Mike Industries

Insurance. It’s an investment. ;-)

Actually, I wouldn’t trust the bulb cage unless it can fling curtains (and shirts? what kind of party was that?!) off of itself.

You don’t have to remind me, my house actually (half) burned down because one of these pieces of shit tipped over on a pile of clothes.

Ahh Fred Meyer, such a wonderful store. During my few years away from the great Pacific Northwest I had to endure life without good old Freddy G. Where else can you get a pork cutlet, some fishing line, and a pair of boxers? I just went to that one down in a Ballard a few weeks ago and damn, it’s a swanky Freddy’s!

But dude, don’t burn down your place.

When you said Fred Meyer I thought “Why a jewelry store?” because around here Fred Meyer is a jeweler.

Anyway, I love those lamps.

The first ever halogen I bought with a dimmer was also the best one I ever had. Subsequent halogens came with a 3 way switch or a dimmer which made that awful hum when you set it at anything other than full tilt. I think most of these fires started in college dorms since their design was not well suited for college life.

The way I sees it: You ain’t ign’ant, and you’re doing reasonably well at this self-preservation gig.. might as well chance fiery death for choice lighting. I’d go for one o’ these lamps, but I’m also at the “garden level” and somehow a fiery coffin seems worse.

yeah… halogen bulbs are fickle things… i mean, if you even touch them on the actual glass bulb part, the oil from your fingers is enough to cause it to overheat and burn out. I can see why the combo of a torchiere lamp (inherently rather tippy lamps to begin with) and a halogen bulb would be a dicey prospect.

It was only about a month ago that a moth was incinerated in your torchiere at the office, leaving a rather unpleasant odor (to put it lightly). It seems as though you’re just asking for trouble.

As a fire fighter I’ve seen too many sources of fires, especially when combined with human stupidity. The problem with any halogen lamp is that the they are very hot when burning. That’s why many halogen lamps that are fitted in ceilings require either a firewall behind them or a safety distance of 50 cm or so from any flammable materials (such as certain insulating materials) in the structures. This is also the reason why you shouldn’t leave a halogen light too close to curtains or other fabrics, as the heat they emit may light a fire even if there isn’t any actual contact.

Of course any source of large temperatures can cause a fire if not used carefully. I use halogens and want even more of them to replace the current lighting we have at home. But I also don’t leave them on in a place where dogs’ tails could cause problems. And of course here in Finland we’ve got more problems that are caused by the heaters in sauna’s…

The other problems with those lamps, besides the whole burn-down-the-house thing are:

* Because it’s a halogen bulb, the oils on your fingers can cause it to burn out in like 2 weeks. Meaning that they’re nearly impossible to replace the bulb without rubber gloves, lots of hand washing and some paper towels. We went through like 3 bulbs before figuring that out.

* They’re really tacky. Sure they provide a lot of indirect light, but at what cost? Your design soul? The whole interior design community has moved away from lights this bright and towards having multiple low-intensity lights for mood lighting as well as highly focused lights for task lighting. Follow those people.

Fred Meyer? Everytime I heard that name, I think of Fred Meijer, of Meijer fame. And I think that Meijer still sells halogens torches too.

I worked part time at a hotel a few years ago and I remember a day when the fire dept did a walk through and made us remove all of those lamps. They were the only decent source of light for one room. I suppose it’s a big deal.

Back in college, my freshman year, we had one of those things in our room next to my bed. My bed was like half a bunk bed and had storage underneath it so it was up higher and only about 1′ underneath the halogen bulb. Anyway, so one night I get back to my room around 2am from a long night out drinking, and I see my damn roommate on MY bed with some random girl doin’ whatever it is 19 year old virgin Indian boys do with girls when they don’t know how to have sex. They turn around and see me and the girl gets so startled she jumps back on the bed, falls over the side a bit, and ends up putting her naked thigh on top of this lamp as she flails and topples the entire lamp and her body to the floor. She was so badly burnt that she had to go to the hospital with 3rd degree burns all over her ass because of that damn thing!

(Okay that entire story was made-up, but I couldn’t resist!)

Along with the high temperature and frequent burnout, the halogen torchiere also costs you a LOT more on your power bill than the average 3-way tungsten bulb. Seriously. Our power bill dropped by something like $20 a month when we junked the old torch, if I’m making up the numbers correctly.

It’s a common enough problem that most colleges and universities have banned them from dorm rooms, due to the problems mentioned above.

Now we wait with high anxiety for Mike’s next post in which he explains that he prefers not to wear seatbelts because he would rather be thrown clear in a car accident.

just kidding.

What were you doing with my wife at Fred Meyer? ;0) Funny though, she was super excted to see she was mentioned in a blog. Lord knows I hardly ever do it.

Are sure it’s 300 watts? I’ve got 10/30/50 watt lamps and the 30 and 50 watt lamps have fairly large safety distances and can cause fires (10 W not so much). 300 W in Finland is a construction lamp or a lamp for outdoor use and they are a real fire threat because of the heat.

The safety grill in front of the glass is only meant to prevent burning skin if you accidentally touch the glass (at least in the construction lamps). I’ve also seen the glass covering the lamp blow up because of the heat as well (although these were el-cheapo construction lights).

The idea of a 300 W lamp indoors scares me…

I’ve had one of those (old-fashioned, dangerous) lamps for ten years and never lit anything on fire. I’m glad you got a new and improved version.

I remember when these halogen torchaires first came ont the market, they seemed pretty sturdy and cost about $50. I had one in my bedroom when in high school.

Off at college, I had one because the ceiling-mounted flourescent fixtures in the dorm sucked. When I moved into an apartment, my roommates and I added a number to the apartment. By this time, there were everywhere for $12-15. But the never lasted more than like 3-4 months! And while they had a 1-year warranty, they had to be mailed back to the manufacturer for replacement. With those weighted bases, it’d have cost more than the initial cost of the lamp. So we ended up with what we called the “lamp farm” in the dining area. The broken ones ended up there, sometimes to be harvested for parts that would prolong the life of another for another few weeks. By the end of the year, we had almost a dozen to haul off to the dumpster.

