Table Lamp almost catches fire

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Mid-morning I noticed a burning smell on our second floor. Smoke detectors hadn't gone off yet, and it seemed like it was coming from the kids room. Start going thru things that could cause it when my wife notices that our son's nightstand light is on when it was off the last time she was in the room. She investigates and a small puff of smoke comes from the lamp socket area. It is a Pottery Barn three-way table lamp with a 100W rating, a 100w bulb in it.

I started to tear it apart, but stopped. Outside of being really hot, it looked OK. Our son is 4 and he has a tendency to turn this light on when he wakes up in the morning. Since it is a three way, I wonder if it caused him issues and he wore it out?? The lamp is only about 5 years old.

Kind of scary, glad we were home. Anyone heard of something like this before? Just a bad socket/switch?

[Buckaroo]

Wow, glad you were there and alert!

Sure would have messed up Christmas otherwise!

Buckaroo

[HeavyDuty]

Was it a single wattage 100 in a three-way socket? I've heard you should keep single in single, three-way in three-way.

Glad you found it early!

[Buckaroo]

Was it a single wattage 100 in a three-way socket? I've heard you should keep single in single, three-way in three-way.

Glad you found it early!

I use single watt bulbs in three-way sockets all the time. (yes, I'm cheap) Personally have never had a problem or heard of one. Just my experience.

Buckaroo

[ToddG]

http://www.retroplanet.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/Leg_Lamp.jpg

[Mark/MO]

http://www.retroplanet.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/Leg_Lamp.jpg

I gotta get me one of those. :)

Glad everything is OK. That sort of thing always makes me nervous.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Looks like a regular 100W bulb, never really thought about it. The bulb still looks OK, I'll try it in another fixture before I throw it out.

Is that the lamp from "A Christmas Story"? :D

[Rider79]

....I'll try it in another fixture before I throw it out.

Looks like you found a new target.

[ST911]

Rating notwithstanding, 100w seems like a lot for a nightstand light.

[BobM]

http://www.retroplanet.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/Leg_Lamp.jpg

That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title!

[Avenger29]

I also had a three way lamp almost catch on fire. It was the three way switch itself, it had shorted out (I figure) and started to burn up. We were home and caught it, fortunatly.

I replaced the three way switch with a standard toggle switch, drilling a hole through the lamp base for it, converting it to a standard type lamp.

I will never own another three way switch lamp. I used to love them, for the no fumbling around for a switch aspect, but that incident scared me.

It is not worth it to lose a house that costs several tens of thousands of dollars over a $20 lamp. Ya'll take care, and remember to check and unplug those space heaters and Christmas lights, too.