Convert a 300 Watt Torchiere Lamp into a Dual 20 Watt CFL

Step 12 Dual bulbs

I used wire nuts and short pieces of scrap wire to hook up the dual sockets. Be sure to wire them in parallel and not series. If you don't know, you shouldn't be wiring up lamps.

Comments

[SIRJAMES09]

I think some people need to give it a rest.

In short, if you do not know what the heck you are doing, DO NOT DO IT!

The guy is putting safety first like a responsible adult SHOULD.

To explain the difference between series & parallel, one has to start from the begining of electrical technology & progress from there.

In English, that means that when you first started going to school at the age of about 5 or 6 yrs old, you went to kindergarden or 1st grade, not Yale college.

I support the author & how he has written this. He is trying to cover your butt so to speak because there are idiots in the world that will try anything even if & when they do not have a clue what they are doing or getting themselves into.

[bben46]

@SirJames09
If you look at the date stamps, most of these comments are a couple of years old. And If they choose to not take my advice, Well, I tried to warn them. Maybe I need a legal disclaimer. Unfortunately, you cannot teach either common sense or basic wiring practices with an instructable. For the basics of wiring, you need a small book, for common sense, either you have it - or you don't.

Bben's legal disclaimer - just like the big companies use to hold down the lawsuits by people who do dumb things: Do this at your own risk, I cannot be responsible for your lack of knowledge or common sense. Electricity can shock, kill, cause serious burns and fires if this is not done carefully or properly. Be afraid, or at least respect electricity. If you do actually understand electricity you will be afraid. I have been working with it for 48 Years - and I am afraid of it. That's what has kept me alive all this time.

With any wiring, no matter how much you think you know, or how simple the project, always double check before throwing the power on - the life you save may be your own.

[SIRJAMES09]

Dear Sir:
Years ago, I had bought not one but several books on Electricity...unfortunately, I lost them in a divorce(she tossed them in the trash) I still remember SOME of the stuff I read, but not not all. Anyway, my point is, I have always been afraid of electricity & always stay away from anything I am not sure of. I'll install light switches in walls, outlets, GFCI's, but when it comes to serious wiring(like running wire from room to room, adding a circuit, etc) that's when I'll have no problem calling for help from an electrician.

Making & rewiring a lamp is easy for me as I have done it so many times, but like you say, I ALWAYS double or triple check my work B4 plugging it in.

I TY Sir for sharing this instructable for it has given me the ideas I need to switch my torch lamp over from what it is now to the corkscrew bulbs you show in the instructable.

Take Care Sir & God Bless. :)

[SIRJAMES09]

bben46, I TY for sharing this as I DO understand basic electrical & I understood everything perfectly.

I think you did a great job of explaining everything & the pics reinforced that.

5 stars Sir.. TY.

[smcan22]

I really like what your doing here but it is an "instructable" - why not explain the difference between wiring them in parallel instead of in series? What makes not knowing that the qualifier for trying this out?

[bben46]

If you don't already know the difference then you should not be playing with 120 VAC. This is one of the most basic things you NEED to know to do any electrical wiring. Light switches are wired in series, lamps in parallel. Basic electrical wiring practices may be a subject for another instructable, but it will be a very long one. I recommend taking a short course at a local tech school. The one near me offers a short course in basic wiring for homeowners. - How to wire a new light with a switch, how to change a circuit breaker. How to add an outlet, that kind of stuff.

[SIRJAMES09]

AMEN!

[tehbizz]

I agree with smcan22. If you put up the instructable, you need to at least give a little back knowledge for people that may not know. I was actually going to try this but your comments regarding parallel vs. series are a turn off. This site is for sharing information and helping people do different projects, not tell us we can't do things.

[SIRJAMES09]

and the author has done just that.

If you do not know the difference between series & parallel, then you should NOT be messing around with electricity. PERIOD.

[bben46]

This instructable is simple if you have a basic understanding of electricity. But as anything involving high voltage should not be attempted if you do not. The 'Back knowledge' required is not something that can be taught in a short article. Household current can kill or badly injure those who do not understand the danger and how to work with it safely.

[magicdust]

Get real, folks. I totally agree with the author, BBen46. Series vs. parallel is basic stuff that shouldn't bog down an instructable writer. If every instructable required every bit of knowledge explained it would seriously impede the flow of the essential information. I had no problem and actually appreciated not having to skip through YET ANOTHER explanation of basic electrical circuits!