Now, had they just continued making the sturdy $50 ones, we’d have spent the same amount of money yet not had to deal with the hastle of running to Home Depot or Target all the time and hauling off the dead lamps.

If anyone goes the incandescent torchiere route, I highly recommend using the natural white-light “reveal” light bulbs from GE. My pimp’n dorm room sports two cheap $8.00 Target torchieres with those bad boys in them and the effect is just as good if not better the halogen torchiere I have back home.

Unfortunately I’m stuck with a three-way bulb instead of a dimmer - so much for mood lighting :(

Did you guys complaining about the 3-way bulbs and the undesirable lack of “mood lighting” (cough) know that 3-way bulbs come in a 15 watt “security” version? Well, they do! That 15 watts can be quite, umm, “moody.”

It was the portable upright lamp seen in every living room, dorm room, and bedroom during most of the 1990s.

Haha! I had the same theory too! Good observation!

Oh man. Taking a shot at Disney World! Criminy!

We’re afraid of our own lighting - yes, the terrorists have won.

i had a couple of nasty experiences with one of these things in my first apartment back in college.

first fire happened because a moth flew onto the bulb and exploded. second time, the wind blew a curtain panel edge onto the bulb. i’m kinda surprised these things were never the basis of a very public lawsuit.

Mike, only you could make buying a light into a fascinating blog post, complete with houses burning down!

Hopefully, these new lamps live up to their new safety features!

I remember the first time my brother’s wife bought a couple back in their pre-pyro peak, and noticing the halogen bulbs were exactly the same as the ones we used to use in our stat camera in the days before desk top publishing (Stat camera? Yeah, that’s how old I am). I initially warned her of the incredible power consumption of these things (300 watt bulbs for ‘mood’ lighting!? Sheesh! And all that about the fingerprints is true too), but also of the heat and fire danger.

She rationalized my well intentioned warning of her latest shopping score as just rude negative critizism. Then one night, there was this ghodawful burning smell, like someone had set the pekingese on fire.

The column of rancid smoke eminating from one of the lamps led to the discovery of what looked like a small Weber grill full of smoldering dead insects instead of charcoals! The main course was a large moth that had fallen on top and set everything off like a fuzzy, six legged MatchLight briquet. Pheeew!

Smoke alarms were quieted by much magazine fanning and the lamp unplugged and moved to the patio to extinguish and air out. Excessive Glade spraying of the living room followed.

So, unless this thing has some sort of automatic dead bug removal/avoidence system, be prepared to clean it out on a regular basis. Or what the heck, in a pinch you could use it as a side grill for your new Weber Q!

Not a critizism of your new lamps, just a funny story of the bad old days of those lamps that this post brought to mind.

Almost burned down my college dorm with one of these puppies… a buddy had thrown his shirt over my light while it was off without my knowing… I come home, flip on the light (controlled by a widget on my keychain, thank you X10), smell smoke about 10 seconds later, and notice the curls of smoke wafting up from my lamp. The room and dorm were fine, but my buddy had a big ol’ hole burned through his shirt.

This past Winter I was in the Phoenix area and toured Taliesin West. I was shocked to see one of those cheap black torchieres in the main office. Frank Lloyd Wright was notorious about keeping furniture not of his design out of his clients homes, and here was this crappy lamp in the alternate center of the Wright universe. The rest of the place still looked like he just left, however. Highly recommended to anyone visiting the area.

The idea of a 300watt bulb in a household lamp of any kind is ludicrous, that’s the sort of power level I use for lighting stages at rock concerts. The similar uplighters I have at home use 20watt halogens and they are bright enough to use as mood lighting.

No wonder people have been burning their houses down.

Burning down your house is one thing, but those things are sooo Miami VIce. Girls just don’t dig ‘em. LED is the new halogen. Go green.

I’ve owned several of these lamps over the years without incident. Yes, they run very hot. Yes, 300 watts adds to the power bill. Yes, if you ignore the instructions and touch the bulb with your bare hands, it won’t last long (this admonition also applies to the halogen bulbs in a Maglite flashlight/torch). If you live in an environment that is frequented by pets, kids, moths, or drunken shirt-flinging idiots, you probably shouldn’t have one. And keep those drapes away.

But these puppies are the only easy and cheap (to buy) way to flood a room with soft light, and that has a lot a value. I wish there was a cool running, low-power way to do this. The fluorescent torchieres I’ve seen still can’t. LEDs probably could, but the lamp would cost $3000. Someday we’ll have these for cheap.

But what really annoys me is the scare that this has caused, and how it is now really hard to find these lamps, especially a good selection of well-built ones. What you see in your average home store is mostly these worthless 150-watt incandescent torchieres. I wonder how many people are duped into buying these because they remember what the old style 300-watt or 500-watt halogens were like, and think they are buying something similar.

Did I say 500 watt? Yes, there was a time in the past when you could easily buy a well-built ($50 or so) torchiere that used a Type J halogen bulb and had a real dimmer control. I’ve tried a 500-watt bulb in a newer 300-watt fixture and it only runs for about five minutes before a thermal safety switch shuts it down.

Gas stovetops have been involved in burnt-down houses. People often lose fingers using a power saw. Mixed bleach and ammonia can produce chlorine gas or hydrazine. I’m sure someone who’s used gasoline as a cleaning solvent in an enclosed room has experienced a large explosion when they turned off the light switch.

But none of these products have yet been taken off the market because they are TOO DAMN USEFUL! And they have been around for a long time. They were well established long before our current extremely litigious and overprotective society existed. It’s really sad that it’s nearly impossible for a new, useful product to remain on the market before being sued out of existence by someone too stupid to use it properly.

