Adding a ligh to my pump house

Hello all,

I know it is frowned upon to use a heavy duty extension cord to make plug-in lighting, but I only need the light occasionally in my pump house, rarely actually.

I went to Lowels and they didn't have a ready made, chain pull, light fixture. But the guy sold me a light base you screw a bulb into that works from a pull chain. He said I could use the extension cord to make it plug in ready. So I started searching the internet and found out why it is not recommended. I will say my extention cord is nice, rubber not plastic and heavy weight.

I planned on attaching a light remodel box to the main beam running at the middle of the ceiling. Run the female end of the extension cord into the box and wire up the light fixture as usual. Staple the cord along this beam over to the wall and down to the outlet.

All this to save me from messing in the electrical box with adding breakers and such. I know nothing of wiring, electrical boxes and breakers, but I can splice a cord.

So my light would remain plugged in and secure, and I would only turn it on by the chain occasionally. Is this doable? And why don't they sell a proper wire with plug-in?

Thanks for all your insight,

What you're doing is called "cowboy wiring" (no offense intended to any real cowboys reading this). Not legal, could be dangerous, and will just be one more thing that has to be corrected if/when you try to sell the property.

Why not do it right in the first place? Shouldn't be a big deal running a switched circuit, since you already have 220 v. power (and a breaker box if it was done to code) in the pump house.

Yea it shouldn't be a problem - for someone with experience, but I assure you it would be a problem for me.

So your saying there is no safe way to add a plug - to bad.

If you need a 50W bulb (10W for an LED light) you could use a rechargeable battery and solar panel.
10W for one hour/day is only 10 w-h, a small battery. A one sq. meter solar panel will give you 160w while the sun is out.

Or you could run 12vac from a transformer out to the shed for a bulb.

Thanks, I'll look into that.

Buy a trouble light.

Hmm if you are going to staple an extension cord along the beam and down the wall why not do the same thing with Romex? You just enter the box with the receptacle you were going to plug into?