how to replace a plastic lamp socket

Unscrew the wires.

A lamp switch has a brass screw to which the hot (black) wire is attached and a silver screw to which the neutral (white) wire is attached. Before painting we scraped off as much of the heavy rust as possible, then applied a liquid rust inhibitor that was claimed to stop further corrosion. To replace the socket on a lamp, the old socket will have to be taken apart. Have questions about how to replace a light socket? Squeeze the shell at those points and pull up to remove it. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. Then, use a screwdriver to pry the socket shell from the base cap. What Steps Should I Take to Change a Light Socket? 4), OEM service: customer's LOGO,package. 2), 20 years export experince China manufacturer. This is because the terminal is tightened in a clockwise manner, and the hook will follow the direction of the terminal. They may have tried to use some filler. 7), Payment: T/T, Western union , L/C. But this time try to pay particular attention to the back sides and around all fittings. To replace a lamp socket, follow these steps: Remove the shade, bulb, and harp (the wired shape that holds the shade). Mount the fixture to the electrical box with its mounting screws. Touch the probe of a non-contact voltage tester to the metal tab inside the socket. Test for power again by touching the probe of the voltage tester to each of the fixture wires and all of the wires in the box. 3), All of light bulb holder are 3 years guarantee. A small plastic lever at the top is then snapped shut to automatically make the connection. Replace the light Socket and Bulb: Now that the old lamp holder is removed, use the screw and nut you just removed and install the new socket. Fit the new socket into the fixture in the same position as the original, and secure it with the screw and/or nut. If you could turn the lamp on to several degrees of brightness, be sure to purchase a socket switch that's designed to control a three-way bulb. Light bulb sockets come in a huge range of types and styles and are designed for specific uses and bulb wattages. 1), Factory price. -L.F.L., Southington, Conn. A. When I bought the chair there was a piece of carving missing on the back. To get at this locknut you will have to cut a hole in the felt that lines the bottom of the base. To do this, look for the word ''press'' embossed in the upper half of the brass shell, usually near the switch (see the accompanying drawing). If the lamp works after you tighten up the screws, great! Q. I am refinishing a chair made of cherry wood. Whether it's to pass that big test, qualify for that big promotion or even master that cooking technique; people who rely on dummies, rely on it to learn the critical skills and relevant information necessary for success. Plug the lamp in and turn it on. Alternatively, the socket may be held by a retaining nut at the back of the fixture or bulb housing, or there may be a screw and a nut. James and Morris Carey AP Weekly Features. The shell will usually have a cardboard liner. In this tutorial, I will share step-by-step how to replace a light socket so that the lampfunctions as new and is safe to have in the home! Pull the socket switch up out of the shell base to expose enough of the switch to reveal the two wires attached to it. You also need to consider whether your present lamp has a three-way bulb in it. Using a pair of needle-nose pliers, make a hook in the wire that faces to the right. Take the fixture down and place it on your workbench or table. Outdoor sockets are generally more robust than indoor sockets and often have special features that resist moisture. Your best bet now is to again scrape off as much rust as you can, then repaint. Answering the Mail. They also appear regularly on CBS News Saturday Morning.

James Carey and Morris Carey Jr. share their 55+ years of experience as award-winning, licensed contractors with millions of people nationwide through a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On The House. Carefully pull the fixture away from the box without touching any wires. Tags: DIY, free furniture plans, home improvement, how to, knock off, paint, woodworking plans, Your email address will not be published. Now, install the appropriate bulb. And, that's all there is to it. The tester should not light up; if it does, return to the service panel and turn off the correct breaker, then retest the wires to confirm the power is off. If you have difficulty, try tipping the top half slightly with one hand while holding the base piece with the other hand. After the setscrew is loosened, the cap can be unscrewed and pulled off. Learn how your comment data is processed. Try more scraping and sanding on this section to cut through whatever is on the surface (water should soak in and wet the wood if it is porous enough for staining). So, before you remove the wires from the old switch, note which color screw each wire is connected to. If you do not intend on replacing the cord please skip the previous step. light bulb socket is made of flexible plastic strips of divergent surrounded by an annular tube, bulb holder set around a circle outside the entrance of the elastic ribs, hand lever along the rod end a recess open heart, one short end of solid rod and the screw tightened into the groove. The cap attaches to the rod or post of the lamp while the shell covers socket mainly the wire connected to the terminals. By entering your email address and clicking the Submit button, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Dummies.com, which may include marketing promotions, news and updates. Keep in mind that the wire lamp cord must be carefully reconnected. These parts are standard; you can buy lamp cord by the foot, and you can use just about any type of plug to replace the one on your old lamp.

You can find several varieties of lamp socket switches. As far as where it was scratched and then sanded, I can only assume that there must be something on or in the wood in this spot also. These parts are standard; you can buy lamp cord by the foot, and you can use just about any type of plug to replace the one on your old lamp.