I’m all for added safety items like tip switches and wire screens in torchieres. I’m all for appropriate labeling. But anecdotal evidence is not statistics and should not be used to form an opinion as to the likelihood of a problem. People that use their heads are more likely to avoid catastrophes.

Long live the halogen torchiere!

This chat is old now, but I just found it. Thanks for the tip, Mike, on finding one of these torchieres.
I used two 300-watt torchieres, the old $18 Home Depot version, in a north-facing apartment for 12-15 years. No cages, no problems. I usually kept them turned all the way up. One finally died, I still have one.
Soft, 20-watt “mood” or designer lighting is fine if you’re naturally cheerful. But if you’re prone to depression in winter, and/or live in a dark place, those 300-watters are FABULOUS. They’re not harsh at all. They provide reflected light off the ceiling (if your ceilings aren’t too high), and turning them on is like bringing in the sun. I knew enough to keep them away from curtains, I read the instructions on the light bulb packages & never touched the glass. It never occurred to me to throw clothing over the top of a 6-foot lamp.

I love my halogen torchere. It provides great light, and the dimmer is so cool.

Unfortunately, I knocked it over today, and now I don’t know how to get new glass. I survived intact.

Elenute

Hi. Here’s a superior alternative to the candlepower of the halogen torchiere. It’s a 70 watt metal halide lamp made by a company called Microsun. I think that they have the equivalent light output of a 300 watt halogen.

They aren’t cheap ($200) but they 5 times more efficient than incandescent lighting (they beat flourescent, too). They are available in several different styes of floor lamps and desk lamps. (I like the library floor lamp).

I plan to buy one next month to replace my dead halogen torchiere, which I really miss a lot, especially facing another long, gloomy winter in Rochester (NY).

I’m trying to find somthing that simulates natural light in my office so I was very interested in the note about the Microsun lamp, that’s a company I hadn’t heard about before. (I’ve tried several “full spectrum” fluorescents, including both the cheap ones from the hardware store and the expensive patented ones ordered on line, and so far none of them come close to looking or feeling like natural light.)

I’ve been trying to avoid the high wattage halogen torchieres because of their energy inefficiency but it may come to that in the end. There’s nothing like them for lighting up a room and they don’t raise my stress level like a fluorescent does.

I hope you’ll give us a review after you’ve had a chance to test it out. Unfortunately I see Microsun hasn’t put the spectrum for their light on their website, so there’s no way to judge how well it mimics sunlight without actually buying one. Metal Halide hasn’t generally been known for producing a very natural looking light, but it’s a technolgy that’s been improving so that may have changed.

We just bought a Microsun floor lamp and are not sure we will keep it; we are still evaluting it…You are right, the metal halide spectrum is a little weird; I’m not sure it’s worth the energy efficiency. I can only describe the light as bright, but rather cold; our ‘warm’ blue walls in the living room look a little grey next to it. It has light filtering shade which seems to limit the scope of the very bright bulb, whereas the halogen torchiere directs light upward to reflect off the ceiling and seems to spread light farther and more evenly around the room. My boyfriend (an engineer) wants to figure out how to measure the light spectrum so that he can articulate exactly what’s odd about it. I too, hate flourescent lighting, and will probably go online and buy some new halogen torchieres.

Thanks for the feedback, even if it did dash my hopes! But you confirmed what I had read elsewhere about metal halides. (I would be VERY interested to see the spectrum if your boyfriend does manage to measure it.) There’s also a technology called ceramic metal halide that is supposed to produce a much closer rendition of sunlight, but I haven’t been able to find that in a consumer lamp.

What is it about fluorescent light that is so unpleasant I wonder? It’s improved so much from the days when it gave everything a nasty mottled appearance, and yet I still find it impossible to work under one for hours at a time without feeling nervous and very distracted.

I’ve been wanting to get a MicroSun for twoyears, but couldn’t justify the cost.

Metal Halide is old reliable tech, but generally only used in industrial and retail applications. Lots of Nerd Cred for having a Metal Halide desk lamp! MicroSun should advertise these things on tech gadget sites. I mean, I bought my VW because of the unique engine configuration, I run multi-CPU systems because the tech appeals to me, although I don’t really ‘need’ them and could probably get by with a cheaper 1cpu.

If you don’t like the bulb, it’s a 68 watt MH bulb. You can buy 70watt MH bulbs for days. Make sure you get an arc-protected and UV filtered one. Unless MicroSun used some non-standard base, you might be able to find a bulb with better color rendition…there are many high-end ceramic MH bulbs available.

After going to Home Depot, Ikea, and Target last night looking for a 300W halogen floor lamp, I finally gave up and got a cheap $9 incandescent at Target. I then got a 150W halogen bulb (also at Target) that fits a standard socket. Imagine my surprise when after I put it together and turned it on, it didn’t completely suck! The room was filled with neutral light… not too warm, not too cool.

While I still prefer the old halogen torchieres, if you can’t find one, running this setup isn’t a bad compromise — plus you’ll pay <$15/lamp. The only problem is, I’m using a standard bulb in a 3-way socket, and for reasons I can’t yet discern (despite being an electrical engineer) the lamp includes three very prominent warnings about fire hazards associated with running this configuration. Can anyone tell me why this is?

Until then I guess I’m trading one fire hazard for another.

I too am annoyed by the absence of the 300W lamps from store shelves, all because of a few people’s idiocy and a few other people’s ‘winning arguments about power consumption. I need light, and I am willing to sacrifice other things to pay the bill. I have and still am using them in my study and work rooms, and have a few spare bulbs on hand, hoping they will last the 10- 15 years some bloggers spoke of. Happy new year, and happy hanukkah - both all about light LIGHT in some form!

