Exploding Lamps

[orlandoiam]

Hello, I'm not sure how many of you are living in "dinky Bangkok apartments with fluorescent lights," but I am. I have taken it upon myself to change this one aspect of my apartments (as I have moved) by buying some nice lamps. I believe one's sanity is assured in a well lit room.

The problem I've had though is that after about 6 months the lamps continually short out. I'll turn them on and they suddenly send off a loud pop-- And once they've shorted out I can't get them working again. These are lamps I've bought at various locations, Big C, Central etc. etc. Well to my dismay, my 2000B reading lamp just shorted (with a loud popping noise again) the other day, and I've had enough. Does anyone know where I can get my lamps fixed (as yes, I've now accumulated 4 of them)--

I live in Bangkok, the Huaii Kwaang area, but I'm willing to troop up and down the city just to get these things working again... because I'm really tired of buying new lamps. And to me it seems obscene to pay 2000 baht for a lamp, only to have it retire itself after such a short time. Any advice or electrician? addresses are welcome.

[lopburi3]

I am not sure if I am reading right but you buy a lamp fixture that has a bulb in it and after six months it burns out with a pop? You then purchase a new bulb and replace it but it does not work? You don't mention what type of bulb or even that you use a bulb.

I would use the screw base florescent lamps and if you like the yellow fire type light you can now buy that type (check the making on the package). The price is only a little over 100 baht now and they will last much longer than incandescent lamps.

[karazyal]

Hello, I'm not sure how many of you are living in "dinky Bangkok apartments with fluorescent lights," but I am. I have taken it upon myself to change this one aspect of my apartments (as I have moved) by buying some nice lamps. I believe one's sanity is assured in a well lit room.

The problem I've had though is that after about 6 months the lamps continually short out. I'll turn them on and they suddenly send off a loud pop-- And once they've shorted out I can't get them working again. These are lamps I've bought at various locations, Big C, Central etc. etc. Well to my dismay, my 2000B reading lamp just shorted (with a loud popping noise again) the other day, and I've had enough. Does anyone know where I can get my lamps fixed (as yes, I've now accumulated 4 of them)--

I live in Bangkok, the Huaii Kwaang area, but I'm willing to troop up and down the city just to get these things working again... because I'm really tired of buying new lamps. And to me it seems obscene to pay 2000 baht for a lamp, only to have it retire itself after such a short time. Any advice or electrician? addresses are welcome.

*

If I understand you, you have a lamp and after a while the lamp fails to work and trying a different bulb confirms that the problem is the lamp (and of course it is plugged in!) Plugging in a different lamp into the same outlet confirms (by lighting up) that it's not the outlet and the problem is in the lamp!

Unless you got some fancy electronic doohicky you either have a screw in bulb or one of those lousy push and twist bulbs. (You can buy a cheap circuit tester for around 40 baht in a discount electric/electronics supply company, I bought one in Pattaya last year. Looks like a screwdriver, lights up when a wire is live.)

Rodents chewing the cord, or any furniture that has damaged the cord is ruled out. You probably have a faulty switch, or the wires inside the socket housing are burned or pulled off the screw contacts. Unplug the lamp, figure out how to disassemble the socket housing (either a screw or they pull apart, or both. Inside you will usually have two wires in a cheap lamp or perhaps a third wire for a ground. See if the wires are still connected or burned/pulled off. Strip off the rubber a little and expose some fresh wire and make a new connection. I sometimes put some black electricians tape around the screws.

Or the switch is bad. Go to an electrician section of the hardward store, bring the old switch and find a replacement. Lamps are usually easy to fix, power has got to reach the light bulb, if the cord is good, most likely it's the switch or a broken wire.

Now if you have a flourescent light, that's different. Ballast, fuses, starters and all of the above may apply.

Have fun.

[orlandoiam]

Hi, thanks for the replies! I figured it out! Well, actually my boyfriend figured it out. Apparently the problem was in the cord. He bought a second cord, which was plugged into the bad cord and now the electricity goes to the bulb. Or something.... As he explained it, the electricity was turning left-- while it should have been going straight. And now, the electricity is apparently going straight again.

Thanks! By the way, if anyone has a similiar problem, you can buy these cords at Central.

[lampard10]

I only explode in very extreme circumstances

Actually it doesn't matter where you buy, or if the building is dirty or not. It has happened a couple of times in the FC. Frightened the life out of a couple of customers. It's one of those things. It does seem to happen mostly with traffic lights though.

Edited May 9, 2006 by lampard10

[taxexile]

As he explained it, the electricity was turning left-- while it should have been going straight. And now, the electricity is apparently going straight again.

neither franklin , faraday nor edison himself could have explained it any clearer than that.

reminds me of the engineer on koh samui who , when asked why the phone wasnt working in the house at the top of the hill replied that electricity wont go uphill.

[lampard10]

As he explained it, the electricity was turning left-- while it should have been going straight. And now, the electricity is apparently going straight again.

neither franklin , faraday nor edison himself could have explained it any clearer than that.

reminds me of the engineer on koh samui who , when asked why the phone wasnt working in the house at the top of the hill replied that electricity wont go uphill.

Also explains why some of the traffic lights are knackered