How to Replace a Lamp Cord

Replacing a lamp's electrical cord is often easier and safer than repairing it. Repaired cords are more likely to have loose connections or bad splices, which can cause fires or shocks.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Putty Knife Or Screwdriver
• Plenty Of Blades And Utility Knives

1. Unplug the lamp. Remove the lamp shade and unscrew the lightbulb from the socket.

2. Unscrew or snap the socket from the lamp, using a screwdriver if necessary, to gently pry the socket-shell base from the socket shell.

3. Unscrew the two wires from the socket's bottom.

4. Pull the wires off the screws, and then pull the cord out of the lamp from the bottom.

5. Push the new electrical cord into the lamp from the bottom up. Push slowly and evenly to avoid getting the wire stuck, particularly if the lamp is long.

6. Pull through a section of the new cord once it appears at the top of the lamp; it should be long enough to work with comfortably, a foot or two.

7. Separate the cord's two wires with a razor blade or utility knife, cutting 2 to 4 inches down the cord's center.

8. Strip about 1 inch of insulation from the separated wire ends with a wire stripper. (Do not cut toward yourself, and take care not to pinch the palm of your hand.) Make sure there are no other nicks or cuts elsewhere on the cord.

9. Twist the ends of each exposed wire clockwise so they don't fray, then curl each into a small hook.

10. Place one hook over each screw in the socket, wrapping the wire in a clockwise direction (this will help ensure a snug fit under the screw).

11. Make sure the wires won't come into contact with each other, then tighten the screws.

12. Reassemble the lamp by first screwing in the socket. Then replace the bulb and shade.

Tips & Warnings

• When replacing a defective cord, also replace the plug (see 'eHow to Replace a Plug').
• It is potentially dangerous to work with electrical systems. If you are unsure about your abilities or about any aspect of the project, call an electrician (see "eHow to Hire an Electrician').

[wileycyote]

on 8/1/2009 The polarized plug that you mentioned must be connected so that the base of the light is connected to the larger or flared prong of the plug, while the center tab & any switch that controls the lamp is connected to the smaller prong. This is because, if you look at a wall outlet, notice that besides the u-shaped ground prong, 1 of the other 3 slots is slightly longer than the other. The shorter slot is the hot(or live) side of the circiut, while the longer slot is the neutral side of the circuit, which eventually connects to the ground at the main panel. For this reason, it's preferable that the base connect to the neutral, because when you screw in a lightbulb, part of it's base is exposed, creating a potential shock hazard if it were connected to the hot side of the circuit.

[viktor]

on 3/31/2009 How to replace a dimmer switch on a standing lamp (it has two bulbs and four wires) with a on/off switch?ThanksViktor

on 11/22/2005 The plug should be polarized, and the correct (+ or -) wire placed into the proper socket screw (one is brass color, one is steel color). This is to prevent the outside surface of the socket from being "hot".