If you like the looks of an Oil or Kerosene lamp, but not the mess with a burner and fuel, electrifying the lamp is easier that you might think. With specialty lamp adapters, a lamp can be changed over to an electric burner in minutes. In 5 simple steps the lamp can be converted.
Step 1: Identify the type of lamp you have.
There are many types of oil lamps out there: #2 burners, duplex, Aladdin, Central Draft. After you have identified your oil lamp burner, you are able to pick an adapter to fit.
Step 2: Decide on type of shade or no shade.
These electric adapters can be simple and hold a chimney, or they have other options with shade rings and harps for fabric shade. Before you convert to electric, you need to decide what the final product will look like and get the right adapter for that style.
Step 3: Unscrew and clean the oil lamp
An antique kerosene lamp might have months, years, or decades of kerosene on the lamp. This is a good time to clean the lamp. Wash it out with some clean water and let it completely dry.
Step 4: Install the new adapter
Installing the new adapter is as easy as replacing a light bulb. It literally screws in the lamp collar. If you followed step 1, this step is a breeze.
Step 5: Complete the look
Add the shade or chimney to the lamp. Screw in a bulb and enjoy the 21st century.
Looking for a more visual approach? Try this video.
We've been around antiques for a long time and started in the kerosene lamp market. When customers come in the shop they are surprised by the vast selection of oil lamp parts we still offer. Most people with access to electricity are not interested in the hassle of kerosene. The option to have an electric socket on an oil lamp is a nice alternative. Like any lamp they need repair from time to time.
A customer brought us this lamp the other day and complained it was crooked and loose at the socket. A quick inspection of the usual items: polarized plug, socket interior, and socket insulator were all good. Although we will not need any lamp parts for this repair, we will still need to tighten everything up.
First we remove the socket and shade holder from the lamp body. This lamp is using a #2 adapter for electric conversion. It unscrews from the collar on the lamp body.
Next we pry the socket shell from the socket cap. The socket interior is removed from the lamp cord and set aside.
This lamp has been loose for a while and been spinning and spinning on the cord.
We cut the spun cord off and discard it. The 6-8 inches of cord will not be missed. Next we pull the cord down and out of the adapter. Then the adapter and the socket cap are tightened.
With the problem fixed, the lamp starts to be reassembled. First we thread the lamp cord back in the adapter and up the socket cap.
Then we tie a UL knot in the cord and reattach the socket interior.
The socket key is attached to the interior and the socket shell is slipped on the interior. The socket shell snaps back into the socket cap. Any cord slack is pulled back through the adapter.
Now the electric burner and #2 adapter are screwed back on the lamp body.
Be careful not to over tighten the adapter in the lamp collar. Brass is a soft metal and the threads can easily be damaged. A bulb is added and the lamp is tested.
When my great grand father started this business in 1952, electricity was finally making it's way into rural homes. He was an antique dealer and truck driver by trade. People in his antique circles would ask "How can we use electricity in our lamps?" They were not interested in buying new lamps, they just wanted the nice old lamps to work with the new electrical parts. He started converting old oil lamps from the kerosene burners to the electric sockets. That is how we got started.
A customer brought in this lamp the other day and wanted it to be converted from an oil or kerosene burner to an electric lamp with a socket and bulb. The important thing is this lamp is dry; no kerosene or lamp oil residue is left in the lamp. The key in this type of conversion is to keep the burner shell intact for the conversion so it still looks original when you are complete.
We start by unscrewing the burner from the lamp body. We remove the wicks from the burner and the shade ring from the burner.
Now we are going to cut a hole in the bottom of the lamp so we can thread a lamp cord to the socket. There is going to be a hole in the bottom of the lamp and a hole in the side of the lamp.
Now for the hole in the side of the lamp. We use a plastic bushing so the cord will not rub on the cut metal of the lamp.
We will need to drill a hole in the bottom of the tank on the lamp for the cord to reach the top.
Next we work on the burner. The interior of the burner is removed and the base is cut out for the socket.
The socket cap clamps to the burner base with a few washers and a nut.
Next we thread the wire through the lamp body.
We thread the wire through the burner with the socket cap and tie a UL knot in the lamp cord.
The socket interior is attached with the smooth wire connecting to the brass screw terminal and the ribbed wire connecting to the nickel screw terminal.
The socket shell snaps in the socket cap. We add a bulb and test the lamp.
