Rewiring A Lamp Plug

If the cord and plug fail either test rewire the lamp.

Rewiring a lamp plug.

Once it is unplugged take the lamp to a hardware store to determine what type of cord and plug will suit it best. Maintain the correct hot and neutral electrical paths from the outlet to the light bulb. Each lamp cord is made of 2 wires stuck together. Tighten wires under screw heads and clip off any excess uninsulated conductor before you plug in lamp.

Always unplug a lamp before attempting any repairs. Step 1 overview diagram for rewiring a lamp. Now that you know how to rewire a lamp we ll shed some light in the next section on how to replace an incandescent fixture. To install a self clamping plug 1 cut off the cord at a right angle near the old plug or further up if there is cord damage.

Illustration by steve stankiewicz. Properly wired plug and lamp socket. Wrap electrical tape around the connection. Changing plugs for large appliances can be complicated so amateurs should change only lamp radio clock or other small appliance plugs.

Head to your local hardware store or visit an online supplier. How to wire a new plug safely. At the top of the lamp hook the ends of the old and new cords together. If it is the neutral wire will be indicated by ribbed insulation a white stripe white.

Cut off the old plug with a wire cutter stripper. Gather the necessary materials for your lamp. Check whether the cord is polarized. New plugs should only be attached to new or undamaged cords.

Try the old cord to the new. The prongs on the plug may have corroded and the switch may not operate correctly. Strip the ends of the new cord and twist the strands clockwise.