touch lamp queries

[mikengac]

I've just had two bulbs in two separate touch lamps fail. I've replaced the bulbs and checked the fuses but neither will work.

I took the bottom off one of the lamps and discovered two plastic boxes about an inch square with various wires going into them, but both were sealed with hot glue and didn't seem as if they were going to open easily (and I'm not sure what I'd find if I got in there).

Is there any way to get them working again or are they destined for the B&Q returns desk? (They're six months old, I've got the receipt and I think they should last a bit longer than that.)

Also, when they were working and plugged into the upstairs power circuit, these lights would sometimes turn themselves on when the bathroom light was switched off. The bathroom light is on the upstairs lighting circuit. We have a fuse box that dates from the 1960's with rewirable fuse carriers but the house has been rewired since then and is in good order as far as I know. Anyone know why a change on one circuit should cause the touch lamps to switch?

Thanks for any advice.

[Mike Harrison]

Clearly not fit for purpose so shouldn't be a problem returning them

They may have internal fuses (possibly a thin circuit board track or wire-link). or the switching element probably a small triac) may be dead.

Touch lamps are inherently sensitive to interference as they need to be sensitive to the low-current signal generated by touching them.

[Al]

We've got loads of "Carramar" brand touch lights around the house and never had any problems with them (apart from blowing fuses with one particular batch of bulbs).

Sounds to me like they are faulty.

Al.

[petek]

Just as a matter of interest we have a small "touch" table lamp on top of the television. The lamp switches on/off by touch and also changes brightness level by touch. When we turn on the television the lamp turns on (or off if it's already on). Sometimes when changing channels with the remote control the lamp also switches a brightness level up. I presume it's something to do with changes in the magnetic field around the TV which is switching the lamp. So, a change in the power circuit mentioned in the original post may be creating a small change in the magnetic field which is being picked up by the lamp. Does this sound logical or am I way off the mark?

[Rumble]

petek said the following on 24/01/2006 21:20:

Actually, it's the change in electrostatic field around the telly that affects the touch lamp. The sensor for the lamp is very high impedance.

HTH