# LED bulb having trouble in my lamp? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulb-having-trouble-in-my-lamp/678089 "2014-01-07T01:32:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulb-having-trouble-in-my-lamp/678089/1 "2014-01-07T01:32:23Z")
I have a desk lamp with a two way (?) control switch. Basically, you click it once to get it on with a “dim” setting, click again to get full brightness, and then again to turn it off. Given that incandescent bulbs are on the way out, I decided to get an LED bulb for the lamp. If I sit and flick around a 100 W incandescent, the lamp works perfectly fine. With my LED bulb, it works…sometimes. Other times it does not! I have to turn the lamp on and off upwards of 20 times before it finally fires up the LED bulb. It’s bizarre, and I’ve checked the plug, wire, etc. Google is not helping me, any ideas what could be the problem? Let me know if I need to provide more facts. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulb-having-trouble-in-my-lamp/678089/2 "2014-01-07T01:39:19Z")
many LED bulbs will not work through a dimming circuit. you would need a dimmable LED bulb or another desk lamp to use with that bulb. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulb-having-trouble-in-my-lamp/678089/3 "2014-01-07T01:49:25Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > many LED bulbs will not work through a dimming circuit. you would need a dimmable LED bulb or another desk lamp to use with that bulb. The side of the bulb says “dimmable,” and “Suitable for use with dimmers.” I also had it working fine for a few weeks before this problem came up, and the fact that it works about, say, 5% of the time, as opposed to 0% of the time, is what makes my head scratch. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulb-having-trouble-in-my-lamp/678089/4 "2014-01-07T01:57:24Z")
> **[3-way lamp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-way_lamp)** > > A 3-way lamp, also known as a tri-light, is a lamp that uses a 3-way light bulb to produce three levels of light in a low-medium-high configuration. A 3-way lamp requires a 3-way bulb and socket, and a 3-way switch. > In 3-way incandescent light bulbs, each of the filaments operates at full voltage. So unlike incandescent bulbs controlled by a dimmer, the color of the light does not change between the three steps of light available.\[citation needed\] Lamp bulbs with dual carbon filaments were bu... If so, then you need a special LED bulb, such as [this one](http://store.earthled.com/products/switch-switch-3-way-led-light-bulb#.UsteEfiBudk). ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulb-having-trouble-in-my-lamp/678089/5 "2014-01-07T01:59:31Z")
ok the center contact of the socket can get some corrosion or get pushed down to make less than good contact with the bulb. unplug the lamp. unscrew the bulb. with a small bit of sand paper or the tip of a knife clean the center contact of the socket a bit. with a needle nose pliers/small pliers pull up the center contact just a real small amount, or catch it with the head of a nail/screw and pull up. oh be sure you unplug the lamp before putting anything besides a bulb in the socket. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulb-having-trouble-in-my-lamp/678089/6 "2014-01-07T14:18:24Z")
That seems to be working better now. The of the base was quite a fair bit scuffed. Thank you!! 🙂