I have read DIY posts concerning repairs. There is a mention of eliminating the controller so the lamp is always on when plugged in. However- it appears this may be about a 2-conductor bulb (only 2 wires connected?). My lamp is a "Sunlight Desk Lamp" with a 4-tube bulb using 4 pins in the base. The lamp spec is FML-27EX-D 27W 6500K Ra80 I have the base off the lamp now- and would appreciate any guidance before I start cutting and splicing. Also - wondering if this lamp uses a ballast in the bulb base, or how does it work? Thanks very much.

As a new member, I was reading back through posts. Great information source!!!! Thanks to all. I hope it is OK here to diverge slightly from a relatively recent post titled “220 line for an electric dryer posted by JMattero on 02-17-11 10:03 AM.” This discussion was in regard to 3 wire vs. four wire dryer plug connections, with four wire being the correct answer. My question is should other 230V appliances also follow the same four-wire rule? Specifically, I have a Miller MIG welder in the garage that plugs into an industry standard, single phase 230V three wire 50 Amp rated receptacle fed by 8 gauge stranded copper wire. The receptacle is polarized with one spade much wider than the other. The third pin is the D shaped ground. It has never caused any problems but this post got my attention. The welder’s flexible cable and plug end are one-piece molded as installed by the manufacturer with no alterations. So it looks like Miller has neutral return and ground bonded internally. Many 230V window unit air conditioners are also three wire. Is this simply a case of the equipment manufactures not yet catching up with NEC four wire requirements?