How to Replace a Bad Lamp Socket

Repairing a favorite lamp makes economic sense.

Light sockets go bad for a number of reasons and learning how to fix a bad light socket allows you to save what would otherwise be a sure candidate for the curb. Replacing the socket on the lamp yourself saves time you would otherwise have lost shopping for a new lamp. Repairing the socket yourself saves money you would spend having a professional repair your lamp -- or buying a new lamp.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Interior replacement socket

Instructions

1. Remove the light bulb and the lamp shade from your lamp.

2. Disconnect the lamp harp from the lamp base. The lamp harp, the upside down u-shaped wire frame that holds the lamp shade to the lamp, can be removed by squeezing the sides toward the socket. Squeezing the sides releases the tension on the harp base allowing you to lift the harp off of the lamp.

3. Remove the exterior socket from the lamp. Grab the exterior socket and lift it up and off the lamp's socket base to expose the interior socket.

4. Pull the interior socket up and away from the lamp. Pulling on the socket gives you access to the wire connections on the interior socket and provide slack in the wire to make rewiring easier.

5. Disconnect the lamp wire from the interior socket. Loosen the aluminum screw located on the side of the socket and remove the wire from beneath it. Loosen the copper screw on the opposite side of the socket and remove that wire as well.

6. Install a new interior socket. Feel your lamp wires; one will feel as though it has ribs or ridges along the entire length of the wire. Connect this ribbed wire to the aluminum screw and tighten to hold the wire in place. The other lamp wire will be smooth along the entire length of the wire. Connect the smooth wire to the copper screw and tighten this screw as well.

7. Pull the slack from the lamp wire. Grab the lamp cord near the base of the lamp and gently pull the wire away from the lamp. This action will remove the slack you created in step 4 and cause the interior socket to rest against the socket base.

8. Cover the interior socket with the socket sleeve you removed in step 3. Push the sleeve firmly into the socket base.

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

References

• The Frugal Couple: Save That Lamp