I still use, carefully, halogen torchieres all over the house, and locate 500W bulbs (when I can find them) to put in 300W designs to boot. Wonderful, wonderful light. I did not know they were so expensive to run. We never leave them on, we know how to change the bulbs (let cool and use paper napkins), etc. But I am willing to change them all … if I can find other designs that have similar quality and color spectrum of light. The fluorescents’ color is really gross to use; everything appears officy and gray-green. Any suggestions on what to do to get bright sunlight-spectrum light indoors in fairly inexpensive manner? Thanks.

Ahh … the dreaded “human stupidity” factor. It always seems to take over and make anything well worth having dumby downed so that the human race doesn’t go and kill itself. If you’re just not smart enough to understand and respect a halogen torchiere then don’t buy the damn thing. There’s plenty of ugly fluorescent crap out there for you people. I’ve had a 500w dimmable halogen torchiere in my home for well over 10 years and wow … no fires. Don’t blame the product … blame the stupidity of its users. Stupid humans … that’s why EVERY product made has a warning label on it.

From the Lighting Research Center at: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/NLPIP/lightingAnswers/halogenTorchiers/quest_nine.asp

Consumers who own halogen torchieres should use lamps rated at 300 watts or less and never place materials on top of or near a torchiere-style fixture.

Halogen torchieres manufactured after February 5, 1997, come with a guard in place or loose in the box (torchieres manufactured after June 1, 1999, must have the guard attached). Other new halogen torchieres feature an automatic switch that turns off the torchiere if it detects higher-than-normal heat or if the torchiere tips over.

From the Lighting Research Center at: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/NLPIP/lightingAnswers/halogenTorchiers/sbUL.asp

Underwriters Laboratories tightened its safety requirements for halogen torchieres in 1997 and revised them again effective June 1, 1999. Among the new requirements are:

* A glass or wire guard that keeps objects at least 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) away from the lamp must be affixed over the lamp (inside the bowl of the torchiere). The guard must be attached at the factory; it cannot be left loose in the box for the consumer to attach.

* To test the torchiere, UL drapes a 20-layer pad of cheesecloth over the guard for seven hours while the lamp is on. The cheesecloth must not ignite or develop holes in any of its layers.

* The torchiere should have a switch that turns the unit off when it falls over in any direction. If the torchiere does not have the switch, it must pass additional stability requirements and a vertical wall test. In the vertical wall test, the lamp is laid on its side for seven hours next to a simulated wall of plywood covered in cotton terrycloth. The cloth and plywood must not flame or char.

* The fixture must bear a manufacture date.

I had one of those cheap black Home Depot halogen torchieres for several years. I moved it around the room a lot since I used it both for a bed lamp as well as across the room at the computer. Recently, I walked into my bedroom and found that it had broken at the base and fallen over. Luckily for me, it was leaning against a chair next to the bed and the lamp part wasn’t touching anything. This was too close for comfort. I love the light these bulbs put out but, after that experience, I’m going back to plain old light fixtures.

Hooray! I am so happy to have found this blog. My 300 watt halogen torchiere just gave out. I changed the bulb (using kleenex to keep my bare fingers off the bulb). That wasn’t the problem. Switch works fine–I can hear the clicking on and off, so it must be the socket. Told hubby I wanted to take it down to the electrical shop and have it fixed, and he said nothing doing–it would cost three times to fix what it cost. Checked several retail outfits. I was told the same thing, “stopped carrying those due to frequent fires”. I thought “frequent stupidity”. I have had that torchiere for 10 years without incident. (who lets moths fly around their house?) I will go to Fred Meyer and look for one like Mike did. If they don’t have one, I found a website that sells the Holmes torchieres. I need the bright natural light of those torchieres to read at night or during dark days because the can lights in the ceiling or the light from a reading lamp casts an uncomfortable glare into my eyes. Thanks again, Mike.

We searched far and wide for halogen torchieres to replace the cruddy ones that we got for next to nothing at places like Staples and Home Depot in years past. As everyone here has noted, we didn’t find anything. We finally tracked some down at Union Lighting in Union, NJ. Bought two.

A month ago, one of them gave out. I found a replacement switch at Home Depot and changed it out, but it still wouldn’t turn on. So I bought a replacement socket for the bulb at Union Lighting for about 8 bucks, and that turned out to be the problem. I wonder if I could have fixed the problem just by sanding down the contacts, but it was good to have a solution to the problem.

Last week the other torchiere gave out. So I got another socket and swapped it, and put the bulb back in and turned it on. Nothing. I tried a different bulb. But I probably should have tried a different bulb in the first place, since the socket might have been just fine…

This blog is the top google result for halogen torchiere.

I recently broke TWO of the lamps I have had for years, only to discover that no one sells them anymore. Like others posting in this blog, I have loved the light that these lamps produce since I discovered them in the early 90’s, and am dismayed that they’ve been supplanted by far-inferior lighting solutions such as non-dimming incandescent and (ugh) flourescent.

Even CFL bulbs do not produce light of the quality that I want. I am willing to pay the cost of the energy my halongens consume (and I noted that most studies of these lamps have them running at full blast, which was hardly ever the case for me). I don’t care if they cost ten times the smount of money to run, because they create the light that I want, and I can afford them.

And the safety issue. This is perfect example of how our litigousness has a negative, lowest-common-denominator effect on our daily lives. A few idiots burn their kids to death with a type of lamp, sue someone because they feel that that is their American duty, and the end result is that the rest of us have to bear industrial soul sucking lighting for the rest of our lives.

I am not an idiot. I will sign a waiver that I can use my lamp in a way that won’t set my home on fire. I am an adult. I can handle this.

I agree with “Choice” completely. People are stupid and then when they get in trouble with their stupidity, they turn litigous. I refuse to do without my wonderful halogen torchiere, so I took Mike’s example and went to Fred Meyer and bought one to replace the one I had had without incident for more than 10 years. This new Holmes (I bought the pretty brushed chrome one) is not as bright as my old torchiere, but it is better than anything else out there. I am now as happy as a clam to have the kind of mood-uplifting and eyesight-saving light that I like in my office. So, “Choice”, order the Holmes lamp online if you don’t have a Fred Meyer where you live. You won’t be sorry.

