How to Fix a Light Socket Switch

Fix your lamp and save it from the land fill.

Forget about shopping for that replacement lamp and repair yours. Knowing how to fix a light socket switch will save you money on both the cost of a new lamp or having a professional fix the one that is broken. Rather than throwing out the lamp that no longer turns on or off at the socket, you can repair it and have a useful lamp once again. You can even salvage that rare garage sale lamp and maybe even a treasure or two from the flea market.

Things You'll Need

• Screw driver
• Interior socket/switch

Instructions

1. Remove the light bulb and the lamp shade. Be sure to unplug your lamp from the wall and move it to a stable work area.

2. Remove the lamp harp from the lamp. The harp holds the lampshade on the lamp; remove it by squeezing the sides toward the lamp socket and lifting the harp up and off of the lamp.

3. Pull the exterior socket sleeve off of the socket. The socket sleeve covers the interior socket/switch; remove it by simply pulling up and away from the lamp. Removing the socket sleeve will expose the lamp wiring and the socket/switch.

4. Disconnect the socket/switch. Holding the interior socket/switch, pull up and away from the lamp base to expose the screws on the side of the socket/switch and to provide slack in the lamp wire. Loosen the copper and aluminum screws on both sides of the socket/switch and remove the lamp wire from beneath the screws.

5. Wire a new socket/switch into the lamp. Loosen the screws, aluminum and copper, on both sides of the new socket/switch. Feel the lamp wires, one wire will feel ribbed, this wire connects to the aluminum screw. Feel the remaining wire, it will feel smooth and connects to the copper wire. Tighten both screws to hold the wires securely.

6. Pull the lamp cord tight. Grab the lamp cord at the base of the lamp and pull it tight, removing any slack that you created in step four.

7. Replace the exterior socket sleeve. Slide the sleeve over the socket/switch and push it firmly into place.

8. Replace the lamp harp, light bulb and shade.

References

• The Frugal Couple: Save That Lamp -- Instructions on How to Fix a Broken Lamp
• Reader's Digest: How to Wire a Light Socket
• Reader's Digest: How to Repair a Table Lamp