Help! My lamp is trying to kill me! (Electricians, please weigh in...)

[LiberalHeart]

I have an antique lamp that's metal of some sort. For years I've noticed that when I touch it there's some sort of subtle activity in that metal. Hard to describe. It's kinda like a low-key vibration. Last night, while I had one hand on my laptop computer, I touched the lamp with my other hand -- and ZAP! The lamp felt alive, but the hand touching the laptop is the one that hurt (not a lot; just a sharp stinging from the jolt).

I'm assuming the lamp is the item with the problem because of that weird activity I feel when touching it. So here's the question: Is there a do-it-yourself solution to fixing this problem that's easy for a non-electrically-minded person like me to do (and if so, what is it?), or should I have it professionally rewired?

Or is it okay to continue to use it as is, just so long as I don't touch other electrical stuff when touching the lamp?

Thanks for any help you folks can provide.

[flvegan]

1. That lamp needs an exorcism.

It's possessed. Next thing you know, the lampshade will start spinning.

[LiberalHeart]

2. Are you saying it's not SUPPOSED to spin?

[Jamastiene]

3. Sounds like you have a "Mother In Law Lamp" to me.

Usually, most lamps are wired using 2 wires. One wire is hot (will fry you) and the other is neutral.

Most lamps are wired with the neutral being attached to the the socket part of the lamp, that you are most likely to come into contact with when turning the lamp on and off. That is the rounded part that comes into contact with the threads of the light bulb's base.

If you look inside of that part, without the bulb in place, of course, you'll see that one little metal piece where the hot is usually connected. That is the part that comes into contact with the "point" on the end of the light bulb.

The way a "Mother In Law Lamp" is wired, the two wires are reversed, so that when your mother in law comes to visit, you can ask her to turn off the lamp for revenge. She will come into contact with the hot wire and get shocked.

:evilgrin:

:P

In all seriousness though, it sounds like you may have a problem with insulation between the hot wires and the lamp's base (could call it a chassis in this case, possibly). If you don't know how to do it yourself, it might not hurt to call a local electrical contractor to repair the lamp. The hot wire may be touching somewhere on the body of the lamp or there may be an insulation problem.

[redwitch]

4. Unplug it. Series!

I would have it rewired if it was a favorite lamp, or I would permanently retire it if not. It sounds dangerous to me and if it doesn't electrocute you it could cause a fire.

[LiberalHeart]

5. Thanks, folks. Guess I'll hand it over to a pro. Can't retire it; love it too much.

Come to think about it, I have three lamps with that strange active feel. One turned some metal to solder when it touched the base (one of those connectors on a cable that was, at the other end, plugged into my computer). Another blew up at the plug when I tried plugging it into an extension cord not long ago. Maybe it's not the lamp; maybe it's the God of Electricity that's out to get me.