Thanks, Mike.

Here’s the report.

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/halogen.pdf

Meanwhile … where can I get a replacement socket for a 300 W Type T halogen blub?

Regards,

E.

Re: what Tim wrote: “But these puppies are the only easy and cheap (to buy) way to flood a room with soft light, and that has a lot a value. I wish there was a cool running, low-power way to do this. The fluorescent torchieres I’ve seen still can’t. LEDs probably could, but the lamp would cost $3000. Someday we’ll have these for cheap.”

It’s not really true that fluorescent torchieres can’t flood a whole room. There are now 55- and 58-watt fluorescent torchieres which are really quite bright. Put two of them together and you’ve got as much light as a 300W halogen at little more than 1/3 the power consumption, and little heat.

The 55-watt halogens (usually from GE) throw off a really harsh white-blue light. The 58-watt halogens produce a fairly warm light if turned up high. It seems only Lightwiz, a little-known Chinese manufacturer, makes the 58-watt ones. Put it next to the GE and it looks like an incandescent.

We have had a halogen floor lamp forever it seems. We LOVE it!

I suppose one has to be fairly irresponsible to have issues with it. I can smell it burn if we turn it to full power, but hey, who needs stadium lights in one’s living room anyhow. Except the design of it being too contemporary for us now, I would keep it forever.

I would like to replace it with a different design to go with our decor. I REFUSE to go to a 3 way switch light. The full dimming is a MUST for us.

Does anyone know of any manufacturers, national stores or stores in south florida that carry full dimming floor lamps?

I don’t mind giving up the halogen bulb, but I can’t give up the dimming.

Thanks
Karlee

Hello fellow Halogers
I’ve been thru several generations of these lamps and agree that they are the best way to ‘flood’ a room with light for $20 and therein lies their popularity. Yes, my fave was still my original $50 one (on sale from $80!) but I tossed it when the switch crapped out not knowing what I had! I use 2 in a room now with one being an older dimmer (500W - no cage) and a newer 3way halogen w/cage. I found this blog while looking for ‘bulb’ answers. My older lamp works OK but the switch is getting hinky so I have it in a wall switch controlled outlet. I use it as a main entry bedroom light (28×14ft room) to find things mostlly but use bedside lamps (with Reveal bulbs) for reading and longer light-on tasks but I totally NEED the wattage in this huge room. Hopefully bypassing the switch will extend itz life.
I use the newer one in a corner of the same room to illuminate closet contents mostly. This is the one I have questions on. It originally took a 3-way halogen bulb which I gave up years ago trying to replace. I have been using a regular halogen bulb but unfortunately I dont know the wattage and there are no ID numbers on the bulb. The lamp sticker says type J which I learned online is now same as a type T. The bulb I replaced it with was from a 2pk so I dont have any info on it either.
My problem is that it stays lit until it heats up (about 5mins) then switches off. If left to cool, it will come back on.
My question is would this be due to the fact that I touched it by accident while installing? or would it be that this might be a 500W meant for the other lamp? I dont want to go throwing money at this problem until I know what my problem is. At least I know I can stop hunting for a type J…any input appreciated.

Wow, what a great blog. After trying to find out what it might be called I started off with an image search in Google before arriving here.

So after nearly four years, I only learned today that the light I have and have seen in numerous US movies and tv shows is a ‘halogen torchiere’!

I was given mine by a friend moving on from Thailand where I was living at the time. I fell in love with its soft light, but there was some buzzing from the dimmer at low power.

It hadn’t been kept clean and was full of dead bugs and stuff too. Probably that was why the bulb was breaking up too, and although it still worked, I thought it best to replace it.

Surprisingly I had no trouble finding the right 300W halogen in Chiangmai supermarkets and electrical stores (it seems they are used for outside security lamps too). After a quick cleanup my lamp was like new!

Now I live in Laos and wonder if I have the only one in the whole country!

It must have orginated somewhere before it was copied by all and sundry. Who designed it and where?

In other words can anyone ‘throw some light’ on this fascinating topic?

I’m delighted to find this blog and learn that I’m not the only one who feels that 300 watt, dimmer-switch halogen is the only way to go. My old reliable, bought ten years ago for ten dollars, at a garage sale, has finally quit. I’ve found the replacement on the internet and, after reading this blog, will order it this afternoon.

As some bloggers have already mentioned, there were variances in the evolution of these halogen torches, all heading toward a “safer” design. Problem was, as they became less prone to accident, they became more prone to failure, as their quality has congruently gone south. The first models released were nicely built, fairly heavy units that fit together properly with tight parts and good fasteners, had a 500 watt bulb, yes 500 watt, and a full-range dimmer. Most all were painted flat black. Then came the additional colored finishes and fancier styles, along with the lesser 300 watt bulb (same size, lower power), and a lower price; base models in the $10-15 range. Hardly any of this series had dimmers, only a VERY cheap, loose, gritty 3-way knob that died almost instanly. Finally, most of the 300 watts have been downgraded to 150 watts or fluourescent, neither of which is worth a crap. Plus, now all the units have a bird cage over the bulb (ugly), and in the case of the 300 watt, it will now have a thermal cutout switch located underneath the reflector beneath the bulb. So, installing a 500 bulb will only give intermittent light, as the thermal switch cuts in and out. Great news! This can be bypassed easily by cutting out the thermal switch and simply re-crimping the wires back together. I did this on two 300 watt units recently purchased, installed some good German 500w bulbs, and then installed a floor dimmer inline with the power cords. works great on high, nothing smoking or stinking at all. By the way, running 500 watts (full-blast) 8 hours every day of the month will cost exactly $8.40 per month if your power company is charging .07/Kwh (our cost here in KY). which I will gladly pay for the quality and quantity of the light received. Those of us who know, KNOW.

