Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!uxc!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!m.cs.uiuc.edu!irwin
From: irwin@m.cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Mechanical Light Timer Problem
Message-ID: <21000023@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: 31 May 89 14:11:00 GMT
References: <40651@bbn.COM>
Lines: 50
Nf-ID: #R:bbn.COM:40651:m.cs.uiuc.edu:21000023:000:2459
Nf-From: m.cs.uiuc.edu!irwin    May 31 09:11:00 1989


/* Written  4:22 pm  May 30, 1989 by news@bbn.COM in m.cs.uiuc.edu:sci.electronics */
/* ---------- "Mechanical Light Timer Problem" ---------- */
>For several years, I have been using a mechanical timer from Sears 
>to control a table lamp.  This has allowed me to have lighting when 
>I come home without operating the light all day. 

>About a year ago, a lamp I had attached to the timer failed.  It 
>would not supply power to the bulb, even when plugged directly into 
>a wall outlet.  I gave up on it, figuring it was a cheap lamp.

>The lamp I bought to take its place has just failed.  The switch on 
>the socket now requires jiggling to get it to throw, and there is 
>crackling in the housing once it is on.  The timer is rated for 15A 
>load.  The lamps were both simple incandescents.  Lamp failure in
>both cases was followed a string of short-lived bulbs (GE Watt Miser
>70 and 90-watt bulbs in 100-watt fixtures).  Switches for each were
>socket-mounted.

>Is it possible that the mechanical timer is causing damage to the
>lamp switches?  Could a bouncy timer switch generate impulses that
>would damage the contacts in the lamp switch?  Has anyone else had
>this problem?

>				-Jim.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Jim Gonzalez				AT&T: 617-873-2937
>BBN Systems and Technologies Corp. 	ARPA: gonzalez@bbn.com
>Cambridge, Massachusetts		UUCP: ...seismo!bbn!gonzalez
----------------------------------------------------------------------
/* End of text from m.cs.uiuc.edu:sci.electronics */

I doubt if the timer has anything to do with the failure of the
switches. Lamp switches seem to be underdesigned and are notorious
for having problems. There are two common types of lamp switches,
one rotates and the other is a push type, push in on one side to
turn it on and push in on the other side to turn it off. I find
the push type to be the more reliable of the two. You can purchase
these types of sockets/switches at the hardware. You could replace
the socket with one of these if you feel that you DO want a switch
on the lamp, of course you have to reach up into the shade to reach
the switch. A no switch socket could be used and a good quality
toggle switch could be mounted in the base of the lamp also.

Since your timer turns the lamp on and off, why don't you remove
the switch and wire direct from the lamp power plug to the bulb
socket, if the switch is external to the socket??

--al--