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The Lamp Post (06) Should I just buy a new lamp?
That is a question that you should answer. Did you like the lamp before it quit? Does it look nice in your location? Does it have sentimental value or was it a gift?
The cost to repair is usually less than the cost of a new lamp and after repairs it will work like it did when it was new. New parts are fairly inexpensive.
Let us know how we can help get that lamp out of the closet and in service again!
The lamp post (05) More Q and A!
Question 1: How do I rewire a lamp?
Answer: Call us 479 222 1402 we only charge $10 labor.
If you really want to "do it yourself", we will show you (as we repair your lamp) what needs to be done, what tools you will need, and what you must do to make sure the repairs are done properly, still $10 labor.
A 15 ft lamp cord is $10, a socket is $5. We can usually fix the lamp at your location (Fort Smith area). If you don't want us to fix it at your location , we will pick-up the lamp, fix it and bring it back to you, still just $10 labor.
Question 2: How do I repair a lamp?
Read the answer above.
We charge $10 labor. We will fix your lamp at your location or ours.
A typical repair is to replace a lamp socket $10 labor and $5 switch /socket. We stock Push / Push switches, Twist on / off switches, Twist 3 ways switches, Pull chain switches and Touch control switches.
If you don't want us in your house, then bring it to our house, call 479 222 1402 for our location in Fort Smith Arkansas.
The lamp post (04)
History of "George & Martha Washington" Lamps:
George and Martha Washington lamps were originally made in the USA of porcelain and popular in the 1940's and 50's.
Most were made with real 22 K gold paint on the scallop handles.
The decorative figures adorning these porcelain lamps actually represent wealthy members of the court of French King Louis XV from around 1765.
George and Martha Washington had nothing to do with these lamps except they both had a similar fashion of dressing which was also common in France during that period.
The figures are usually in various states of romance, picnics, dancing, poetry, singing, playing music.
The original paintings used on many of these lamps were done by the French artist Jean- Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806). At the time Fragonard was well known for his art that was highly sought after by wealthy art patrons of Louis XV's fun loving court.
George and Martha lamp decorations represent Fragonard's more reserved paintings.
George Washington lived from 1732- 1799 and he was alive when the original painting designs were created.
In 1775, Congress appointed Washington commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces. He was later elected and served as President in 1789 - 1797.
One of the very first lamps I repaired was a George and Martha lamp owned by my mother-in-law. I owned it for a time after it was sold at her estate sale it is pictured above.
They are popular but not big sellers, I typically see them go for $30 to $50.
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The The Lamp post 03
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Lamp%20posting
Some highlights of bulbs, lamps and electricity.
Please note that many innovators' were working with early electricity (too many to list here) but these seemed interesting:
In 1802, Humphry Davy invented the first electric incandescent light. He experimented with electricity and invented an electric battery (building on Italian physicist Alessandro Volta invention of the "electric pile"). When he connected wires to his battery and a piece of carbon, the carbon glowed, producing light. He worked with his invention and in 1806 he created the Carbon Electric Arc lamp.
1879 Thomas Edison invented the first practical light bulb, he applied for a patent, it was a Direct Current bulb (like a automotive bulb).
By 1880, he had perfected his invention with a 16-watt DC bulb that lasted for over 1,500 hours.
In 1896 Westinghouse Electric, with the help from inventor Nikola Tesla (a former employee of Thomas Edison) introduced AC electricity, expanding the reach of power plants from a few miles (with DC current) to dozens of miles (with AC current) and 1000s of miles today from the point of electric generation to the usage or load.
The shift from dc to ac technology made larger scale power plants and systems possible.
Nikola Tesla perfected an AC light bulb using a Tungsten filament and he also developed a motor that operated on alternating current, it enabled businesses to run on AC electricity and eliminated the last advantage of Edison's direct current.
In 1907 H.J. Round working on a better vacuum tube published the first known report of the effect of the light-emitting diode (LED). He noted that passage of current through a contact of carborundum (silicon carbide) and other substances a curious phenomenon happened, a yellowish light was produced.
By 1925, about half the country had running electricity in their homes. Those who did not lived in rural areas.
In December of 1951, a nuclear reactor in Idaho’s vast desert was used for electrical power for the first time and had a successful trial run. The technology was not put to practical use until the end the 1950s.
It was in 1962 when Nick Holonyak, Jr. invented the first LED that produced a visible red light while working at General Electric.
In 1968 the first LED display was developed at Hewlett-Packard.
