How to Fix a Broken Lamp Cord
A broken lamp cord can be one of the most dangerous items in your home and needs to be repaired to be safe. Broken lamp cords with exposed wires still plugged into the wall can start fires. The best way to fix a broken lamp cord is to replace the entire cord; it is a much safer repair than taping the cord together with electrical tape. You can easily repair a cord and not have to throw away the lamp. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Replacement lamp cord
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Instructions
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Move your lamp to a level work surface, take off the lamp shade and remove the light bulb. Make sure the lamp is unplugged.
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Remove the lamp harp by squeezing the sides of the harp toward each other and releasing the tension from the base, allowing you to lift the harp up and off the lamp.
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Disconnect the lamp cord from the socket. Pull the exterior socket shell up and off of the interior socket. Grasp the interior socket and pull up gently to access the screws that hold the cord to the interior socket. Unscrew the copper and aluminum screws and remove the wires from beneath the screws.
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Lay the lamp on its side to have access to the bottom. Depending on the lamp, there might not be anything covering the bottom. If there is a cover on the bottom, you will need to remove the bottom of the lamp it in order to gain access the interior of the base of the lamp.
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Grab the lamp cord at the base of the lamp and pull. Because you have already disconnected the lamp cord from the socket, you can pull the cord out of the lamp.
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Install the replacement lamp cord. Thread the replacement cord through the hole in the base of the lamp and up the throat of the lamp and out the top.
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Wire the replacement lamp cord to the interior socket. Feel the lamp wires, one will be smooth and one will be ribbed. Connect the smooth wire to the copper screw and tighten the screw. Connect the ribbed wire to the aluminum screw and tighten that screw as well.
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Pull the lamp cord to eliminate slack. Settle the interior lamp socket into the socket base. Slide the exterior socket shell over the interior socket and push firmly into the socket base.
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Replace the lamp bottom. Place the lamp harp back into the harp base. Replace the light bulb and the lamp shade.
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References
- Photo Credit lamp image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
