Repair Table Lamp Socket

Sometimes the table lamp quits working. After a few bulbs, you realize it need more that just a bulb. In this video we demonstrate how easy repairing a socket can be. Not all repairs and lamps are the same.

The socket interior used in this video is a 3-way turn knob interior.

48207i - 3-Way turn-knob medium base E26 lamp socket interior for 3-Way bulbs, short mandrel, 250W- 250V

Porcelain Table Lamp Socket Repair

A customer brought in this porcelain table lamp and wanted it to be repaired. The old socket wasn't working well and it needed a new lamp cord. They decided to go with an antique brass finish socket and a new harp with matching hardware. The lamp parts needed for this repair include:

1) Antique Brass Push-thru Socket

48341A - Push-Thru Med. Base Lamp Socket with Antique Brass finish

2) Antique Brass Finish Harp

12758A - 9" harp, heavy weight, antique brass finish

3) Brown 18/2 Lamp Cord Set

46710 - 8 ft. Length, Brown 18/2 Plastic Covered Lamp Cord Set, SPT-1

We start by disassembling the lamp. Remove the harp by pulling up on the locking couplings and squeezing the harp toward the socket.

Next, pry the socket shell from the socket cap. Most sockets are marked "push" on the side. Using a flat-head screwdriver, apply pressure to the socket shell and pull it out of the cap.

Unscrew the old socket from the lamp cord. Remove the old socket cap from the threaded rod.

Remove the old harp saddle from the threaded rod. Pull the old lamp cord down the lamp and out the base of the lamp.

With all the electrical parts removed from the lamp, now is a good time to do some extra cleaning and tighten the threaded rod. Start building the lamp back in reverse order on the disassembly. First, the new cord is pushed up from the bottom.

The new harp saddle slides over the threaded rod and the new socket cap threads on the rod. When the socket cap is snug, tighten the set screw.

Next, tie a UL knot in the cord and attach the new socket interior to the cord. The smooth cord connects to the brass screw terminal and the ribbed cord connects to the nickel screw terminal.

Next, pull the cord slack out the base of the lamp so the socket interior sets close to the socket cap. Slide the socket shell over the interior and snap it into the socket cap.

Add a bulb and test the lamp.

The new lamp harp connects to the harp saddle by lifting the locking couplings and squeezing the harp. This lamp is finished and ready to enjoy.

Total cost: <$ 10 Total time < 30 minutes

Porcelain Table Lamp Repair - New Socket and Cord

A customer brought in this table lamp the other day and said it needed a new socket and cord set. This is a common repair for any lamp. If you found a lamp at a yard sale, flea market, or online and it needed some basic repair, these are the steps to take.

First, always give the lamp a general inspection. This will help you prepare a list of needed parts. We like to only replace bad, worn out parts. Safety is also an issue. Loose hardware and non-polarized plugs should be addressed as part of any repair.

This lamp seems to be in decent shape so the only lamp parts needed for this repair are:

1) Brass lamp socket

40250 - On-Off Leviton Light Socket, Brass, Polished & Lacquered

2) Lamp cord set 

Antique Brass Color, 18/2 Plastic Covered Lamp Cord

The repair starts by unplugging the lamp and removing the light bulb.

Next, remove the harp from the lamp. Lift the locking couplings and squeeze the harp toward the socket.

Remove the socket shell from the socket cap. Using a flat head screw driver, apply pressure on the socket shell and lift it from the socket cap.

Unscrew the old lamp cord from the old socket interior and remove the socket interior.

Untie the old UL Knot and pull the old cord down to the lamp base.

Now you want to remove the old socket cap. Loosen any set screw and unscrew the socket cap from the lamp body. Screw the new socket cap on the threaded rod and tighten any set screw. If your lamp has a front and back, make sure your harp saddle is oriented side to side.

With the socket and cord removed, now is the best time to tighten the lamp body. The lamp will go back together the same way it came apart. First, push the new lamp cord up the lamp body to the socket cap.

