiring a lamp plug.

New plugs should only be attached to new or undamaged cords. If it is the neutral wire will be indicated by ribbed insulation a white stripe white. Once it is unplugged take the lamp to a hardware store to determine what type of cord and plug will suit it best. Check whether the cord is polarized.

Either purchase a diy lamp socket kit or purchase the following. If the cord and plug fail either test rewire the lamp. Illustration by steve stankiewicz. Always unplug a lamp before attempting any repairs.

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. Maintain the correct hot and neutral electrical paths from the outlet to the light bulb. 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. Cut off the old plug with a wire cutter stripper.

Properly wired plug and lamp socket. Gather the necessary materials for your lamp. Strip the ends of the new cord and twist the strands clockwise. The prongs on the plug may have corroded and the switch may not operate correctly.

Wrap electrical tape around the connection. 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. Changing plugs for large appliances can be complicated so amateurs should change only lamp radio clock or other small appliance plugs. Tighten wires under screw heads and clip off any excess uninsulated conductor before you plug in lamp.

Step 1 overview diagram for rewiring a lamp. Try the old cord to the new. At the top of the lamp hook the ends of the old and new cords together.