My cat, my now limping cat:), knocked my lamp and everything else off my night stand. Now, my touch lamp doesn't respond to my touch. It comes on when plugged in but that's it. Anyone know if those replacement sensors are the answer? Thanks Don
what replacement sensors ??? there is probably just a loose connection now...
the components that do the actual sensing and switching are board level components that most likely were not damaged in the fall...look for a single wire or some other connection from the lamp body to the board on the lamp....its probably loose
Most likely it is nothing more than a loose wire. If you can open it up and find where the touch sensitive switch is, you should find a small wire that connects to the metal part of the lamp. Likely that wire is broken or disconnected.
I was given a touch-sensitive lamp years ago as a gift and the company included a slip of paper with it telling how one might order a replacement control module but, of course, I no longer have the paper. But, as others have written the most likely problem is a loose connection. Of course there is the very slight chance that the module itself might really be defective if, for example, the bulbs were energized at the time of the fall and the impact with the floor caused a bulb to short momentarily frying the triac which feeds the bulbs.
Sorry but the folks who answered before me have a slim chance of having given you a correct answer..
What most likely happened is that when the lamp fell over the bulb filament blew with the dreaded "tungsten arc" effect* which drew enough current to "punch through" the triac in the module, which gates current to the bulb, so that component is now shorted.
What you need to do is buy a new touch switch module, like this one or something similar, and replace the shorted one that's in your lamp:
I put fuses in all four of our touch switch lamps a few years ago when I got tired of the modules getting zapped by a bulb burning out, which seemed to happen on about every third bulb failure. I haven't lost a touch switch module since putting those fuses in.
Jeff
*The filament breaks, and an arc forms between the broken ends. Vaporized metal spreads out and fills the bulb envelope, or at least the volume right around the filament. It not only conducts between the broken ends, it conducts from every point on the filament and lead wires to every other point, effectively shorting out the filament. The current can be tremendous, up to hundreds of times normal lamp current. The current surge can even trip standard 15 A breakers.HEY THANKS!!!! I have a dusk to dawn pole lamp, its great but the sensor fails on a regular basis. I had NEVER thought of a fuse:( Will put one in the work box that feeds the pole.
Hopefully that will end the sensor failure, they are like $15 and easy to change but I must have replaced at least 10, likely more over the last 12 years, had a rental home with the same sensor and same failure problem..
I think much the same arc short occurs on the tiny control board of the light sensor, that happens to the touch switch.
Jeff Wisnia wrote: ..
My guess is it did not arc. Remember the OP wrote: " It comes on when plugged in but that's it" He did not say anything about the lamp burning out.
However it certainly is possible that you are correct and in that case, it does mean a new module. I was able to get one for a few dollars at Lowes. You could even buy the cheapest touch device you can find and cannibalize it.
solid state stuff can and does fail always on.....
Maybe the OP will give us the full story on that the bulb, but it's quite a stretch to envision how a fall and a resulting "loose connection" would make the lamp stay on continuously.
It'd take making a solid electrical connection between the "power in" and the "to the bulb" leads on the module, which I think you'll agree isn't too likely, Joseph. Unless maybe the original wiring inside the lamp was really shoddy and the tumble caused two wirenuts to fall off and the wires they served then touched each other and stayed that way. Nah, that's too much of a stretch, isn't it?
Jeff
I'm the OP and both bulbs blew out on impact with the floor. I replaced them and they work, but, nothing happens when I touch the lamp. I have to plug or unplug to get light. I ordered a new sensor. I like the arc theory. Being the home repair genius that I am, I opened up the sensor case and touched the board to the metal plate under the lamp, while it was on. I about shit and jumped about 2 feet when the sparks started , good thing I was holding an insulated wire at the time. Thanks for all the help, again.
Yea, I thought that at the time. It was a bit of a stretch, but I wonder if the modular had come loose (I have seen them loose) it may have pulled a wire when dropped.
That pretty much means Jeff was right.
Your answer was great especially the suggestion to install an inline fuse to prevent tungsten arcing, which is what failed our lamp. The good thing about our failure is that our next lamp will be protected by a fuse and it will have a lamp shade designed for our grandson (without flowers).
Thanks
I had that same pole light sensor failure, and one night the pole light sen sor turned on, the incandescent bulb went super brite and burned out. So I went out with a new bulb and found the sensor fried again:( light wouldnt t urn on:(
So I replaced the sensor, I kept them in stock, thought about it a bit and installed a CFL, its been like 10 years. although the CFLs MUST be the dimm able type, since the sensor flickers at start up sometimes. non dimmable CF Ls dont last on a pole light sensor.
just recently I upgraded again to a Cree LED bulb. 60 watts illuminates way too brite. I am on the way to get a 40 watt and one for the front door.
I wouldnt install fuses in the lamp circuit, they would be a pain to replac e.
better to use a CFL or LED, or install a relay so the light sensors board d oesnt carry the lights actual current.
Which wire is the hot feed?
one word: voltage detector.
You;ve not included any context with your query.
The NEUTRAL wire is the "wide" conductor ("pin") on the plug (assuming a two-pronged plug). The other will be a bit narrower.
At the lamp socket, it is the "silver" screw (the other -- HOT -- will be golden).
It is also connected to the threaded portion of the lamp socket (the part that makes the bulb look like a giant screw). The "tit" on the end of the bulb is the HOT connection.
[As a mnemonic, consider how much harder it would be to put your finger IN the socket and JUST touch that center tab without touching the sourrounding threaded portion. Then, think of the reverse: how much easier it would be to (accidentally!) touch the threaded portion. You want to make it as difficult/unlikely as possible to accidentally come in contact with anything "hot"]The NEUTRAL *wire* in a typical "zip" cord (the two side-by-side conductors you often see in two conductor cords) is marked with "ribs" -- like a raised stripe that runs down the length of ONE conductor. For transparent cords, often the two conductors are different colors (silver and gold).
Of course, all bets are off if a DIYer got to it before you and failed to understand the differences...
Likewise, if the outlet was miswired...
Oren posted for all of us...
You are cracking me up today. I'll have to start reading all the messages before I add my astute comments because you have already tackled the problem. Very proactive!
replying to Jeff Wisnia, ashmae wrote: what if you have replaced it and it did not get knocked over but after a month stops working agian
ANOTHER dipshit from HomeOwnersHub that cannot read dates of these TWELVE YEAR OLD POSTS.
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