Excellent, excellent commentary all! I am a product designer (no lamps yet except an old school project), sitting here in the low warm glow of my final remaining fully functional halogen torchiere, having searched this term to find a 300 watt replacement rheostat, and could not stop reading the love letters for these lamps.

Yes, I have had at least 6 of them over the years; yes, I keep the bug population down with acrid plumes of smoke at a clip of one or two a night, and I would call myself more than somewhat green-friendly and - definitely - aware of the risks of these blowtorches. Nevertheless, though my wife made me chuck 3 of them (stored the top assembly parts off a couple for the next catastrophic tumble repair) and hide the other two away in my office, and though my Ace and Home Depot and finally even a specialty lamp parts boutique in downtown Atlanta all sneered at me for the mention of a replacement rheostat for the things, I WILL NOT GIVE UP!!!! They light like a frikkin’ mother! Or they dim like a small distant nuke afterglow; either way they are unmatched in my experience and they work for me in the studio, in the model shop, in the house - the den, the bedroom …I will never be the same when they are all dead.

So… I reluctantly but resignedly tempt fate, wreak havoc on insect families, destroy our world, and like a ball and chain, tote my favorite triple-bypass rewired, silver-hammered-sprayon refinished, slightly bent along one of the 3 joints, and probably not long for this world halogen torchiere from room to room, project to project, wherever I need the light of miraculous immaculate brilliance and/or seductive dusky hints of ambient glow… until, like it’s older brother, the rheostat goes. Good luck to the folks who figure out the heir apparent; I have yet to find it but I know there must be some great things coming.

Cheers everyone, and happy lighting wishes to you all!

One company who still makes full-range dimming Torchieres is Estiluz. Very high quality and high-dollar stuff made in Spain. They aren’t afraid of the 300 watt bulb. Then there’s also Holtkoetter in Germany making some great lights, although they seem to prefer clusters of 150 watt bulbs to achieve outputs up to 600 watt. Both makers are insanely expensive, especially for those folks used to paying $50 and under. But it might be worth checking their prices on replacement rheostats, bulb sockets, etc. which most surely would be better quality than the far-east offerings. Honestly, the quality is so bad now on the mass-market units, that I personally would completely teardown and redo anything off the shelf immediately upon purchase. The porcelain T-3 bulb holders (clearly stamped 500 watts, no matter what the lamp is rated) are still half-decent, although no longer spring loaded, merely a pair of tensioned prongs. If you have a lamp with true retractable bulb contacts, KEEP IT. The new style prongs are simply riveted to the porcelain, and these rivets can weaken, giving you intermittent and mysterious operation. Wiring is still standard 18 gauge, enough for 500 watts, and the fiberglass wire insulation is thankfully still provided. I recommend to either acquire a serious-grade dimmer unit, or hardwire any faulty/cheap lamps for constant “on” with an external floor dimmer, most of which can handle 500 watt. Remove any saftey cages, as the paint will burn and smell, even at 300 watts. Bypass any type of thermal snapstat or tilt switch, they are not reliable and unnecessarily complicate the circuit. These lamps will never be safe - they are simply too hot. All efforts to make them safe are absurd. They are wonderful units, if kept upright and not molested by animals or children. Select an out-of-the way spot for the lamp to reside, try your best to imagine and prepare for worst-case scenarios in advance, then release yourself from the paranoia and enjoy the unparallled brilliance these torches provide.

Wow, this should be a support group! I can hardly believe it, but I actually devoured the whole thing. I too have gone through several of these in the past few years, after the long-lasting one I had in grad school gave out. I would only add to the collective tribute committed above that these lamps are the only way I’ve found to provide adequate light for the indoor videotaping of, ahem, calisthenic activities without creating so much harsh glare that the atmosphere is ruined. Hence my desire, now, to replace the one that just failed me. So, I appeal for help to all ye worshippers of the halogen torchiere — aside from the jaw-droppingly expensive Estiluz mentioned above, which of these are least crappy? I’ve had two American Lighting ones in the past year, so I won’t buy another one of those. Has anyone had reasonable experience with Holmes (available through Amazon)? Any other brands available on-line?

I have yet to see a Chinese light not crappy. Or anything China-made for that matter (lead paint, anyone??). All the labels like Holmes, etc. are simply the lowest-bidding generic asian factory that will disappear next year. I recommend to invest in a light from an established lamp company focused on quality rather than quantity. The best light for the money is the Estiluz P-2373. At 76″ tall, it is at least 6″ taller than any torch I have seen. The shade can pivot for bouncing light off the ceiling, or a wall (great for photography). The dimmer module is mounted in the base for easy access, with a long pole-knob to waist level (cool). $621 delivered from VGK Lighting. Otherwise, build your own as described earlier, using merely a cheap lamp carcass, and completely rework it using the best parts you can find with the simplest path from wall outlet to bulb filament with no BS in between.

My beloved 300 watter torchiere died, but I’m glad my experience isn’t unique. I liked it because the reflected light produced few shadows. I’ve owned it about 15 years, and like others, l couldn’t find a replacement. I’m not about to spend enough to pay off the national debt for a new one. Don’t care how good it is. After reading through a lot of this blog, I think I’ll hard wire the thing and put a dimmer on the outside of it.

For all of you HaloGen-Xers out there who, like i do, refuse to abandon your lamps and their variable dimmer switches (and who managed to make it all the way to the end of this surprisingly effusive list of love letters), i bring good tidings:

Home Depot sells a replacement dimmer controller made by Westek (part no. 6079B and works for both halogen and incandescent torchieres) As a bonus for the seasonally affected, it is rated to 500W. These are super easy to install, requiring only remedial reading skills and the ability to turn a wire nut in a clockwise direction. It costs $7.99.

