How to Wire an Incandescent Lamp

Wiring an incandescent lamp if you have never done so before sounds daunting. Thankfully though, this is a task that you can complete on your own with just a little bit of guidance. Here are a few tools along with the steps that you need to get the job done with ease.

Step 1 - Prepare

Begin by unplugging the lamp and moving it to a place that you can work. Many times this will be an open area or somewhere with good lighting. You will want to be sure that you are using a lamp that will work okay for this type of project. If it is an older lamp or a fragile one, you may want to consider finding another one. Be sure that when you are working on the lamp that you unplug it so that you do not cause any harm or danger to yourself, the lamp or your home's electrical system.

Step 2 - Take the Lamp Apart

Begin by taking the lamp shade off and removing the actual bulb. If the lamp came with instructions at all, you may want to check out the manual now to be sure that everything is being taken apart the right way. However, many times lamps will be put together or taken apart in a similar way, so don't worry if you don't have any paperwork from it. You will probably need to use a wrench then to remove the nuts holding together the lamp. Twist the socket off completely. Take any wiring out, you may need to use wire cutters to accomplish this.

Step 3 - Put Lamp Together and Test

Take the new wiring and begin at the base and run it up through the lamp completely. Use the wire cutters to strip back the ends and connect them to the bulb socket. Then you will need to take the new electric plug and wire to it. Once you are finished wiring, you can replace the socket, bulb and lamp shade. Then plug in the lamp and make sure that it works properly.

If you find that the lamp isn't working once you plug it in, there are a few things that you can do. First, be sure that the outlet that you are using works and that that isn't the only issue. If you move it to a working outlet and there is still a problem, then check the wiring that you used to wire the lamp. If you used new wiring, then there shouldn't be a problem, however if you reused wiring, there is a chance that it may have frayed or isn't in good shape. If this is the case, you can just replace the wiring that you used. If none of those things work, there was most likely something loose when you put the lamp together and you will just need to make a few tightening adjustments.