This blog goes back this summer when I first discovered my metal-based table lamp was not working properly and needed a lamp repair. I noted that the brown plastic piece covering the back of the cord was missing. I pulled the lamp’s cord until I could look for this piece under the sofa and I left the lamp on the dining room table. Surprisingly, I also received a slight electrical shock from this lamp, so caution was needed.
Not thinking too much about it, another person in the house decided to “fix” the lamp by plugging it into the wall socket. OK, not the thing to do as it sparked a puff of smoke and now the electrical outlet was not working, and the lamp was also “fried”.
To repair the electrical outlet, we hired a handy man to replace the wall socket. He also flipped the circuit breaker back and forth to get the power on again.
Lamp Repair
I’ve had this lamp for years and thought it would be cheaper to repair the lamp rather than to buy a new one. However, finding a lamp repair shop isn’t easy to do in my area. We started by checking out the internet for numbers. A nearby lamp sales and repair shop had closed its doors years ago.
Fortunately, we found another lamp and repair shop fairly close. So, the lamp was taken there for repairs. The repairs came to about $60 dollars, but all the working parts of the lamp were replaced.
Buying a New Lamp Shade?
When I picked up the lamp, I noticed the shop also sold new lamp shades. OK, my old silk lamp shade was dusty and very dirty looking, so let’s look at shades.
So, what exactly does a lamp shade do? It protects your eyes from glaring light. Lamp shades diffuse and direct the light to where it can be used. Light escapes from the top and the bottom of the lamp shade. Lamp shades also manage the heat from the light bulbs. For this reason, lamp shades should never be covered. Modern energy bulbs throw less heat, but they still need some airflow. Lamp shade color does matter so that is why you see so many lamp shades as either white or bone colored.
I tried out a few new lamp shades on my repaired lamp in the store. However, I guess the best one was similar to the old shade. It was priced at $59.99 for one shade. I have a matching lamp at home, so I would need two lamp shades.
Lamp Repair Concluding Remarks
I guess I really never looked at my lamp before but when it was repaired, clean and dusted off, now it looks a bit tacky. First of all, the lamp is slightly bent where it hit the floor, (at least once). It also has a paint chip missing near the top of the lamp. Hum m m . . .
After careful consideration, I didn’t buy the two new lamp shades. They have a price tag of $120. I’m thinking this is too much to spend to update old, slightly damaged lamps.
This lamp shop has very upscale lamps for sale in the $500 range for one lamp.
So, I am holding off buying new lamp shades and at some point, will update my lamps to something nicer.
But, of course, that’s another shopping trip and another blog.
Happy Day Farmhouse Magic Blog Readers!
Resource Sites: www.lampsUSA.com/blogs and www.lampsplus.com