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attaching lamp bases to wall? Phisherman 08-03-2007
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Posted by Phisherman on August 3, 2007, 5:43 pm
I'd like to attach 8-10 lamp bases to the wall where a 12-foot valance
will act as a shade. The lamps/cords won't be seen. I saw plastic
lamp bases (at the BORG) with dual terminals where you can screw in
lamp cord, and the lampbase has two screw holes for mounting. When
screwed down, the connections are not exposed. Do I need an
electrical box for this kind of lamp socket? It would be screwed
onto drywall or painted wood. Also, I'd like to know how close a
60w. bulb can (legally/safely) be to a painted wooden surface.

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Posted by John Grabowski on August 3, 2007, 6:12 pm

> I'd like to attach 8-10 lamp bases to the wall where a 12-foot valance
> will act as a shade. The lamps/cords won't be seen. I saw plastic
> lamp bases (at the BORG) with dual terminals where you can screw in
> lamp cord, and the lampbase has two screw holes for mounting. When
> screwed down, the connections are not exposed. Do I need an
> electrical box for this kind of lamp socket? It would be screwed
> onto drywall or painted wood. Also, I'd like to know how close a
> 60w. bulb can (legally/safely) be to a painted wooden surface.


It sounds as though you will be using portable lamp cord for a permanent
installation. Not good or permissible.

The correct way to do this is by using cable approved for this use such as
Romex or BX going into 4" octagon boxes and using keyless lamp sockets to
screw your bulbs into.

600 watts is a lot of heat. Can you substitute compact fluorescents?


Posted by aemeijers on August 3, 2007, 10:03 pm

>
>> I'd like to attach 8-10 lamp bases to the wall where a 12-foot valance
>> will act as a shade. The lamps/cords won't be seen. I saw plastic
>> lamp bases (at the BORG) with dual terminals where you can screw in
>> lamp cord, and the lampbase has two screw holes for mounting. When
>> screwed down, the connections are not exposed. Do I need an
>> electrical box for this kind of lamp socket? It would be screwed
>> onto drywall or painted wood. Also, I'd like to know how close a
>> 60w. bulb can (legally/safely) be to a painted wooden surface.
>
>
> It sounds as though you will be using portable lamp cord for a permanent
> installation. Not good or permissible.
>
> The correct way to do this is by using cable approved for this use such as
> Romex or BX going into 4" octagon boxes and using keyless lamp sockets to
> screw your bulbs into.
>
> 600 watts is a lot of heat. Can you substitute compact fluorescents?
>
The sockets he is proposing are fine- using zip cord to wire them is not.
I've seen socket strings like that used in barns, 4-H carnivals, etc, for
forty years. Can't remember the proper name, but the stranded stuff on rolls
of the right gauge is what I usually see used with those. Ends up looking
sorta like Knob and Tube. Slightly smaller candelabra-base versions can be
found in the boxed-in area of most of those 3-door medicine cabinets with
the lights on top.

But, having said that- 8 or 10 bulbs over a 12-foot run, using 60 watt
bulbs, is massive overkill, and likely to start a fire from heating whatever
is close. No idea what code says, but I never put a regular bulb closer
than six inches or so to any surface. Try grabbing the U-shaped thing that
holds the lampshade on a table lamp, or the shade on a drop light, sometime-
anything near bulb gets HOT. Valance implies drapes. Can't see the room from
here, but this sounds like the type of application where low-volt halogen
pucks, or maybe even rope lights, would work well. In the late 50s -early
60s, a common living room light was a blond wood valance over the top of the
curtains, about 8-10 inches tall, with single-tube florescent fixtures
pointed UP, to bounce off the white ceiling. Sounds hokey now, but with
1950s modern furniture and decor, it worked. You couldn't see the bulbs, but
it provided nice indirect light.

aem sends...



Posted by Jeff Wisnia on August 3, 2007, 7:28 pm
Phisherman wrote:

> I'd like to attach 8-10 lamp bases to the wall where a 12-foot valance
> will act as a shade. The lamps/cords won't be seen. I saw plastic
> lamp bases (at the BORG) with dual terminals where you can screw in
> lamp cord, and the lampbase has two screw holes for mounting. When
> screwed down, the connections are not exposed. Do I need an
> electrical box for this kind of lamp socket? It would be screwed
> onto drywall or painted wood. Also, I'd like to know how close a
> 60w. bulb can (legally/safely) be to a painted wooden surface.


In addition to what John just wrote, did you stop to think how you were
going to avoid crushing the lamp cord when you screwed those sockets to
the wall?

And what were you planning to use for a switch to turn them on and off?

I'm no code mavin, but I'm not sure the kind of permanant setup you're
describing could be legally connected to a power source by just plugging
a cord into a wall outlet either.

You might want to look into Wiremold products to SAFELY get the job
done. The stuff pictured on this page will show you the possibilities
and it includes bases for the kinds of sockets you mentioned.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.


Posted by aemeijers on August 3, 2007, 11:24 pm

> Phisherman wrote:
>
>> I'd like to attach 8-10 lamp bases to the wall where a 12-foot valance
>> will act as a shade. The lamps/cords won't be seen. I saw plastic
>> lamp bases (at the BORG) with dual terminals where you can screw in
>> lamp cord, and the lampbase has two screw holes for mounting. When
>> screwed down, the connections are not exposed. Do I need an
>> electrical box for this kind of lamp socket? It would be screwed
>> onto drywall or painted wood. Also, I'd like to know how close a
>> 60w. bulb can (legally/safely) be to a painted wooden surface.
>
>
> In addition to what John just wrote, did you stop to think how you were
> going to avoid crushing the lamp cord when you screwed those sockets to
> the wall?
>
> And what were you planning to use for a switch to turn them on and off?
>
> I'm no code mavin, but I'm not sure the kind of permanant setup you're
> describing could be legally connected to a power source by just plugging a
> cord into a wall outlet either.
>
> You might want to look into Wiremold products to SAFELY get the job done.
> The stuff pictured on this page will show you the possibilities and it
> includes bases for the kinds of sockets you mentioned.
>
I agree, Wiremold or similar would be a better way than barn/carnival style
surface mount exposed wiring. But what he is talking about does exist. See
http://www.doityourself.com/invt/u244715 for an example. Notice the notches
in the side for the 2 strands of wire. This is definitely 1930s tech, IMHO.

aem sends...



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