You can find several varieties of lamp socket switches. Where the carving was missing there is probably some glue left that has not been fully removed, and this is keeping the stain from soaking in the way it should. Do you know what caused this problem and what we can do to correct it? Now replace the harp and the shade and the job is done. Chances are that you never did get all of the old rust off, especially around the back side of the pipes where you cannot reach easily. If the shell doesn't budge, push the end of a screwdriver between the base of the socket and the side of the shell and then pull the shell up and off the socket base. A lamp switch has a brass screw to which the hot (black) wire is attached and a silver screw to which the neutral (white) wire is attached. Loose screws may have been the lamp's only problem. Now feed the wires coming up from the lamp body through the new cap, then screw it on in place of the old one. To make the repair, all you have to do is reverse the disassembly process. Disassembly is now complete. While the same basic steps are followed for replacing a socket on a stand-alone lamp, for this project, we'll focus on replacing the socket in a hard-wired ceiling fixture. The socket has two terminals:one terminal will be brass in color (for the HOT wire) and the other will be silver in color (for the NEUTRAL wire). Place the new socket shell over the socket and push the cover down until it snaps into the new socket shell cap. Remove the screw or nut with a screwdriver or pliers, as applicable. The maximum wattage is posted on the side of the socket and should not be exceeded! Loose screws may have been the lamp's only problem. The wire that attaches to the silver post is the neutral side of the connection. Now attach the electric wires sticking up to the terminal screws on each side of the new socket body, making certain to twist them around the terminals in a clockwise direction (otherwise the wires will tend to loosen as you tighten the terminal screws). This takes only minutes if you use one of the snap-on plugs, since they can be connected to the old wire without having to strip off the insulation. Prongs inside the plug pierce the insulation and make contact with the wires on the inside. Since most lamp socket bases are interchangeable, it is often simpler to install the new socket body and brass shell on the old base. If the lamp works after you tighten up the screws, great! You can find several varieties of lamp socket switches. Most light fixtures have decorative parts and electrical parts. The decorative parts include the globe, the shiny tubing, and other embellishments that make the fixture nice to look at. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases and these links will be clearly noted. If not, take it apart again and proceed with the following steps.

Unscrew the wires.

A lamp switch has a brass screw to which the hot (black) wire is attached and a silver screw to which the neutral (white) wire is attached. Remove the socket from the fixture, but keep the screw and/or nut in case you need it for the new socket. Replace the upper shell of the socket and screw it onto or snap it into the cap. Squeeze the shell at those points and pull up to remove it. How to change a light socket? But what if the trouble is not in the plug, the bulb or the source of power? You also need to consider whether your present lamp has a three-way bulb in it. The two pieces should snap apart easily. Hold the globe in one hand while loosening the screw or nut with the other. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. Replace the bulb and shade. 5), Standard: ANSI & GB & DIN & AS & SA & IEC & BS. After unplugging the lamp, remove the shade and the harp that supports the shade, as well as the bulb. During the repair don't discard the felt. Look inside the socket and locate the Phillips screw (or screws) holding the socket to the fixture. Tighten the screw snugly, but dont tighten too much as the socket is fragile and could break. If the bulb still won't light, the next logical step is to change the plug at the end of the lamp cord. 6), All light bulb socket CE & RoHS approval. In either case, the outer cover will need to be removed. Loosen the terminal screws on each side of the socket body and disconnect the wires twisted around each of them. Squeeze the shell at those points and pull up to remove it. Caution: Don't begin until the lamp has been unplugged and the bulb and lampshade have been removed. For any type of fixture, choose a socket that looks identical (or nearly identical) to the original and has the same maximum wattage rating. To replace the socket, remove the setscrew at its base. After cleaning off the rust, coat all the metal with a rust convertor. More thorough sanding or scraping in this area will probably solve that problem. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The process for replacing the socket is the same for an outdoor or indoor fixture, but it's important to use the right socket for the fixture. Timothy Thiele is an IBEW Local #176 Union Electrician with over 30 years of experience in residential, commercial, and industrial wiring. If not, take it apart again and proceed with the following steps. Turn off the power to the circuit that you'll be working on by switching off the appropriate breaker in your home's electrical service panel (breaker box). This will tend to cover up more and usually creates a more uniform without having to soak in as much. This base piece or cap is screwed onto the end of a threaded piece of small-diameter pipe that has the electrical wires coming up through the center. You can replace a socket so easily that, even if it's not your favorite lamp, you may want to fix it and give it to someone else, like your nosy neighbor.

You can purchase replacement lamp parts at any hardware store or home center. Be sure that no wires are protruding from the fixture base; you don't want to pinch an electrical wire as you tighten down the fixture. Q. Set the globe aside for now. The neutral wire on a lamp cord is identified along its entire length, usually by ribs, indentations or square corners on the insulating jacket. Lamp cords, however, don't have colored wires in them. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. You control some by pushing a short shaft on the side of the switch, others by turning a knob, and still others with a pull chain. Insert the wires back into the fixture hole so that the wires are on the back side of the fixture and are ready to wire. You should be able to find the wattage rating on the old socket, usually on a silver label. I stripped all the finish off and then applied a new stain, but I found that the stain did not ''take'' evenly on the area where the carving was missing and on another small section on the back where the wood had been sanded, apparently to remove a scratch. Twist the wire connector (wire nut) counterclockwise and remove it from each set of wires, then separate the wires. The only other suggestion I can make is to use a different kind of stain - one that is more heavily pigmented. - L.H.K., South Orange, N.J. A. These parts are standard; you can buy lamp cord by the foot, and you can use just about any type of plug to replace the one on your old lamp. We then painted the pipes with a white alkyd paint suitable for use on metal. How to Install a Single-Pole Dimmer Light Switch. Standard brass sockets that will fit any lamp are available in any hardware store. Questions about home repair should be addressed to Bernard Gladstone, The New York Times, 229 West 43d Street, New York, N.Y. 10036. Lamp sockets are comprised of three pieces: the cap, the shell and the socket. Remove the Bulb and Socket: Remove the light bulb from the socket and get a Phillips screw driver to remove the socket. Tie an Underwriters Knot in the wiring which will keep the wiring from coming off of the terminals if the wire is pulled. So, before you remove the wires from the old switch, note which color screw each wire is connected to.

Loosen the socket cap set screw and then unscrew and discard it along with the old socket shell and socket.

Screw the wire leads to the new socket.

Place the new socket shell over the socket and push the cover down until it snaps into the new socket shell cap.

Replace the harp, light bulb, and shade.