HI folks,

My wife picked up a lamp at a yard sale. It has three "night-light-sized" bulbs at the base behind glass, then a small glass table / shelf, then the main stalk, and one large 3-way light at the top (with lamp shade).

The problem is that the 3 lights at the bottom never worked, although they were "good". There is only a single switch on the entire set-up (cord or lamp) -- and that switch is the standard turn-style lamp socket at the top.

I disconnected the top and bottom of the lamp to inspect the wiring to the various lights. The lamp cord enters at the bottom, the "whites" of the 3 mini-lights are connected with the "white" from the cord (which of course is not white). One white, one red, and one black wire run up the stalk to the top lamp. The hot lamp wire coming in from the bottom of the lamp is connected to a red wire that runs to the top of the lamp to power the socket. A black wire runs from the top back to the bottom, and connects to all the black wires from the 3 mini-lights to run those. The white wire in the stalk also connects to the socket, and the other white bundle below...

I noticed that the black wire at the top of the lamp had become disconnected, so that's why the 3 lights at the bottom were dead. My problem is that I don't know how to connect it to the lamp socket to give the three lights juice only when the socket switch is turned. I tried wiring it with the red (combined red and black at the socket), but of course that just caused the 3 mini-lights at the bottom to be lit all the time, and not controlled by the socket.

So -- what do I need to do to get the lamp socket switch at the top to control the 3 lights at the bottom AND the main light at the top? I'm assuming this is how the lamp was intended to work..

THANKS!

--Stacy Peterson
Eagle River, Alaska

Stact - I believe what happened is that someone has changed the actual light socket and you need to go to your clocsal elect, supply store,tellthe person there what you have and they will get you the right type of socket to install in the lamp and he also will show you how to make your elect. Hookups to the socket so that it will work right. Just a reg light socket will not work for this kind of light, Good Luck and have a good day, Do yopu really need a lamp this time of the year, isn't it the 6mo's of daylight at this time? ::: F.B.E.

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Originally Posted by Flying Blue Eagle

Stact - I believe what happened is that someone has changed the actual light socket and you need to go to your clocsal elect, supply store,tellthe person there what you have and they will get you the right type of socket to install in the lamp and he also will show you how to make your elect. hookups to the socket so that it will work right. Just a reg light socket will not work for this kind of light ,. Good Luck and have a good day, Do yopu really need a lamp this time of the year, isnt it the 6mo's of daylight at this time ?? ::: F.B.E.

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Thank you very much for your response, F.B.E. I'll head to the electric supply store and see what they can offer me. I can do basic wiring in a house, but sockets are brand new to me -- but I figured there was a special one to work in this case...

You're right about not really needing a lamp! We're "low" enough in latitude that we still get "dusk" at night (Anchorage, Alaska area), but it is indeed short!

Cheers,

--Stacy

Can you post a pic of the lamp? Does the base have a small hole where a switch could be mounted? I agree that the lamp has most likely been modified or repaired. The only way to make the night light work without a separate switch would be to solder the black wire to one of the terminals in the bulb holder. I believe the center one is the low setting.

Look inside the bulb holder. You should see two terminals that make contact with the bulb. I believe there is a cardboard disk insulator that the terminals project through. Remove the outer brass covering and the cardboard inner insulator tube. If you can attach (solder) the black wire to the center terminal the night light bulbs will burn when the switch is on. This would, however, would have to be done beneath the cardboard insulator. Probably no possible.

This is not logical however, why have a night light that only burns when the lamp is on. Look for place where push button type switch could have been put in base.

The switch at the top-- how many wires does it have, and where are they connected? Or is it part of the socket?

It doesn't sound like any of the sockets are incorrect, it sounds as though either the switch is, there isn't a switch for the bottom lights, or it's not wired correctly.

Trochilids - How did you come out on the lamp? did you get it fixedI had a pole lamd years ago, that was that way and when it went bad it took a special light socket to fix it so that it all worked. Come back on and let uis all know . Have a good day and GOD BLESS ::F.B.E.

Trochilids, did you get this worked out?. And do you have a pic of the lamp that I may see?

Hello Stacy,

Welcome to this forum. I tried to send a PM but you are blocked.

My sister Sue and her husband Jim live in Eagle Creek. Sue and Jim Farrell, if you should bounce into them say hello for me, please.

Don

Stacy, it's been a while since I've been on the site - did you get your floor lamp re-wired correctly (do the bottom lights come on)?

Gary D.

The black wire at the top must be the 'traveler' that takes the switched power back down to the three candelabra-sized lights at the bottom; it must be attached to the 'other side' of the switch from the red wire. Without seeing the socket I couldn't say how, though I suspect that there is a small hokle on the side of the lamp near the upper light that used to hold a switch to turn the various lights on & off.