Where can I get bayonet cap / socket extenders?

[TWP]

Does anyone here know if you can get extensions for bayonet socket light fittings? I just got some energy saving bulbs and after unpacking all of them so that I couldn't take them back it was discovered that part of the base of the bulbs got in the way of part of the socket by just a fraction! Agh!! If I had something to extend the socket by about 1/2 an inch it would fit.

I've been searching everywhere on the net, but even if they exist I don't know what they're called. I've seen similar things on US pages called "socket extenders", but nothing like them for the UK apart from BC to ES converters.

Any help would really be appreciated.

TWP

[BigWallop]

Have you removed any shade holder rings from the bayonet fitting?

[TWP]

The part that is in the way is the shade itself, that's why I thought some kind of small socket extension would help. It wraps around the bayonet socket. It looks like the shade is really for spotlights, but we've always used small ordinary bulbs.

The lights look similar to this but are older.

TWP

[BigWallop]

You'll never do it mate. Any low energy lamp has a wide base to hold the electronics, and they'll never fit in anything with that thin a shade. The base of low energy lamps also get hot, and anything that helps hold that heat in will also greatly reduce the life span of the lamp as well.

[TWP]

>

You could be right. They do the extenders in America though...

TWP

[BigWallop]

You can get ES (Eddison Screw) extenders in the UK as well, but they're normally a special order item from merchants. I know, many years ago, you could get BC (Bayonet Connector) extenders and doublers etc. But they fell out of use when all the new styles of light fittings came in to fashion.

You may have some luck searching on the foreign sites, but I think they are going to be few and far between.

[TWP]

My father had a look at them and discovered that the position was adjustable enough to bring the socket forwards so the bulbs are finally in! :-) I'm not sure what he did... I think he moved something attaching the lamp to the lamp holder... I hope it doesn't fall off the ceiling next week and kill me! :-) I'm bound to be walking under it if it's going to fall off! :-)

Thank you for helping with this problem anyway! :-)

TWP