Touch Lamp Won't Turn Off

Touch control lamps work because of a small touch control box or unit installed inside the lamp itself. This small plastic box allows you to touch any metal on your lamp to turn it on and off. Over time, these small boxes can fail and cause the touch lamp to no longer operate in the manner it was designed. Depending on when the touch control box fails, your touch lamp could be stuck in the on position and not turn off. Replacing the touch control box inside your touch lamp will correct this problem.

The old touch control box will most likely be found in the base of the lap, and will need to be removed and replaced. Unplug the lamp and remove the bottom from the base of the lamp. Depending on the touch lamp brand, the bottom attaches with screws or snaps on similar to how a plastic food container lid snaps onto a bowl. Locate the touch control box inside the base of the touch lamp. The box will be connected to the lamp with four wires — generally yellow, red/orange, white and gray/black, though colors may vary depending on the brand and lamp. Follow all manufacture instructions or warnings before you begin.

Identify the two neutral lamp wires that connect to the lamp. Wrap a piece of electrical tape around the two neutral lamp wires connected to the white wire from the touch control. The electrical tape identifies the two neutral wires later in the application. The lamp wires connect to the white wire from the touch control with a wire connector.

Twist the three wire connectors counterclockwise to remove them from the wires they hold together. Locate the locknut on the threaded nipple attached to the base of the touch lamp. The lamp wires thread through the hollow nipple, through the lamp body and to the lamp socket. The yellow wire from the touch control box attaches to the nipple with a ring terminal. Use pliers to turn the locknut counterclockwise and remove it from the nipple to pull the ring terminal from it.

Time to move the replacement box into place. First slip the ring terminal attached to the replacement touch control yellow wire over the nipple. Secure the yellow wire to the lamp base by replacing the locknut and tightening it clockwise with pliers.

Next are the neural wires and the red/orange wire. Twist an orange wire connector clockwise onto the two neutral lamp wires and the white wire from the replacement touch control box to connect them together. The two neutral lamp wires have electrical tape wrapped around them for identification; remove the tape and then connect them to the new box.

Connect the black wire from the touch control box to the lamp wire that connects directly to the lamp plug by twisting an orange wire connector clockwise onto both wires. Connect the remaining wire from the touch control box, which is either red or gray depending on the manufacturer, to the remaining lamp wire that feeds through the nipple using another wire connector. Securely reinstall the base onto the bottom of your touch control lamp.