The only problem with floor lamps is that often a purchase starts. Perhaps one of the undisclosed information about floor lamps. It is most of them are wired directly to a wall outlet and cannot be easily moved around. This limits where you can place your lamp, as well as how far you can keep it from the wall. If you are looking for a way to make your floor lamp more portable, depending on what mood you are trying to set or what activity you plan to do, there are several ways you know how to rewire a floor lamp.
Wiring a floor lamp is both simple and challenging. It all depends on what type of floor lamp it is, how the wires are connected, and the method of wiring. If you ever need to reconnect a floor lamp, it is always best to ask an electrician.
Rewarding a floor lamp can be quite a challenge. The lamps are heavy and in most cases, the wires are already covered with paint. It is not easy to gain access to electrical circuits.
If you have an old, unused floor lamp, your best bet is to replace the wires. However, if you plan to re-wire this lamp, you need to make sure that there are no loose or exposed wires. So they do not come in contact with other metal parts inside your home.
Basics of Rewiring Lamp
What are the basic parts of a light bulb?
A light bulb has only two components: a hot filament inside a glass bulb and two metallic contacts at both ends. For electrical communication, each of these components must touch the other.
Why don’t light bulbs break all the time?
If you place a magnet near the bulb, you will notice that the filament has become hotter than usual. This is understandable because strong magnetic fields pull things tightly. Draw a diagram of what happens when something is heated using a magnet, it would look like this.
Safety Considerations
The first consideration is security. When working with electricity, you’re first the line of defense should always be safety gear. These include protective gloves, goggles, ear plugs, etc. The second line of your defense is common sense. Do not touch bare wires, do not expose yourself to any open fire, and be careful around sharp objects. Always make sure the electricity knows who the boss is!
Next, be sure to label everything. I know this sounds silly, but writing or labeling parts of a project is incredibly helpful. If you are looking at a circuit board, write down each part and where the wire goes. Type the type of screw (Phillips head, flathead, etc). Though you are soldering a circuit together, write the components used.
Lastly, stay safe. Wear eye protection and work in well-ventilated areas. Stay away from anything that could spark and don’t wear loose clothing. Also, never place your hands near exposed metal surfaces. And finally, turn off the power at the outlet before starting work.
Read More: How to Pack Floor Lamps for Moving
Before You Begin
A) Do not try to do this unless you are good at using hammers and nails. If you are not sure if you can handle this project, I suggest hiring someone.
B) You might consider buying some wood glue instead and making your own screws. But if you decide to use glue and screws, make sure you choose the high-quality items used to make the car.
C) Once you have made your decision, start planning what you want to achieve by building your table leg. Be sure to measure every piece of furniture you plan to include in your project.
D) Once you have chosen the best way to make your table legs, start working. Measure where the feet should go and mark with a pencil. Then put the first nail in place, leaving about 1/4 inch between each nail. Continue using the same interval until you reach the last nail.
E) Once you have finished nailing everything together, close the power strip and disconnect the cord from the outlet. Now, remove the outlet cover plate and pull the plug from its socket. Turn on the power strip again and reconnect the cord to the wall. This step is very important. Because it allows the circuit breaker to reset and release the line voltage to the outlet.
F) While waiting for the current to flow through the outlet, carefully break the legs of the wooden table without touching any metal part. Remove each screw that holds the legs together and replace with a nut and washer. Once the nuts and washer are installed, tighten tightly.
What You’ll Need
1. An old lamp base – I used it which was not plugged in any electricity
2. A cheap replacement bulb – at Walmart
3. Cut some wires – If your cables are too long, just cut them.
4. A battery pack – make sure it has at least 2 cells, otherwise the cable connection may be short.
5. Cutting a Box – You can use something else, but if you’re using scissors, don’t cut corners!
6. Tape – Like duct tape.
The most important thing you will need is a wire stripper, a small knife, and a wire cutter. It is best to ground your existing fixture. So you can use the same plug for both the hole and the screw terminal next to your lamp.
Remove the Lampshade and Bulb
I can’t believe I didn’t think about this so soon! Since our old floor lamps have become useless decorations I have been trying to figure out how to do it.
1. Remove the bulb and plug it from your lampshade
2. Unscrew the two screws that hold the shadow to the base.
3. Slide your fingers under the edge of the shadow and gently lift it off the base.
4. Cut the shadow in two
5. Remove the wires from the lamp base, then remove the shadow contacts, if any.
6. Use a wire cutter to trim exposed wires about 1/8 inch back
7. Insert the empty end of the stripped wire into a small hole in the middle of each shed piece.
8. Screw the two pieces together until they lightly touch.
9. Turn on the lamp and screw the base plate down.
10. Bulb replacement.
Remove The Harp
If this is your first time using a floor lamp, you have no idea what you are doing. To help guide you through the process, here are some tips that can help you get started!
Step 1 – Remove the harp
First things first, remove the harp from its base. It should be very easy if you know what you are doing. But for those who are not familiar with floor lamps, here are some guidelines to follow. You want to find the center point, where the two wires meet, and pull them.
Step 2 – Reconnect the harp
Now we need to reconnect the wires to the respective sides of the bulb socket. See how the wire goes around the post and back into the socket. Then look at the other side of the wire. We are going in the opposite direction when connecting it to the socket.
