Touch Lamp

[sophie_1003]

We have one of those lamps that you have to touch to get it to go on or off; it also has three brightness settings so on first touch is dim, second brighter, third brightest and fourth off again. The other night it started going crazy; going through whole cycle over and over again, after a while it stopped and I noticed a tiny money spider crawling away from the lamp. I tried to get the spider to go on the lamp again but it wouldn't. It hasn't happened again but could it really have been caused by the spider?

[woofgang]

yes, why not, the lamp would sense the drop in potential caused by the spider.

[sophie_1003]

'Drop in potential'? Glad it's possible though; was such a teensy thing and boyfriend thought I was mad for thinking it could have been the spider!

[woofgang]

sorry, not potential, capacitance
http://science.howstu...ch-sensitive-lamp.htm

[Mattk]

I don't see how it would've been the spider.
We used to have one of these lamps too and if you left your hand on it for some time it would only change one setting it wouldn't cycle through again and again.

[beso]

Transients in the mains voltage can cause the switching behaviour to be triggered.

[Svejk]

Try rubbing it. It sounds like a magic lamp to me.

[sophie_1003]

What does that mean beso?

[HowardKennitby]

Beso means electrical noise or voltage spikes on the mains can set sensitive things off.

[sophie_1003]

Ah that seems more likely because the other socket on the same unit crackled the other day when I plugged something in and now doesn't work at all.

[paintpowder1]

If you really mean that the socket 'crackled' when plugging something in, then it's more than likely there's a loose cable behind it which could be a potential fire hazard. You should have it checked out, as there could be a danger of it shorting with the other cable/s beside it....better safe than sorry!