You are replacing a bulb in a standing halogen floor lamp that you’ve had since forever. You purchase a replacement bulb and find that it is several millimeters too long for the fixture; the original bulb broke coming out and cannot be used for comparison. Not only is there no manual for the lamp, but there’s not even a manufacturer’s name. It’s after midnight, you just woke up a friend to borrow his Phillips screwdriver, and you want to get this done now.
Do you:
- Research the Internet for an hour to determine the standard lengths in common use for halogen fixtures;
- find that the two possible lengths are 118 mm and 78 mm;
- double-check the Imperial length of 40 mm, just to be sure;
- resolve that there’s no way this lamp needs a 78 mm, that’s too short;
- scour the lamp for identifying marks;
- find the Underwriters Laboratories sticker;
- search the Internet to see if there’s a public database of UL registrations;
- having found one, plug in every number off the sticker until you find the right one;
- trace the registration to a company in Kowloon, Hong Kong;
- search the Internet for that company;
- find their American offices in Miami;
- click every link on the site looking for a PDF manual;
- and not finding one, write down their 800 number to call in the morning.
- Press lightly down on the contact point for the bulb and find that there’s plenty of give, allowing you to install the bulb in five seconds.
- Do 1 first, then 2, then feel like biggest schmuck in history.