electician assistance

[gardenweasel]

we have a pair of standing torchiere floor lamps.....they are two socket lamps(2 circuits) with a rotary switch....the switch goes:

1)1st turn light one goes on
2)second turn light 2 goes on
3)3rd turn both lights go on
4)4th turn,both lights turn off....

the switch itself is connected to a small, square ballast-like little box with one red wire coming from one socket and a black coming from the other....theres no 3rd(blue) wire....yet most of the 2 circuit switches i`m seeing on the net have a third blue wire attached....

i always figured a 3-way lamp had three wires(this is a three-way).....

when i buy a replacement switch and reconnect,not sure what to do with the blue wire....

thanks in advance...

 

[buddy]

Scratch your head
and ask yourself,
"What would it require?"
To have them work
quite properly,
without the
third blue wire."

 

[gardenweasel]

Scratch your head
and ask yourself,
"What would it require?"
To have them work
quite properly,
without the
third blue wire."

if i knew that i wouldn`t be in here taking a flying f-ck at a rolling hobo`s dick....

 

[buddy]

"If I knew
the wire was blue
It never
would be bought
but since it is
I need some help
to solve this little quiz."

 

[buddy]

"Somebody said that it couldn't be done
but he with a smile replied
That maybe it couldn't
but he would be one
who wouldn't say so til he tried.
So he buckled right in
with a bit of a grin
And his screwdriver touched a live wire,
And he let out a cry
and proceeded to die
In a shower of sparks and fire.
And the people who gave the eulogy
Spoke of honor and love and ambition.
They spoke well of the dead, and nobody said,
"Why didn't he call an electrician?"

by John

 

[buddy]

"Twist one,
twist two,
maybe twist and shout.
"Oh my dear!
What happened here?
My lights have all gone out!"

"Is this a joke?
Perhaps a lark?
Whatever the case
I find myself
standing in the dark."

 

[buddy]

Two atoms were walking down the street one day, when one of them exclaimed, "Oh no - I've lost an electron!" "Are you sure?" the other one asked. "Yes," replied the first one, "I'm positive."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


A boy met his friend walking down the street with a whole sack of burnt out light bulbs. He asked him what he was going to do with all those useless bulbs. His friend replied, "I'm going to build a dark room".

 

[fatdaddycool]

we have a pair of standing torchiere floor lamps.....they are two socket lamps(2 circuits) with a rotary switch....the switch goes:

1)1st turn light one goes on
2)second turn light 2 goes on
3)3rd turn both lights go on
4)4th turn,both lights turn off....

the switch itself is connected to a small, square ballast-like little box with one red wire coming from one socket and a black coming from the other....theres no 3rd(blue) wire....yet most of the 2 circuit switches i`m seeing on the net have a third blue wire attached....

i always figured a 3-way lamp had three wires(this is a three-way).....

when i buy a replacement switch and reconnect,not sure what to do with the blue wire....

thanks in advance...

Hey bro,
The little box is a rheostat switch or a double pole/throw circuit switch and will function with a ground and a power source. The reason you are seeing a third blue wire is for attachments as that is probably a generic rheostat switch that is used on ceiling fans as well. If the rheostat box is attached to the lamp then the blue wire will attach to one of the lights, probably in the stem.

Here's the deal, old rotary rheostats are awesome and many use mercury switches but are considered outdated because of the mercury switches and replacement parts are usually a double throw, negating the need for the rotary switch.

If you want take a picture of it and post it and I can tell you how to wire fairly easily. I am guessing that the blue wire will simply be attached to the bright setting light which should have a wire connection in the light pole stem.

Hope that helps,
FDC

 

[fatdaddycool]

Oh yeah, I meant to say..... it doesn't have to have three wires because the circuit is completed inside the rheostat is all and can be wired in parallel.

 

[krc]

Hey bro,
The little box is a rheostat switch or a double pole/throw circuit switch and will function with a ground and a power source. The reason you are seeing a third blue wire is for attachments as that is probably a generic rheostat switch that is used on ceiling fans as well. If the rheostat box is attached to the lamp then the blue wire will attach to one of the lights, probably in the stem.

Here's the deal, old rotary rheostats are awesome and many use mercury switches but are considered outdated because of the mercury switches and replacement parts are usually a double throw, negating the need for the rotary switch.

If you want take a picture of it and post it and I can tell you how to wire fairly easily. I am guessing that the blue wire will simply be attached to the bright setting light which should have a wire connection in the light pole stem.

Hope that helps,
FDC

You must of stayed at a Holiday Inn last night.

