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Hello to all.
As another weekend project came to mind, the better half and I decided to
rewire two lamps we love(circa 1970,s). Plus patch the pottery on them.
They are standard type(They look like grecian urns-and made of pottery).
They were originally 3 way, but rewired about ten years ago to one
way.
We decided we now need the 3 way back.
So we purchsed the sockets and wire, and rewired, pretty simple, and
works great as 3 way. (50,100,150)
We then decided we wanted to have an on and off switch on the wire at
base of lamp, so we dont have to reach
under shade to turn on and off.
Hopefully some switch that can do 3 way.
So we puchased a switch, that would do on and off, but when connected
to wiring, it did its job, but we lose the 3 way. Its just a one way.
Can anyone advise, on a type of wiring switch, that can be used to
adjust 3 way, plus on and off, or at least keep the 3 way function, and
work as and on and off.
Hope I didnt confuse anyone.

Thanks and much regards


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On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 01:53:27 GMT, "J.Lef" wrote:

Hello to all.
As another weekend project came to mind, the better half and I decided to
rewire two lamps we love(circa 1970,s). Plus patch the pottery on them.
They are standard type(They look like grecian urns-and made of pottery).
They were originally 3 way, but rewired about ten years ago to one
way.
We decided we now need the 3 way back.
So we purchsed the sockets and wire, and rewired, pretty simple, and
works great as 3 way. (50,100,150)
We then decided we wanted to have an on and off switch on the wire at
base of lamp, so we dont have to reach
under shade to turn on and off.
Hopefully some switch that can do 3 way.
So we puchased a switch, that would do on and off, but when connected
to wiring, it did its job, but we lose the 3 way. Its just a one way.
Can anyone advise, on a type of wiring switch, that can be used to
adjust 3 way, plus on and off, or at least keep the 3 way function, and
work as and on and off.
Hope I didnt confuse anyone.

Thanks and much regards


I don't see how you could have affected the switching of the lamp that
works as a 3-way by adding an inline switch in the lamp cord.

I could be wrong. It happens regularly.

Are you sure you are using a 3 way lamps?

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I don't see how you could have affected the switching of the lamp that
works as a 3-way by adding an inline switch in the lamp cord.

I could be wrong. It happens regularly.

Are you sure you are using a 3 way lamps?


Hi Terry:
We initially rewired them with 3 way sockets, and
worked perfectly. On adding the inline switch(which turns them on and off
fine), we lose any adjustability on the socket switch. If we turn the socket
switch, we get on and off only. No progression.

Thanks



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J.Lef wrote:

Hello to all.
As another weekend project came to mind, the better half and I
decided to rewire two lamps we love(circa 1970,s). Plus patch the
pottery on them. They are standard type(They look like grecian
urns-and made of pottery). They were originally 3 way, but
rewired about ten years ago to one way. We decided we now
need the 3 way back. So we purchsed the sockets and wire, and
rewired, pretty simple, and works great as 3 way. (50,100,150) We
then decided we wanted to have an on and off switch on the wire at
base of lamp, so we dont have to reach under shade to turn on and
off. Hopefully some switch that can do 3 way. So we
puchased a switch, that would do on and off, but when connected to
wiring, it did its job, but we lose the 3 way. Its just a one way.
Can anyone advise, on a type of wiring switch, that can be used to
adjust 3 way, plus on and off, or at least keep the 3 way function,
and work as and on and off. Hope I didnt confuse anyone.

Thanks and much regards


well... as far as I know the three-way function is an internal setup
of the socket, never heard of a socket where you do it external
to the socket. rw

--

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"J.Lef" wrote in message
Hopefully some switch that can do 3 way.
So we puchased a switch, that would do on and off, but when
connected to wiring, it did its job, but we lose the 3 way. Its just a one
way.
Can anyone advise, on a type of wiring switch, that can be used to
adjust 3 way, plus on and off, or at least keep the 3 way function, and
work as and on and off.
Hope I didnt confuse anyone.


The three way function takes place at the socket. Base and line switches
just break the current at one wire to turn them off and on. I don't know of
any switches that will do what you want. Of course, using a line switch you
can turn it off and on so as long as the last setting is what you want,
there is no reaching under the shade.

You may find a dimmer switch that will give you variable lighting with a
150W bulb.




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"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message news:0Jykj.90071$Um6. The
three way function takes place at the socket. Base and line switches
just break the current at one wire to turn them off and on. I don't know
of any switches that will do what you want. Of course, using a line
switch you can turn it off and on so as long as the last setting is what
you want, there is no reaching under the shade.


Thanks Edwin. I understand what you are saying, but
when I install a line switch, which turns it on and off, I am losing the 3
way options on the the lamp socket as well. Before installing line switch,
I had 3 way. After installing line switch, I only have on and off, no matter
if I try the lamp socket, or line switch.
Can you figure whats going wrong, or are there certain
line switches for three way bulbs?
Thanks


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On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:41:33 GMT, "J.Lef" wrote:


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message news:0Jykj.90071$Um6. The
three way function takes place at the socket. Base and line switches
just break the current at one wire to turn them off and on. I don't know
of any switches that will do what you want. Of course, using a line
switch you can turn it off and on so as long as the last setting is what
you want, there is no reaching under the shade.


Thanks Edwin. I understand what you are saying, but
when I install a line switch, which turns it on and off, I am losing the 3
way options on the the lamp socket as well. Before installing line switch,
I had 3 way. After installing line switch, I only have on and off, no matter
if I try the lamp socket, or line switch.
Can you figure whats going wrong, or are there certain
line switches for three way bulbs?
Thanks


It can't behave as you say.

Look at this drawing.
http://www.juddley.com/3_way_lamp_logic.htm

The inline switch you put in breaks the black wire only. Nothing you
do can change the arrangement in the lamp.

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On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 01:53:27 GMT, "J.Lef" wrote:

Hello to all.
As another weekend project came to mind, the better half and I decided to
rewire two lamps we love(circa 1970,s). Plus patch the pottery on them.
They are standard type(They look like grecian urns-and made of pottery).
They were originally 3 way, but rewired about ten years ago to one
way.
We decided we now need the 3 way back.
So we purchsed the sockets and wire, and rewired, pretty simple, and
works great as 3 way. (50,100,150)
We then decided we wanted to have an on and off switch on the wire at
base of lamp, so we dont have to reach
under shade to turn on and off.
Hopefully some switch that can do 3 way.
So we puchased a switch, that would do on and off, but when connected
to wiring, it did its job, but we lose the 3 way. Its just a one way.
Can anyone advise, on a type of wiring switch, that can be used to
adjust 3 way, plus on and off, or at least keep the 3 way function, and
work as and on and off.
Hope I didnt confuse anyone.

Thanks and much regards

The most likely cause is that one of your filaments has burned out in
the lamp.

Try another 3 way lamp.

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J.Lef wrote:
Hi Terry:
We initially rewired them with 3 way sockets, and
worked perfectly. On adding the inline switch(which turns them on and off
fine), we lose any adjustability on the socket switch. If we turn the socket
switch, we get on and off only. No progression.

Thanks




That simply is not physically possible.

As the secondary poster wrote:

"Are you sure that yoiu are using three way bulbs?"

and

"Are you sure you installed a three way socket?"

Post and provide a link to pictures of the bulb base and the interior of
the
replacement socket you installed.
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J.Lef wrote:
Hopefully some switch that can do 3 way.
So we puchased a switch, that would do on and off, but when
connected to wiring, it did its job, but we lose the 3 way. Its just
a one way. Can anyone advise, on a type of wiring switch, that
can be used to adjust 3 way, plus on and off, or at least keep the 3 way
function,
and work as and on and off.
Hope I didnt confuse anyone.

Thanks and much regards


Understand how a three-way switch and bulb work. The bulb has two filaments,
not one: a 50-watt and a 100-watt (or some other combination).

The single power line coming in to the socket is directed, via the switch,
to the 50-watt filament, or to the 100-watt filament, or to both. Hence,
three different possibilities.

Nothing you can do on the incoming single wire will influcence how the
switch is set.

Look at the base of a three-way bulb. It's different.




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As always, you guys are the best. You are right and the
fault is on our end.

For some reason, it seems that the 3 way bulbs got a bit loosened. They
were turning on and off, but not three way.
We cut off the inline switch first, and connected the cut
wire. The lamp was still one way. I went to look at lamp socket,to make
sure everything was tight, and gave the bulb about a half a turn. That did
the trick. It seems if the bulb is not completely tightened it would turn on
and off, but lost three way.
So we had to put the inline switches back on again and
everything is fine.
Never had 3 ways that were that sensitive, that they would work
one way, unless sufficienty tightened. It must have something to do with the
new sockets we put on, and they really need a very tight bulb fit to work 3
way.

Thanks for everyone who helped.

That simply is not physically possible.

As the secondary poster wrote:

"Are you sure that yoiu are using three way bulbs?"

and

"Are you sure you installed a three way socket?"

Post and provide a link to pictures of the bulb base and the interior of
the
replacement socket you installed.



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"J.Lef" wrote in message
news:Npzkj.101$ec.76@trndny02...

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message news:0Jykj.90071$Um6.
The three way function takes place at the socket. Base and line switches
just break the current at one wire to turn them off and on. I don't know
of any switches that will do what you want. Of course, using a line
switch you can turn it off and on so as long as the last setting is what
you want, there is no reaching under the shade.


Thanks Edwin. I understand what you are saying, but
when I install a line switch, which turns it on and off, I am losing the 3
way options on the the lamp socket as well. Before installing line
switch, I had 3 way. After installing line switch, I only have on and off,
no matter if I try the lamp socket, or line switch.
Can you figure whats going wrong, or are there certain
line switches for three way bulbs?
Thanks



OK, I did not understand that. What type of switch did you use? Any that
I'm aware of just break the hot wire and should have no affect on anything
else. It may be coincidence that while putting in the switch you banged the
bulb and one filament broke or something got loose in the socket. I don't
see any physical way the line switch should have any affect at all.


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J.Lef wrote:
Hello to all.
As another weekend project came to mind, the better half and I decided to
rewire two lamps we love(circa 1970,s). Plus patch the pottery on them.
They are standard type(They look like grecian urns-and made of pottery).
They were originally 3 way, but rewired about ten years ago to one
way.


Why would you change them to one way? A 3-way works with ordinary lamps.


We decided we now need the 3 way back.
So we purchsed the sockets and wire, and rewired, pretty simple, and
works great as 3 way. (50,100,150)
We then decided we wanted to have an on and off switch on the wire at
base of lamp, so we dont have to reach
under shade to turn on and off.
Hopefully some switch that can do 3 way.
So we puchased a switch, that would do on and off, but when connected
to wiring, it did its job, but we lose the 3 way. Its just a one way.
Can anyone advise, on a type of wiring switch, that can be used to
adjust 3 way, plus on and off, or at least keep the 3 way function, and
work as and on and off.
Hope I didnt confuse anyone.

Thanks and much regards


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So much thanks to all you knowledgable folks. Just to conclude, in a
previous post, I found what the problem was, and it was user error, and not
the wires.
It turns out the bulb, really needs to be screwed in real
tight(tighter then normal) for the 3 way to function.
The one was functions under normal(tightness) but the 3 was needed
really to be set tightly in to function.
I supposes when moving lamps to put the line switch in, the bulbs
might have not been set in very tightly, and loosesend just a bit(maybee a
quarter turn), and that was the problem.
A lot of extra work for nothing. LOL

Thanks and much regards


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On Jan 20, 8:04*am, "J.Lef" wrote:

snip


* * * It turns out the bulb, really needs to be screwed in real
tight(tighter then normal) for the 3 way to function.
* * * *The one was functions under normal(tightness) but the 3 was needed
really to be set tightly in to function.


snip

* * *
Overtightening 3-way bulbs will deform the socket contacts and cause
the problems you are having. The quick fix is to disconnect the lamp,
remove the bulb, and pull the contacts gently up with needle nose
pliers, or similar handy device. Reinsert bulb with less force, plug
in lamp and the system should continue working properly for a long
time. HTH

Joe


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Stormin Mormon wrote:
How many Usenet posters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

ROTFL.

That is funny.
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"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
How many Usenet posters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Seven:

One to climb the ladder with the bulb, and six to turn the
ladder round and round till the bulb is screwed in.
Its the same number to remove a bulb, just turn the
ladder in the opposite direction.
LOL
Much regards


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"J.Lef" writes:
As always, you guys are the best. You are right and the
fault is on our end.

For some reason, it seems that the 3 way bulbs got a bit loosened. They
were turning on and off, but not three way.


The construction of 3-way bulbs and sockets is that you *always* get
contact on one of the base contacts before the other. So you get
one-way operation first, then 3-way after you screw the bulb in far
enough to make the second connection. But with a bulb and socket that
are properly set up, it shouldn't take much rotation (or much force) to
go from 1-way to 3-way operation. So it's possible that one of the
contact fingers in your socket is too far from its normal height (e.g.
one may need bending up so it contacts earlier).

Dave
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On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:05:56 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

How many Usenet posters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?


None. They don't know the socket's URL.
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