Step 3 – Hook up your lightbulb
Make sure you have a 4-foot or 5-foot long extension cord that can fit through your window frame. Because the maximum length of the bulb is 6 feet if the female end is plugged into the wall socket.
Cut about 1 inch from the male end of the light bulb. Turn the light bulb over and gently pull the protective glass cover. Plug the bulb into the female end of the extension cord using a screw hole in the bottom of the lamp base. The male end of the extension cord must be connected to the power outlet between the two electrical strips.
Remove the Lamp’s Protective Base
1. Remove the protective base from your lamp. First, you may need to loosen the wire connecting the bulb to the ballast. If the lamp has an internal switch, you can pull that switch to loosen the wire. Otherwise, open the socket and remove the wires.
2. Once the wires are loose, disconnect them from the ballast. This is easiest if you have two hands. However, you can do this with just one hand using something like a paperclip to hold the socket out.
3. Once the socket is removed, carefully unplug the wires from each other.
4. Next, cut the plug cord about 6 inches long.
5. Disconnect the wire coming straight out of the wall outlet. And attach it to the black screw in the center of the foundation. It will serve as a ground.
6. Now, use scissors to trim the remaining wires. These should go behind the glass globe at the top of the base. Attach these wires to the brass screws that sit on the bottom of the bulb.
Loosen the Socket
In this series, we look at how to loosen the socket to change the light bulb. Use to replace incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs that use much less energy.
We show you where the wires are connected and how they are protected. We also show you what size wrench to use to loosen the nuts and bolts in their respective sockets.
As soon as you loosen the socket you can gently think of new ideas on how to rewire a floor lamp.
Pull the Wire Out of the Lamp
1. Remove the wire from the bulb socket.
2. Insert your finger into the hole where the wire comes out and push it all the way down until it stops at the bottom of the hole.
3. Pull the wire and place it in reverse order as you put it in it.
4. Plug in the lamp and enjoy!
Attach the Wires to the Socket
Step 1 – Take your wire cutter and clip about 2 cm (0.8 inches) from each end of your cord. You can continue this until you move enough to reach the socket. Now, insert the edges into the holes on both ends of the socket. When you are finished, make sure the holes are aligned properly. If they don’t, just bend out of their way.
Step 2 – Insert a pair of pliers into the top of the socket. Clamp the end of the wire to hold it in place. Your lamp should be connected to your outlet now! Feel free to go through multiple outlets until you find a safe place to plug it in.
Reassemble the Socket and Lamp
If you do not want to, the lamp does not need to be put together again. However, if you want to make sure everything is in order, find a loose part that can cause problems.
- Disconnect the power cord from the lamp. Unplug the lamp from its outlet.
- Remove the plug below the lamp. Lift out the socket. Pull the paper insulator that covers the end of the cord. Replace the paper sleeve in the socket, pushing it down firmly.
- Screw the lamp base plate through the hole in the socket using the included screws.
- Install the shade top on top of the bulb socket. Use a screwdriver to tighten the small nuts around the top of the shade. Tighten the screws after they fit perfectly inside the socket.
- Reinstall the plug under the lamp and replace the socket cover.
- Reconnect the power cord to the lamp Start bending the switch at the top of the lamp.
When to Call a Professional
We bought our first home about four years ago. We have lived in the same apartment building for nine years without any changes. Then moved from one apartment to another. Our landlord was kind enough to sell our house at a great price while we were still renting.
The house was built in the early 1900s. There was lots of wiring around the house today – and lots more! As we entered, we noticed a faint light bulb hanging from the ceiling fixture. After some research, we discovered that it was actually a wire harness for fixtures. The socket is completely destroyed. So, we went into the attic and took the cable down. We realized fairly quickly that this was not going to be an easy project.
First, we removed existing fixtures from the attic rafters. Then, we pulled each wire to the point where they were connected together. This involves holding the screws together, separating the wires, then pulling through the holes in the back by removing the screws. I hate to admit how long it took to pull these things apart.
Then came the fun part: copying wires on separate wires! Until the last fixture was installed we realized we had forgotten to bring a copy of our original plan with us. And since we did not know how long a cable should last, we had to cut the cable parts as needed.
Now, I did some electrical work in my childhood, but I haven’t done it in a very long time – maybe three years? But it seemed like it would take forever to put everything together.
The Final Thought
Lamp wiring makes floor lamps safer because you are using the right voltage and amperage for the lamp. As mentioned earlier, each lamp component is less strained using a set wattage. Specified in the manufacturer’s instruction certificate instead of setting it manually. Knowing the wattage of your lamp and the outlet to which you have plugged it, you can be sure that your security system is up to date.
You may want to attach the male end to the female end of the extension cord. Then twist the collar of the clamp to hold it in place. (Or buy a long lamp cord.) To replace a plug-in lamp you will want to find out if your plug is polarized or nonpolarized. A polarized plug has two wires that stay in the plug slot, compared to a polarized plug. It has three slots without the wire. In this case, I have attached one side of the wire (black) to one side of my extension cord. A white wire from the other wire to my extension cord is attached to the other side.
Whether you are taking more power than is safe for your electrical system or working with an overload circuit box, you run the risk of creating a fire risk by overload. Not to mention the shorts that can spark and snap the whole circuit.
Remember that you are going to work with electricity. So if you know that the lamp works. But only want to refresh it, take it to a professional. I hope you understand how to rewire a floor lamp.