J/K nice write up :0074

 

[Old School]

we have a pair of standing torchiere floor lamps.....they are two socket lamps(2 circuits) with a rotary switch....the switch goes:

1)1st turn light one goes on
2)second turn light 2 goes on
3)3rd turn both lights go on
4)4th turn,both lights turn off....

the switch itself is connected to a small, square ballast-like little box with one red wire coming from one socket and a black coming from the other....theres no 3rd(blue) wire....yet most of the 2 circuit switches i`m seeing on the net have a third blue wire attached....

i always figured a 3-way lamp had three wires(this is a three-way).....

when i buy a replacement switch and reconnect,not sure what to do with the blue wire....

thanks in advance...

Hey bro,
The little box is a rheostat switch or a double pole/throw circuit switch and will function with a ground and a power source. The reason you are seeing a third blue wire is for attachments as that is probably a generic rheostat switch that is used on ceiling fans as well. If the rheostat box is attached to the lamp then the blue wire will attach to one of the lights, probably in the stem.

Here's the deal, old rotary rheostats are awesome and many use mercury switches but are considered outdated because of the mercury switches and replacement parts are usually a double throw, negating the need for the rotary switch.

If you want take a picture of it and post it and I can tell you how to wire fairly easily. I am guessing that the blue wire will simply be attached to the bright setting light which should have a wire connection in the light pole stem.

Hope that helps,
FDC

Oh yeah, I meant to say..... it doesn't have to have three wires because the circuit is completed inside the rheostat is all and can be wired in parallel.

one word...........



WOW

 

[SixFive]

Here's another perfect example of why buddy is a major dick.

GW good luck. This is way out of my knowledge zone. Hope you get it figured out. Seems like fdc has it under control!

 

[fatdaddycool]

Well I worked with electronics and communication and navigation systems for years is all. Thanks though.

I don't know what the hell buddy was thinking about but oh well. Hopefully Weasie gets it figured out.

I got to go check out of the Holiday inn now.....lol

Hope that helps,
FDC

 

[greggraffin]

Scratch your head
and ask yourself,
"What would it require?"
To have them work
quite properly,
without the
third blue wire."

"If I knew
the wire was blue
It never
would be bought
but since it is
I need some help
to solve this little quiz."

"Somebody said that it couldn't be done
but he with a smile replied
That maybe it couldn't
but he would be one
who wouldn't say so
til he tried.
So he buckled right in
with a bit of a grin
And his screwdriver touched a live wire,
And he let out a cry
and proceeded to die
In a shower of sparks and fire.
And the people who gave the eulogy
Spoke of honor and love and ambition.
They spoke well of the dead, and nobody said,
"Why didn't he call an electrician?"

by John

"Twist one,
twist two,
maybe twist and shout.
"Oh my dear!
What happened here?
My lights have all gone out!"

"Is this a joke?
Perhaps a lark?
Whatever the case
I find myself
standing in the dark."

Two atoms were walking down the street one day, when one of them exclaimed, "Oh no - I've lost an electron!" "Are you sure?" the other one asked. "Yes," replied the first one, "I'm positive."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


A boy met his friend walking down the street with a whole sack of burnt out light bulbs. He asked him what he was going to do with all those useless bulbs. His friend replied, "I'm going to build a dark room".

this guy has a few wires loose of his own!

 

[greggraffin]

and hope you figured it out gw, i'm about as useless on this matter as.. , well, buddy

 

[fatdaddycool]

and hope you figured it out gw, i'm about as useless on this matter as.. , well, buddy

Hey Greg,
How do you do that multiple quote thing in one post. I never did figure that out.

 

[greggraffin]

hit the button between quote and reply(thanks 65) on every single post you want in your post...then just hit post reply and they all show up

but maybe buddy can answer your question in a rhyme

 

[SixFive]

Hey Greg,
How do you do that multiple quote thing in one post. I never did figure that out.

You hit the button between quote and reply on each post u want to quote then hit post reply at the bottom of the thread. Oh, whoops, I'm not Greg.

 

[fatdaddycool]

hit the button between quote and reply(thanks 65) on every single post you want in your post...then just hit post reply and they all show up

but maybe buddy can answer your question in a rhyme

You hit the button between quote and reply on each post u want to quote then hit post reply at the bottom of the thread. Oh, whoops, I'm not Greg.

Thanks men. :0074

 

[MadJack]

Hey Greg,
How do you do that multiple quote thing in one post. I never did figure that out.

Most people use the multiple quote button. :0003