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The Lamp post 02
Two favorite questions I get are:
1. I have a UL lamp, what does that mean?
2. What is a CE product?
I will attempt to answer both here.
UL is not a manufacturer.
A UL stamp is an OK that this product has passed the UL safety rating.
UL (Underwriters Laboratories) was started by William Henry Merrill, Jr. in 1894 as Underwriters Electrical Bureau, later known as the Electrical Bureau of the National Board of Fire Underwriters before becoming UL.
UL was started as a way that Insurance companies could recommend appliance's that would be safer for their customers to use. Back in the late 1800s people were getting electricity installed in homes and business but fires started by faulty appliance's began to climb.
UL became a resource for rating approved (safer) lamps and motorized appliances.
UL was and is a resource for Insurance and Home owners. It helped standardize components and led to not only better working and safer appliances but also less expensive electrical equipment for homes and business's.
Although the organization experienced several name changes throughout its history, its mission to promote safe living and working environments for people remains constant and unchanged.
1901 Underwriters Laboratories (UL) was incorporated in the state of Illinois.
Henry Clay Eddy is named president and William Henry Merrill, Jr., UL’s founder, is named manager of the organization.
Before joining UL, Col. Eddy had a long and successful career as a businessman in the fire protection and insurance industry.
Today they continually check products to ensure they’re up to these standards. UL testing makes sure that wire sizes are correct for devices to handle the amount of current they claim to be able to.
They also ensure that products are constructed correctly for the highest safety.
The three tiers are:
UL Listed
UL Recognized
UL Classified / Certified
If you want to get the UL logo on your stand-alone products, you must get a UL Listed seal of approval.
UL Listed is so much more recognizable to most people because it ensures the safety of consumer-ready products that enter the market.
Far more testing is involved in UL Listed certification.
The UL Listed seal means that the product has been tested by UL to nationally recognized safety and sustainability standards.
Additionally, it has been found to be free from a reasonably foreseeable risk of fire, electric shock in a Division 2 environment. Division 2 environment refers to an area where ignitable concentrations are used.
A UL Listed approval ensures the safety and longevity of many household items under normal wear and tear with everyday use.
This benefits both the consumer and the business that manufactures the product.
This is because of UL’s safety reputation and the inherent accountability of your brand when using the UL Listed logo.
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The biggest difference between UL Recognized and UL Certified or Classified is that it does not apply a seal of approval to end products, it is used for components of a larger mechanism.
UL Recognized certification can be applied to any component part, or even to surrounding / barrier materials.
The UL Recognition is for components and UL Listed is for stand-alone products.
While they both ensure a set of industry standards, they are used for different products and in different capacities.
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CE is a similar organization in the EU that sets standards for common electronics.
CE stands for Comformité Européenne which is French for “European Conformity”.
CE is similar to UL, the main difference being the country in which it is manufactured and sold.
Much like UL, CE gives companies an advantage by being able to sell anywhere within the EU, while also being able to market the CE logo in much the same way. For these reasons, many companies opt to get CE certified to expand their marketing capacities.
Just because a product is not UL (or CE) recognized and tested doesn’t mean it’s going to spontaneously combust. It simply means that its performance and safety haven’t been tested independently and verified to meet those safety standards.
So, don’t immediately assume your products aren’t safe just because it doesn’t have a certification.
It’s never a bad idea to seek out certification when purchasing or designing new electronics and appliances.
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The Lamp Post (01)
Trouble-Shooting lamp problems
1. Will not turn on
a. Try another bulb that does work.
b. Try the lamp in another outlet or try another lamp in the outlet.
c. Does the lamp get moved around a lot? The cord could be a bad. It is about $10 to replace a bad cord and $10 for the cord.
d. Had the switch started to not work for a while? It could be a bad switch. On the same line does the switch take 2 clicks to turn on or off? That would indicate you have a 3 way switch and a two way bulb. It is about $10 to replace a switch and $5 for the switch.
2. Light flickers.
a. if you move the top of the lamp and the light flickers it could be a bad bulb or a wiring connection or switch.
b. if you move the cord and the light flickers could be a bad cord.
No matter what is causing a lamp to fail please just unplug it and get it repaired.
The information was posted with reasonable care and attention. However, it is possible that some information is incomplete, incorrect, or inapplicable to particular circumstances or conditions. We do not accept liability for direct or indirect losses resulting from using, relying or acting upon information in this blog post.
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