Next, tie a UL Knot in the lamp cord.

Screw the wires onto the new socket interior. The smooth wire connects to the brass screw and the ribbed wire connects to the nickel screw.

Slip the socket shell over the interior. Pull any cord slack back down the bottom of the lamp body. Snap the socket shell into the socket cap making sure both sides are securely snapped into the cap.

Add a bulb and test the lamp.

This lamp is back in service for another 40 years. Total cost: < $25.00 total time < 45 minutes

Crystal Table Lamp with Mismatch Parts Needs Work

A customer brought in this lamp the other day and wanted several things addressed: 1) socket was worn, 2) harp was bent, 3) nothing on the top matched the bottom. The hardware on the top of the lamp was brass plated and had turned to a dark color. The base, rod, and cord set of the lamp were nickel. The owner preferred nickel so we are going to make all the hardware match.

After a quick inspection, we determine the lamp parts needed for this repair include:

1 - Nickel plated harp, which comes with a nickel plated harp saddle (base)

12758N - 9" harp, regular weight, nickel finish

1 - Heavy Turned Brass Nickel Plated Socket

48243SN - 3-Way, Turned Brass Lamp Socket (E26) with Satin Nickel finish, no UNO thread

1 - Nickel Plated Flared Steel Neck

21161N - Nickel Plated Finish Flared Steel Neck

1 - Heavy Steel 1/8F Hex Nut

20705 - Heavy 1/8F, Steel Counter Sunk Hexnut

1 - 11/16" Nickel Plated Brass Neck, Tap 1/8F

10949N - 11/16" Nickel Plated Brass Neck, Slips 1/8 IP

1 - Nickel Plated 3/8 Inch Brass Tube

10328N - Nickel Plated 3/8 Inch Brass Tube

1 - 5 1/2 Inch Nickel Plated Brass Finish Modern Style Spun Lamp Base

10062N - 5.5 Inch Nickel Plated Brass Finish Modern Style Spun Lamp Base

 1 - 8 foot Clear Silver Lamp Cord Set

46713 - 8 ft. Length, Clear Silver, 18/2 Lamp Cord Set, SPT-1

First, we make sure the lamp is unplugged. Then, we start disassembling the lamp. We remove the socket shell, harp, socket interior, socket cap, harp base and slide the old necks off the top of the lamp.

Now, we remove the lamp body from the threaded rod. The body of this lamp has become dull and dirty with age. This is the perfect time to clean it up and make it look new again. We turn the base over and remove the felt bottom. Also, the original lamp base has a weighted insert (also known as a “loader” in industry jargon) to keep the lamp from easily tipping over. The loader has a threaded center hole that allows a sturdy connection to the threaded rod that runs from the lamp socket to the lamp base. Unscrew the rod from the loader/base and the lamp comes apart.

We are now ready to reassemble the lamp. The threaded rod screws into the loader. Then, the base and nickel rod slips over the threaded rod onto the loader.

After a quick bath and a little scrubbing the old lamp body parts look good as new. The crystal body pieces slip over the nickel rod and down to the base. Then the flared neck and threaded neck connect to the lamp.

Next, the hex nut screws onto the threaded rod and binds against the threaded neck. This secures the lamp body from the base to the bottom of the socket. Then, the harp saddle slips onto the lamp rod.

Before we screw on the socket cap to the threaded rod, the heavy turned brass socket has a collar to hold the cap and shell together. That collar must rest on the harp base. This socket also has a set screw to tighten the rod to help prevent it from coming loose.

Next, we push the new clear silver lamp cord up the lamp from the side hole in the lamp base, and the threaded rod and out the socket cap.

Now, tie a UL Knot in the lamp cord and attach the socket interior. The smooth cord connects to the brass screw and the ribbed cord connects to the nickel screw for polarity. Pull any cord slack back down the lamp from the base and slip the socket shell over the socket interior. Lift and tighten the socket collar to secure the socket cap and shell.

Add a bulb and test the lamp.

Finished! Total cost <$60 Total time < 1 hour