Vintage lamps can be repaired at home for little to no cost.
Vintage furniture and appliances are making a comeback in home decor. Repairing old lamps can be a great way to get a little vintage style into your home without breaking the bank. As with any electrical repairs, the first thing to do is check those old bulbs. More often than not, all that's need is a little tweaking or replacing.
Instructions
1. Check to make sure the bulb is working. Unscrew the cap of the lampshade and set it aside. Unscrew the light bulb and give it a gentle shake to make sure no wires are loose and rattling. If possible, try the light bulb in another appliance to make sure it's working well. If not, it's possible the extent of your repair is a simple switch. Screw a new light bulb in, plug the lamp into a working outlet and switch it on. If it still doesn't work with a new bulb, the next step is to check the wiring.
2. Remove the light bulb and use a flathead screwdriver to pry the socket out of its seat on the lamp base. Most sockets are simply crimped around the edges to keep it in place, so unscrewing anything else will most likely be unnecessary. Oftentimes, the switch on the socket will rattle out of place and become disconnected. Make sure the switch connected and screw it back into the socket if it seems unusually loose. If the light bulb still won't come on, you may need to replace the socket.
3. Use a pair of wire clippers to snip the wires sticking out of the bottom of the socket shell. Turn the socket over and make sure the each end of the wire is secured to its connecting screw. If the wires have come loose, simply loosen the screw with a screwdriver, hook the bare end of the wire over and behind the screw and tighten it back into place. It may be necessary to strip some of the plastic coating off of the wire with wire cutters to reveal about a centimeter of wire. With a new socket, tie an underwriter's knot (see resources section of this article) to keep the wires from pulling loose, and follow the same procedure connecting the lamp wires to the socket screws and fitting the socket shell back into the base.
4. Look for any warped or rusted areas on the plug and plug head that may be preventing electricity from entering the cord. Older lamps can sustain a lot of damage during storage that may become obvious even before the lamp is taken apart. If the body of the lamp has been damaged, it may be pressing the wire at an unfavorable angle. Knock any kinks in a metal lamp body out with a few soft hammer taps.
5. Check the power cord for any cracked insulation or exposed metal wiring. For a cleaner look, you may choose to replace the cord entirely, but you can paint matching liquid electrical tape over smaller exposed areas to prevent electrical hazards and further cracking. To replace the cord, simply remove the socket shell from the base, cut the cords and pull the wiring out through the bottom of the lamp. Feed the new cord up through the lamp base and attach the wires to the socket screws as outlined in Step 3.
Tags: light bulb, make sure, back into, socket shell, lamp base, , socket screws