Please Help! 4 bulb antique floor lap wiring

[Tracy]

I have my great grandmothers 4 bulb floor lamp that has started to make crackling noises in the upper bulb. I would like to rewire all ends. It has me lost as to which wire goes where. Ok.... I also didnt write down everything ( or map it) while taking it apart. :{ Big Mistake!

The 3 lower bulbs connect to the lower turning switch. Turn once for one light on, turn again for 2 lights on, turn again for 3 lights on at once, turn again and all off. The switch has a black, blue and, red wire coming from it.

The upper turning switch is just your basic off and on, but was wired thru the the lower wiring.

I would truly appreciate ANY help on rewiring this properly. A diagram or drawing would make the most sense to me, but any info would really help.

Thank you in advance.....If I havent made anything clear please ask.

Sincerely,

Tracy

[Joseph Meehan]

Since it is old and may have even been replaced before, the only safe way of figuring it out is to use a meter and a small amount of electrical knowledge. Are you replacing that switch? It might be a good thing to do if you can find a replacement that will fit. Try bringing the one you have to a real electrical supply center, one used by the pros. Most cities will have one or more or you might try a large lighting store. I would consider the same for all the sockets.

[Jeff Wisnia]

The way you describe the switch as having only three leads on it, I'd say the the bulb lighting sequence for the first three lights had to be:

*********************

All OFF

#1 ON, #2 & #3 OFF

#1 OFF, #2 & #3 ON

#1, #2 and #3 all ON

All OFF again

********************

So, here goes, without benefit of a meter:

Connect the lamp cord's neutral side (the wide plug blade or ribbed side of the two conductor cord) to the "shell" terminals on ALL four sockets.

Connect the other (hot) side of the lamp cord to the BLACK wire on the lower switch and also to one lead of the upper switch.

Connect the BLUE wire to the #1 bulb socket's "tip" side and the RED wire to the #2 and #3 bulbs sockets's "tip" sides.

connect the other lead from the upper switch to the #4 bulb socket's "tip" terminal.

*****

Now, if the lower switch doesn't control the first three bulbs in the expected fashion, experiment by swapping the three leads on that switch around, starting with RED and BLUE. You can't blow anything up that way, and eventually you'll hit the right combination to control the lights as you described.

HTH,

Jeff

[hallerb]

Note antique lamps were NOT built to todays safety standards some tip over easy. that happened to a friend 125 thousand in home firee damage caused by antique lamp tipping over.

If in doubt cut wire off lamp keep as momento buy new lamp for safety

[hallerb]

Note antique lamps were NOT built to todays safety standards some tip over easy. that happened to a friend 125 thousand in home firee damage caused by antique lamp tipping over.

If in doubt cut wire off lamp keep as momento buy new lamp for safety

[hallerb]

Note antique lamps were NOT built to todays safety standards some tip over easy. that happened to a friend 125 thousand in home firee damage caused by antique lamp tipping over.

If in doubt cut wire off lamp keep as momento buy new lamp for safety

[Tracy]

Thank you, but no worries there. It has a HEAVY cast iron base. It is a really solidly built ornate floor lamp. Its just the wiring that needs reworked. :}

Tracy

[hallerb]

thats good but I think you should upgrade to 3 prong for safety reasons, a ground cant hurt and one day might save a nasty shock or worse

[Tracy]

Thank you so much Jeff for answering my question so thoroughly.

I know I didnt come off as being fairly mechanically inclined in my message, but believe it or not Im pretty handy despite my blonde moments. :} I research and fix most anything, but I could not find any info about wiring this type of lamp.

I am going to be working on it today ad we shall see how it goes.

BTW, I drew a diagram of the wiring and attached it in my first attempt to contact this newsgroup, but I guess attachments arent allowed. :{

Again, thanks so much and Ill let you know how it goes.

Tracy

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

[Michael A. Terrell]

You can post it to news:alt.binaries.schematics.electronic by attaching it as a GIF, JPEG, or other common image file. Then, post a message here giving the name of the post. If you try to post a binary file here, most people will never see it.

[James Sweet]

I know the type he's talking about, they're huge and heavy, quite common and somewhat valuable as well. If in doubt, put compact fluorescents in it. I can't stand to see electrical things used strictly as decoration, it's easy enough to make them work.

[James Sweet]

Why? I haven't even seen a modern lamp with a 3 wire cord on it, just do the wiring carefully.

[hallerb]

ANY lamp can have a wire insulation wear and connect to the case stand or any surface.

most lamps today are filled with plastic parts and probably double insulated like many tools.

this probably isnt the case with a antique lamp....

[mm]

I have a lamp just like yours. Look down into the middle socket. It may be 3-way, and if it is, there is an extra piece of metal in the bottom of the socket. I'm not saying you *should* use a 3-way bulb in it, just that you should know whether you can or not.

3 way bulb sockets are a lot like the switch for the 3 lower bulbs. The 3-way bulbs have 2 filaments, so you start with Off, fil 1, fil 2, fils 1 and 2. If you have a standard bulb or a bulb where fil 2 is broken, you'll see On, Off, On, Off.

[mm]

memento!

Probably a typo but if a mistake, a very common one. I even hear it on TV sometimes from educated people. Momento is Spanish for moment; memento is related iirc to memory.

Stacy's great grandmother might be no older than my mother, who would be 99 now. So while it might be old enough to not be safe, I'm pretty sure my mother's lamp was built to the same standards as now, with the possible exception of the wire's insulation, which might be crumbling, especially, maybe only, where it bends where it goes into the lamp. But Tracy said he's rewiring it.

[meow2222]

no comment

Given the lack of wiring info, I'd start by taking a modern bulbholder

• wire and attaching its 2 wires temporarily to each and every combination of switch output wires. Write it all down and you've mapped exactly what the switch is doing. Now if you know which bulbs are to come on at each switch setting, its easy to see what holders need to connect to where.

I trust you'll ignore all advice to replace with modern parts. Honestly.

I dont know how old this is, but if its really 99 years old it might be a safety hazard. Things before the 1920s were commonly quite clueless safety wise, with bare live bits not unusual at that time. 2 possible ways to deal with the situation are:

a) use sleeving around the internal wiring to double insulate it. b) add an enamelled copper wire to the lamp chassis and wind it along the mains lead back to the plug. Enamelled copper is close to invisible.

If any of the visible wiring is crumbling you can get new cloth covered twisted wire. Beware of substituting pvc as rubber is much more heat tolerant, and its possible the wires may go somewhere pvc couldnt handle.

Finally check its got some sort of cordgrip, its almost always easy to make one out of sight under the base.

NT

[Sam Goldwasser]

If you're the type who throw everything out every 5 years, then your lamps are made of plastic, already had no value when purchased, and probably melt down with anything above a 60 W (normal) bulb.

There are millions upon millions of older (not antique) lamps in homes that are mostly metal and could actually take 100 W bulbs without damage. :) When rewired with properly, they are safe.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ:

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[Tracy]

I want to thank everyone for their advice and help. All messages were read and very much appreciated.

Miss Tracy followed Jeffs accurate and concise directions and everything went together very well. Thank you! Thank You!

My lamp now has a bright and shiney 15' UL approved cord, all socket wiring replaced, and a new 3 way upper bulb socket. I still need to replace the diffuser, which was broken in the recent move. Then I will be set.

The lamp is quite beautiful and very much worth the time in rewiring.

Again, Thanks for all the great input. Its friendly and helpful people like you who make the world a better place. :} I wish I could send you all some freshly baked brownies!!!! :}

Tracy

Jeff Wisnia wrote: