Jeff Wisnia posted for all of us...



Tekkie® wrote:
Jeff Wisnia posted for all of us...



Lazy guy that I am, I installed "touch switches" in the bases of four
metal bodied table lamps in our home, two on the end tables next to our
living room sofa and one on each of our bedside lamps.

It's a heck of a lot easier to just reach out and tap the lamps than to
have to stretch and reach up under the lampshades to twist the typical
socket switch knob. And, they provide four levels of lamp brightness
from an ordinary bulb.

I might add that after I installed those switches about 15 years ago I
learned the hard way that I had to install fuse holders and 2 amp fast
blow fuses in those lamps because when a lamp bulb burned out there was
sometimes a "tungsten arc" which drew a surge of current large enough to
blow out the touch switch's electronics. If that happens now I only have
to replace a 20 cent fuse along with the lamp bulb.

SWMBO and I were sitting on the sofa last night watching the election
returns when the lamp next to me turned off. I thought WTF? and touched
the lamp which turned it on again. I went back to watching TV when a few
minutes later the lamp turned off again.

I figured maybe the lamp bulb had somehow gotten loose in its socket and
stood up to reach down from the top to tighten it.

When I looked down I saw a ladybug crawling around near the lamp socket.