Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I'm a frugal person, I fix things instead of replacing them whenever I can. That allows me to pick and chose my battles, its also what allowed me to be 100% debt free even after battling cancer for 5 years. A great example of this is when my dryer stopped working ... a new dryer is over $1,000 but I fixed it by replacing the heating element for $33 and then I bought all parts that could go bad for an additional $36 (timer switch, thermal cutout switch, and 1 more I cant remember) .... just in case. Another reason why I did this is because its a dumb dryer (not one of the newer all electronic pieces of junk that is disposable) .... mine is an old school manual dryer that uses analog switches and timers, one of the last ones made in 2009 .... I hope to get another 11+ years of use out of it before it breaks down again ... but if it does, I already have parts. I fixed my dishwasher like 3 times before I finally got tired of working on it and replaced it, but only because I got a great deal on a scratch and dent display model during covid and the dent is on a side you can't even see when installed but I got it for 75% off which made it a steal.
Anywho, 16 years ago this pair of lamps was over $60. one stopped working a few years ago, the other stopped working last week. Both have different problems but require the same fix. One had a cracked socket barrel, the other had a defective 3 way switch. Both need the lamp socket replaced. These are simple fixes anyone should know how to do and way cheaper to repair than to replace the lamps. Although I recorded fixing both, it's kinda silly to upload both so I only included one to keep video length down. Everybody should know how to fix a lamp socket. It was only $5.99 for parts and way cheaper than $60-70 for new lamps and took less than 4 minutes per lamp to fix using simple tools.
lamp socket gold: amzn.to/4m08Z1I
lamp socket black: amzn.to/4lI22Cz
lamp socket bronze (antique brass): amzn.to/44zrzI1
lamp socket silver: amzn.to/3TLsVcC
For tools you usually only need pliers, phillips screwdriver (or even just the end of a butter knife if you don't have a phillips screwdriver). A multimeter is helpful if you have polarized plugs but really it doesn't matter that much.
One thing I left out of the video but I hope people realize, make sure the lamps are disconnected from the electrical outlets before servicing them.....I wasn't even going to mention this because I figure stupid fixes itself, but then I would feel guilty if someone said I never said to do this so they didn't think it was required and then got injured. You're responsible for your own actions!
I'm a frugal person, I fix things instead of replacing them whenever I can. That allows me to pick and chose my battles, its also what allowed me to be 100% debt free even after battling cancer for 5 years. A great example of this is when my dryer stopped working ... a new dryer is over $1,000 but I fixed it by replacing the heating element for $33 and then I bought all parts that could go bad for an additional $36 (timer switch, thermal cutout switch, and 1 more I cant remember) .... just in case. Another reason why I did this is because its a dumb dryer (not one of the newer all electronic pieces of junk that is disposable) .... mine is an old school manual dryer that uses analog switches and timers, one of the last ones made in 2009 .... I hope to get another 11+ years of use out of it before it breaks down again ... but if it does, I already have parts. I fixed my dishwasher like 3 times before I finally got tired of working on it and replaced it, but only because I got a great deal on a scratch and dent display model during covid and the dent is on a side you can't even see when installed but I got it for 75% off which made it a steal.
Anywho, 16 years ago this pair of lamps was over $60. one stopped working a few years ago, the other stopped working last week. Both have different problems but require the same fix. One had a cracked socket barrel, the other had a defective 3 way switch. Both need the lamp socket replaced. These are simple fixes anyone should know how to do and way cheaper to repair than to replace the lamps. Although I recorded fixing both, it's kinda silly to upload both so I only included one to keep video length down. Everybody should know how to fix a lamp socket. It was only $5.99 for parts and way cheaper than $60-70 for new lamps and took less than 4 minutes per lamp to fix using simple tools.
lamp socket gold: amzn.to/4m08Z1I
lamp socket black: amzn.to/4lI22Cz
lamp socket bronze (antique brass): amzn.to/44zrzI1
lamp socket silver: amzn.to/3TLsVcC
For tools you usually only need pliers, phillips screwdriver (or even just the end of a butter knife if you don't have a phillips screwdriver). A multimeter is helpful if you have polarized plugs but really it doesn't matter that much.
One thing I left out of the video but I hope people realize, make sure the lamps are disconnected from the electrical outlets before servicing them.....I wasn't even going to mention this because I figure stupid fixes itself, but then I would feel guilty if someone said I never said to do this so they didn't think it was required and then got injured. You're responsible for your own actions!
