Warning: that cute thrift store lamp almost torched my living room

I grabbed a vintage brass lamp from Goodwill in Tacoma last weekend for $8, and after two days the wiring inside started smoking while I was watching TV. Turns out old lamps often have cracked insulation or frayed wires that can spark a fire if you don't rewire them first. Has anyone else nearly roasted their place trying to save a buck on lighting?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ruby14d ago

Had a friend who scored a vintage floor lamp at a garage sale for like five bucks. Looked amazing in her apartment, real mid-century style. One night she smelled something weird and saw the cord was actually warm to the touch. She unplugged it and the outer rubber was cracked all the way down exposing the wires inside. Honestly she was lucky she caught it before it got worse. I mean old lamps are cool and all but that wiring is no joke.

michael89514d ago

That's exactly the kind of thing people overlook with old stuff. Nobody thinks about the rubber and plastic breaking down because it just sits there looking fine. Same thing with old extension cords people keep using for years, they get brittle and nobody notices until something bad happens.