How to Convert a Plug-in Lamp to Hard Wire
If you have a specific place where you want to put your favorite table or floor lamp but you need the nearest electrical outlet to power other electronics, you might be thinking of possible alternatives for providing power for your lamp. Although a power strip would a simple solution, you might not want the distraction of a power strip on your floor. Hard-wiring the lamp to an electrical circuit can provide power without the need for a power strip.
Step 1
Cut the plug from the lamp cord with wire cutters. Remove 3 inches of insulating plastic from both strands of the cord with wire strippers. Wrap a section of electrical tape around the wire that was connected to the wider prong of the plug -- this is the neutral wire.
Step 2
Turn off the main power supply to the home to avoid electrical shock while hard-wiring the lamp. Remove the screw from the electrical outlet cover with a screwdriver and set the outlet cover and screw aside.
Step 3
Drill a 1/4-inch hole in the drywall, above the floor molding and beneath the electrical outlet, with a drill. Thread the lamp cord through the hole and up the wall into the punch-out hole in the bottom of the outlet box.
Step 4
Remove the electrical tape from the neutral wire and wrap it around the white wire in the electrical box. Screw a wire nut over the connection and wrap electrical tape around any remaining exposed section of the neutral wire.
Step 5
Connect the remaining wire to the black wire in the electrical outlet with a wire nut. Wrap electrical tape around any remaining exposed wiring.
Step 6
Replace the outlet cover by tightening the screw with a screwdriver. Turn on the power supply to your home to test the electrical connection.
References
- The Complete Guide to Wiring, Fifth Edition; Editors of Creative Publishing International
Tips
- Feed a piece of string through the knock-out hole in the bottom electrical box if you have difficulty threading the lamp cord up to the box. Pull the string through the 1/4-inch hole with needle-nose pliers and tie it to the end of the cord, then use the string to pull the cord up to the box.
Warnings
- Contact an electrical contractor to hard-wire your lamp if you are not comfortable with working with electrical wiring.
Writer Bio
Nicole Brown began writing professionally for Java Joint Media in 2007. She has published two "how-to" books through Atlantic Publishing Group. Brown is a state-tested nursing assistant with two years of experience in the health care field. She graduated from the University of Rio Grande with a Bachelor of Science in communications/public relations in 1999.
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