IMPORTANT: the aforementioned remedial reading section (instructions) refer to the smooth and ribbed (chuckle) wires coming from the plug side, and if you look closely and feel with your fingertips, you will notice that the plug’s cord is made up of a pair of wires which do indeed have a smooth wire and a rough wire (although they are attached to one another until the very end where they split like a “Y”), so pay attention to these details.

If you prefer to order your switches at twice the cost and then pay shipping as well, try these fine online sources:

http://www.marbeck.com/electrical_lamp_parts.html

http://www.jalanes.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0208/product-id/296209.html

Also, i have noticed that over time corrosion builds up on the contacts where the lamp saddle meets the ends of the bulb and may cause a break in the flow of electricity which results in darkness. As noted above by John, these can be replaced (again the Home Depot has these parts in the lighting section, though i don’t have a part number for you as i saved myself a few bucks by doing what follows). John also surmised (correctly) that he might have simply sanded off the corrosion and saved himself from having to purchase new contacts. This i have done using a small file and a low-speed Dremel tool with a small tapered grinding bit. Of course i UNPLUGGED THE LAMP and for convenience sake dismantled the light bowl until all i was dealing with was the two contacts connected with a metal bracket bar. this assembly i like to call the saddle.

This method works fine, but is a little more involved than the dimmer switch replacement project and i suspect that the factory smooth finish of a brand-new contact will resist corrosion longer than the roughened up surface left after the in-home sand-job. Also, the contact is slightly recessed behing the white ceramic insulator which can make it difficult to get at without the proper tool(s). Be sure to examine each end of your bulb, for if it is not a new bulb the corrosion will most likely be there too. Don’t forget to wipe you clammy finger juice off of the bulb before your reinstall it.

Various parts including saddles and contacts can be found at the bottom of this quite attractive* and well organized* web-page:

http://www.harringtonlights.com/products/halogen_repair_parts.htm

This information i give to you my lovelies, who like your light hot, bright and color-correct. Just don’t be stoopid, and light safe!

Q

*indicates extreme irony

afterthought: hmmm that’s a lot of info, i think i’ll put up an illustrated how-to here: http://qdeco.com/halogen-how-to

For those who are interested, Lowes sells a 180 watt model for $24.88 (item #132259). Also, Lite Source has several 300 watt models in the $120-150 range (LS-978; LS-9508)

So, you design mavens and appliance experts out there: What do I use to light my living room? I need light. Winter months depress me, and I want well lighted living space, office space, and kitchen. If I can’t use a torchiere, what do I use?

And don’t talk to me about subdued lighting and spots. I understand the appeal; but, trust me, I truly need something bright to keep my mood up and my failing eyesight working.

I’m not a college student — Well, not an undergrad, anyway. I’ll be careful not to burn anything down, and not to touch any bulbs with bare hands.

What’s the answer?

In the meantime — while I’m still using my torchiere — What’s a good source for J-type bulbs?

I’m with you, John.

I used to have 500-watt halogen torchieres in my living & bedrooms because I truly needed them to be able to see well. I had no problem with them but did have sense enough not to throw anything on top of them or to put them where they would easily tip over.

I can’t find them now and sorely miss them because I really do need a very bright light to see well.

This is yet another example of how an idiotic few spoil it for the rest of us.

Signed,

Another Baby Boomer

I got a 300 Watt from amazon. They have 2 different models; 1 for $29.00 plus tax and shipping and another for $42.00 plus tax and shipping. I still would like to find a 500 watt lamp cheap, if possible. I would be most appreciative. Please leave a comment here. TIA P.S I promise I want Darwin myself.

I am thinking about composing a small batch of 500w units made from inexpensive 300w lamp hosts. Or at least to document and photograph the process in full detail for those who are comfortable with a few basic hand tools. I just built another one for my uncle and he loves it. 500 beats the 300 hands down. Of course I would need a small labor charge plus the cost of a floor dimmer and upgraded bulb but it would still be affordable and a very nice light. Will keep post updated.

I just bought a $135 500W halogen torchiere with a dimmer switch a few weeks ago at my local lamp store - - - not the slightest difficulty finding or buying it. In 25 years I had never heard of any accident or problem with the lamp.

Then last week I moved from Austria to the USA and had planned to go look for the same lamp at Lowe’s tomorrow.

And then I stumbled across this blog…

Ogglebog,

I am definitely interested in buying at least 4, (four), 500-watt halogen lamps you are able to build/convert as either hubby nor I are good DIY’s.

If you decide to do so, please advise. I’ll be watching for updates.

Thank you.

Dear Mike,

Make no mistakes, The Halogen Torchieres you find today are still UNSAFE! Yes even the Homes model you just purchased from Fred Meyer. This is the same product that was found to be UNSAFE by Date Line in 1998.

The 300-Watt “J” Bulb provides 4800 Lumens of light and reaches temperatures exceeding 1100 degrees. Because the Bulb Application is Horizontal the actual amount of light provided is approximately 4100 Lumens. The product LOST its UL Certification for almost 3 years, and was limited to 190-Watt maximum bulb.

(Editor’s Note: The rest of this comment has been deleted due to product promotion)

OK people, I’m going to make a batch. For those who want the real thing.
500 watts to help with your depression and enough heat to warm up a cool corner of your room. Unsafe? YOU BETCHA! Sadly, though, the $12.99 home center specials are a thing of the past - I can’t find any 300w lamp bodies locally. Amazon online prices are much higher, plus the shipping, comes to $50 for just a basic model, black or white. Then, add $15 for the floor dimmer and $6 for the new bulb (german Sylvania). Next, add the cost of reboxing and shipping the unit pre-assembled into two sections (easy assembly for the end-user), with bubble-wrap, peanuts, etc. probably $20. Finally, I’ll want $35 per lamp to order the stuff, unpack it all (pain in the butt), perform the conversion, burn it in my home for a week to ensure reliability, and handle the returns of garbage units to ensure all the modded lamps are “good ones” in terms of fit and finish. The external dimmer could be easily replaced when it fails - the lamp pole will no longer have a switch and the hole will be properly closed with a nice cap. Your total would be $126. I suppose I could ebay the item, but then add another 10% for ebay/paypal fees. Anybody interested? Sound off!

