Fix It Yourself 108 Damaged Cord of a Table Lamp

The Problem:

• Lamp does not light or flickers
• Damaged cord might cause a short circuit or even fire.

Tools Needed:

• A screwdriver
• A knife
• An open – end wrench

Basic Steps:

• Unplug the lamp.
• Remove shade and bulb from the lamp.
• Pry off felt pad on lamp base carefully with a knife.
• If the base contains a weigh, remove the nut holding it in place and take the weight out.
• Lift the tube that runs through the lamp body about 6 inches out of the top.
• Turn the tube counterclockwise or loosen the set screw (or both, depending on the installation) to remove the tube from the lamp socket.
• Press in at bottom of the socket’s metal outer shell.
• Lift the outer shell straight up.
• Loosen the terminal screws and remove the wire.
• Pull out the cold cord at the bottom of the lamp.
• Thread new cord through the tube.
• Strip the ends of the wires and attach them to the terminals on the socket, then reassemble.

Fix It Yourself 107 Broken Electric Bulb

The Problem:

• The base of the broken bulb is stuck in the socket of the lamp.

Tools and Materials Needed:

• A wad of newspaper
• Needle – nose pliers
• A screwdriver

Basic Steps:

• Unplug the lamp.
• Wad up newspaper, press it down firmly only at the broken bulb, and turn it clockwise until the bulb base is removed.
• If this does not work because the glass is broken off right down to the base, try turning it out with needle – nose pliers.
• If it still won’t come out, wedge a screwdriver inside the base, pressing it against the sides while turning until the base is removed.

Fix It Yourself 106 Damaged Electric Plug or Power Cord

The Problem:

• A lamp or appliance does not work properly
• A damaged plug is dangerous
• A damaged or loose cord in a plug can cause a short circuit

Tools Needed:

• A new plug (if the old one cannot be used anymore)
• A screwdriver
• A knife or a wire stripper
• A needle – nose pliers
• A line man’s pliers

The basic steps if the plug is attached to thin, flexible cord:

• Cut the cord beyond the break.
• Bare the wires at the end of the cord and reinstall the plug.
• If the original plug was a molded one, do not bare the ends of the wires after having cut the cord; replace the original plug with a lever – type – snap – on plug.
• Note: As an alternative to the snap on plug, you can use  a squeeze type plug.
• Slip body over cord
• Squeeze prongs together and
• Pull body over prongs

The basic steps if the plug is attached to a heavy appliance cord:

• Cut the cord above the molded plug or break in the wire.
• Separate wires at the end of the cord, and strip off about 5/8 insulation of each. A wire stripper is the best tool for the job; if you use a knife, be careful not to cut the wire.
• Remove the fiber insulating cover from the prongs of the plug if it is not a molded one.
• Loosen the terminal screws to release the wires, then pull off the plug.
• Untie the Underwriter’s knot, if there is one.
• Remove the old plug and slip the new one over the cord.
• Tie an Underwriter’s knot; separate about 3 inches of wire. Loop the black wire behind itself and the white wire. Loop the white wire over the end of the black and bring it up through the black loop
• Tighten the knot and pull it down snugly into the plug body.
• Bend loops in the ends of the bared wires with needle – nose pliers.
• Fit the wires inside the plug and place the loops clockwise around the terminal screws, black to brass and white to chrome.
• Tighten the screws and replace the fiber insulating cover over the prongs of the plug.

Note: Replacement of the three - prong plug is also similar to these. Follow all steps as above. Instead of the Underwriter’s knot, tie the three wires together in a tight knot and pull the cord until the knot is snug against the plug. Loop the green wire clockwise around the green colored screw, the black wire around the brass screw and the white wire around the chrome screw. Tighten the screws.

Fix It Yourself 105 Blown Fuse

Most of the time, I cram whenever I blown fuse in an electronic appliance. Reading the appliance guide carefully will help prevent certain commotions that your own home needs it. This will focus first with lamps.

The Problem:

• A portion of your electrical system is off

Materials Needed:

• A set of fuses of the same amperage that you have in your entrance panel.

Basic Steps:

• Check the entrance panel for the blown fuse.
• If the copper strip in the center of the fuse is melted apart, the cause is probably overload.
• If the window of the fuse is darkened, perhaps so much that you can’t even see the copper strip, a short circuit is the prime suspect.
• If it is overload, disconnect some appliances. If it is a short then try to find where it is located.
• If you have removed some possible source, replace the fuse, but always with one of the amperage.

Note: It is not impossible that the temporary aberration may have been caused by a sudden power surge. In this case, merely replace the blown fuse or flip the breaker switch if you have a circuit  breaker box. If the fuse does not blow again, your trouble is over.

If the entire house is plunged into darkness, either it is a general blackout or something is seriously wrong and the main fuse of the house has blown. If your neighbors do have light, you can exclude a general power failure and you should better call an electrician; the trouble that causes a main to blow is nothing for a do - it - yourself to fix.