How to Fix a Lamp Cord

Replace a damaged lamp cord to keep your lamp -- and home -- safe.

Lamp cords can become damaged in a number of ways. The cord insulation can be cut or chewed, exposing the bare wiring and creating a fire hazard. The plug can be damaged and unable to plug into the wall outlet. Your cord can also have interior damage caused by something heavy sitting on the cord, like a piece of furniture. Whatever the cause of the damage, the safest way to fix it is to replace the entire cord.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips or flathead screwdriver
• Replacement lamp cord with pre-wired plug

Instructions

1. Remove the lamp shade, light bulb and lamp harp from your lamp. The lamp harp holds your lamp's shade. Remove it by squeezing the sides of the harp toward the socket and lifting it up and out of the harp base.

2. Pull the socket sleeve from the lamp. The socket sleeve covers the interior socket and wiring. Remove it by grasping it with your hand and pulling directly up and out of the socket base. If you should meet some resistance with removing the socket sleeve, you may have to wiggle the socket sleeve from side to side slightly while pulling up.

3. Grasp the interior socket with your hand, and gently pull up on the interior socket to expose the wiring. Use your screwdriver to loosen both the copper and aluminum screws hold the wire onto the socket, and remove the wires.

4. Remove the bottom of your lamp. Each lamp manufacturer designs various styles of lamps, and not every lamp bottom removes in the same fashion. You have to determine how your lamp's bottom is attached and remove it. If you are unsure how to remove your lamp bottom, visit your local home improvement warehouse to find a lamp that is similar to yours, and ask a lighting employee for instructions.

5. Pull your old lamp cord from your lamp by grasping it at the base and pulling away from your lamp.

6. Install your new lamp cord. Use a lamp cord that is pre-wired with a plug. Thread the new lamp cord through the opening in the base of your lamp and up though the lamp's body until you can grab it from the top of the lamp.

7. Wire the socket onto the new lamp cord. The lamp cord consists of two wires encased in insulation and fused together and is designed to pull apart for easier wiring. Grab one wire in your left hand and one wire in your right hand, and pull the wires apart until your have approximately four inches of wire separated. Feel the separate lamp wires; one is ribbed the entire length of the wire and considered the neutral wire. Connect this neutral wire to the aluminum screw on the side of the interior socket you removed in step 3 and tighten the screw, holding the wire under the screw. The remaining lamp wire is smooth and considered the hot wire; connect this wire to the copper screw located on the side of the interior socket.

8. Pull the lamp wire to remove any slack. Grasp the lamp wire at the base of your lamp, and gently pull it away from the lamp removing the slack and allowing the interior socket to settle into the socket base. Replace your lamp bottom.

9. Slide the socket sleeve over the interior socket, and push it firmly into the socket base. Replace the lamp harp, shade and light blub.

References

• Chest of Books: Lamp Cord
• The Family Handyman: How to Repair a Table Lamp