It’s great to see both Ogglebog and Manny trying to do something about this problem, in their different ways. Whether or not Manny is right about the safety issue (and the aggressive salesmanship certainly wasn’t a good choice for this thread), I’m interested in his lamps — they certainly look nice. If anyone buys one, I hope they’ll let us all know how it pans out.

Mike,

I am sure you are INCORRECT!!!!!!!! This is one topic you do NOT want to go toe to toe with me. The Torchiere you just purchased from Fred Meyer, Imported by Holmes, Is the same OLD OUTDATED AND UNSAFE DESIGN that caused all the fires and in some cases death.

Today’s version now requires a Wire Guard Over the Top of The Shade to prevent anything from coming into contact with the Bulb and thus catching fire! There are also other precautions that are take by some importers would include a Tip switch so if the lamp starts to fall the lamp will turn off.

It was found by DATELINE (NBC) in 1998 that even with these new safe guards these lamps manufactured with this design are still UNSAFE!

UL (underwriters’ laboratories) also came to the same conclusion and for a period of time would NOT Certify this design using a 300-watt bulb, the product was limited to 190-watts.

The design is UNSAFE PERIOD! I can tell you this as I have been directly involved with this product since it was first introduced in 1987.

Additionally, Major retailers, because of the airings on Dateline, chose to pull the product from their shelves and no longer offer it because of the Fire Dangers this product possess.

Lastly, The old design can ONLY use the pencil thin 300-watt “J” Bulb in its operation. When the Bulb needs to be replaced chances are the consumer will NOT have one lying around. So the Lamp becomes Inoperable until a replacement bulb is obtained! Additionally, there is NO energy capability with this product WHAT SO EVER!

(Editor’s Note: The rest of this comment has been deleted due to product promotion)

In defense of Manny, I will say that he chose an excellent venue to promote his product, and that his product looks very fine indeed. Their website has a particularly good “history lesson” of the halogen torch, worth checking out. The Park Ave lamp is great for someone who wants safety and is satisfied with 4300 lumens of light. But in defense of my original concept of returning to the old technology, prior to UL interference, which is certainly dangerous in CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, and definitely looks frightening under STAGED filmographies, I will casually mention that the 500w Sylvania J-bulb is rated at 8750 lumens, which when reduced by the rough 20% loss for horizontal application, still pumps out something like 7000 lumens. At 1700 degrees of course!

As an aside, and to further enlighten ignorant folks as to the program “Dateline,” these are the same people who publish that excruciating “To Catch a Predator” series in which the staff goes out fishing for child molesters on the internet and then sets them up for a meeting and subsequent prosecution. Now, I am in no way trying to suggest sympathy for the accused persons on that program, but if you look at the manner of the production and the aggressive nature of the producers, you might see some similarities to the cheap shock-value sensationalism that has scared so many people in regard to these torchieres. Sure, child molesters are out there, and they are dangerous people. But going out and pretending to be a child so that a criminal will respond is sort of like setting up a torchiere lamp and then throwing a curtain on top of it. Well, maybe that analogy is a little weak. My point is that they are just trying to sell a spot on prime time and will do pretty much anything to get you to LOOK LOOK LOOK!

Seems to me, the main reason NOT to take a chance on one of Manny’s lamps is the rather wildly inappropriate tone of his posts on this thread. Makes you wonder.

Wow! I was just looking online for a halogen torch lamp to replace my 10 year old one that seems to have died…and ended up here at this blog that’s been going for close to a year-and-a-half!

My current 300W halogen torch lamp, located in the office area of my home, started acting funny about 2 weeks ago. “Funny” meaning the switch wasn’t working right. It’s one of the ones that doesn’t have a true dimmer, just a 3-way swith with off, low & high as the choices. Lately I couldn’t get it to go to low very easily…it would just immediately go to high when turning it on. Then last night I went to turn it off and it wouldn’t turn off…then it started smoking at the 3-way switch. So I unplugged it.

I put an incandescent torch lamp from another room in the office where the halogen was, and there is just no comparison to the halogen for light output. So it looks like I’m going to pick up a replacement from Amazon.

Thanks for all the info…and I promise to use the same common sense that I’ve used over the last 10 years and will not put it near anything flamable like curtains, and will not put it where it would be likely to be knocked over.

Hey Chris, glad you joined us. The shoddy 3-way switch should never be used period. If your new lamp comes with another one, just switch it on high and then leave it alone. Go to Lowes and buy a floor-foot dimmer to plug inline with the power cord. This will save the pole switch and allow you to easily replace the only moving part when it fails next time. As an alternative, plug the lamp into a wall-controlled outlet, if your office space has one. Best of luck, be safe, and enjoy!!!

I like the idea of the floor-foot dimmer. Sounds like good advice. I’ll do it. Thanks!

Ogglebog,

I am interested in those lamps you’re making. So please contact me through my website. I just moved to the US from Europe about a year ago and I couldn’t understand why finding a good halogen 500w torchieres with a foot dimmer was such an impossible quest. Then I came across this blog and discovered to my dismay that my favorite floor lamp had been banned because some people made a hobby out of throwing their drapes and t-shirts over them.

When a person burns himself by putting his finger over the fire we do not blame the fire. I fail to see the difference when it comes to torchieres. It’s not as if they spew napalm after 100 hours of use. But if you put cloth on top of them, they will burn it. But put a piece of cloth over a kitchen stove and it will burn too, but that doesn’t mean we ought to ban kitchen stoves. It only means people should exercise caution and be responsible when using them.

Legislation should protect the rights of the responsible instead of defending the safety of the careless at the expense of the careful.