Gallery of Lights

Lamps => Vintage => Topic started by: Phil1995 on February 13, 2013, 01:02:23 PM

Title: Bought this lamp! and having some little bugs!
Post by: Phil1995 on February 13, 2013, 01:02:23 PM

Hi! I dont know how old is this small lamp but I like the design. Grabbed this at a salvanation army. There is 2 bulbs in there: One under the shade(missing on this lamp) and one little 4 watts nightlight bulb in the base.
(http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv267/phil1995/P1430234.jpg)
(http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv267/phil1995/P1430235.jpg)

Seems like there is a bug with that switch. Normally on these type of lamp, there is three way to light them: only the "big light", only the base or both bulbs at the same time. Looks like there is only two on mine on mine: " ways are the same, and the third click light both, but at a very low intensity. Anybody know why?
(http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv267/phil1995/P1430236.jpg)

Update: I've tried with another type of ligghtbulb and Instead of both lighting up very fairly, now only the base lights up at normal intensity. but still, you cant have both to light up at the same time...
(http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv267/phil1995/P1430243.jpg)

Here the shade I've grab for it, at a lamp store, for 20$
(http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv267/phil1995/P1430238.jpg)

here's a video, if it can help: http://s690.beta.photobucket.com/user/phil1995/media/P1430239.mp4

Title: Re: Bought this lamp! and having some little bugs!
Post by: Jace the Gull on February 13, 2013, 10:13:29 PM

If you unscrew one lightbulb (one taken out) will the other one still light up? Just wondering because perhaps both sockets are wired series? Not sure about that....but nice find

Title: Re: Bought this lamp! and having some little bugs!
Post by: vaporeyes on March 13, 2013, 09:52:03 PM

Strange. I have a table lamp with the same configuration. It has a nightlight incandescent lamp in the base and I'm using a magnetic circline adapter for the main lamp under the shade. The switch operates the same - nightlight on first click, then main lamp, then both. I'm wondering if someone wired in a new switch and didn't do it right, essentially tying the two lamps in series on the 3rd setting, as Jace mentioned.

Title: Re: Bought this lamp! and having some little bugs!
Post by: GEsoftwhite100watts on March 24, 2013, 04:30:00 PM

But if it's wired in series then why when he tried it with another bulb did it not light both but lit the night light at full brightness? Unless maybe something in that particular bulb shorted? (I've screwed socket-to-outlet and socket-to-light-socket-with-two outlet adapters and magnetic circline adapters with their weird bases and if they're screwed in just the right way it will short...but if it's in series then theorectically that wouldn't happen...
Or maybe the switch is finnicky and should be replaced.

Title: Re: Bought this lamp! and having some little bugs!
Post by: A_lights on April 06, 2013, 08:38:19 PM

i just replaced a switch on a lamp for someone who had a faulty switch that controlled the bottom lamp and the normal medium base (NON 3-way) lamp.  it sounds like someone wired it so that the 3rd click wires them in series, they meant to have the incoming neutral to both bottom and top lamp , best way to fix this is to use a multi-meter and make a diagram