How To Make Any Lamp Dimmable In Minutes
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Loading... - Fiona Cullen
- 23 Jun 2022
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Did you know you can make (almost) any table or floor lamp dimmable? How cool is that? It's easy to change out a lamp switch to one that can go from bright to soft light.
This little DIY project takes five minutes and is a great starter project for beginners interested in learning how to do basic electrical work around the house! You don't need to pay an electrician to update these light fixtures.
We have quite a few three-way lamps in our home, and I love having the option of changing up the brightness of the light. But those incandescent light bulbs have always been more expensive, and even more now that everything is switching to energy-efficient bulbs.
Plus it drives me crazy that one brightness level goes out quicker than others on those bulbs -- in our foyer where we have two lamps, we usually end up with one at the lowest light and one at the brightest. :)
But then last fall my friend Diane shared that you could easily change out your lamp socket and I put it on my mental project list. It just never occurred to me that a lamp cord dimmer was an option!
I decided to try this out on the two lamps on our long foyer table:
You know this is right up my alley! I fell in love with soft dimmed lights years ago and shared how to install a wall dimmer switch.
That's another easy starter electrical project (I promise it's not hard), but this one is even easier!
To change out your lamp socket, you'll need this dimmable replacement lamp socket and just a few common tools -- I'll share those below.
By the way, you can use this plug-in dimmer switch adaptor to make any lamp dimmable as well. But you'll have to keep the switch out where you can access it.
Step 1: Double check that your lamp is unplugged
Then check it again. One more time.
Step 2: Remove the existing lamp socket
After removing the lampshade (and harp in my case), you'll need to remove the existing socket. Mine was plastic and the top part unscrewed:
If you have a basic brass or metal version, you can just wiggle the top part off -- that just slides into the base. (Use a utility knife or something similar to pry it apart if it's stuck.)
Then pull the socket out -- you may have to feed the cord back up into the lamp a bit if it's tight:
Snip the wires off of the old socket before moving forward. Read More…
