Light bulb sockets these days.

[Greg G]

Am I imagining this, or is there something different about light bulb sockets or the threads on the bulbs themselves that makes them more difficult to screw in, and especially remove, than they used to be? Are the threads made of a different, presumably cheaper, metal? Is it China's fault?

Being busy, I tend to let the chore of changing bulbs wait until I find my wife in a miner's helmet with a disapproving look on her face. So I change a few at a time. What a chore. Recessed fixtures can be nearly impossible.

Has anybody else noticed this? Any solutions?

Greg Guarino

[andy everett]

[newsreader]

The ones I hate most are those small bulbs, like used in dining room candlabra type fixtures. I'v broken off several of the bulb bases in these. It's those pointy little bulbs with a threaded socket around 3/8" diameter. Hate em!

[Bob]

If you notice that it happens mostly on bulbs that have been burnt out for a while, then possibly humidity is causing corrosion on the base.

[byron]

definitely China

[cornytheclown]

I have one outside socket like that...I put a dab of vaseline on the buld threads before putting in socket.

You cant blame anything on the Chinese or the mexicans or the Indians....the state of the US economy is our fault...we demand cheaper goods we demand higher wages....countries like india, thailand, china are now realizing that if they improve quality they can sell goods in america.....it is american businesses and american politicians who are aiding these countries....

China gonna be selling cars in the US in 2007, 7000.00 for a small car with 100,000 mile or 10 year warranty......and they are going to have upscale models comparable to BMWs, lexus for around 20,000

Ford is laying off 30,000 workers...those jobs are not coming back...GM laid off 30,000 workers last year didnt they...those jobs wont be coming back........

The worlds economy is levelling out..as countries like the US, Britain, Canada and Japan get a little poorer...typically poor countries like China are getting a bit richer.

If China improves their good to a point where US consumers will buy them China can pretty much just wreck our economy.

I've been checking out typically Cheap and crude Chinese tools and equipment and over the past few years they have made remarkable strides in improving quality and finish.

But again....its not chinas fault..we dont have to buy the goods...we dont have to sell them the raw materials....but we do

[George]

No, it would be the fault of people demanding cheap stuff. So the manufacturers build to suit.

[Rich]

Must be Italian... Have you considered a hot shower, soap and shampoo?

[Bob]

Wait until China gets done building those 13 dams on the Nu River, then there won't be anything at all made in the US.

[Joseph Meehan]

If you see a sliver colored thread on either the lamp or the socket, you know you have a cheap product and can cause problems. If it is real brass (not just brass colored aluminum) it should not cause you any problems.

Several have recommended Vaseline. I suggest not using Vaseline, but rather use a dielectric lube made for the use. Vaseline can cause as many problems as it solves in this use.

[Jeff Wisnia]

If it's not too soon after I've washed my face, I find that "nose oil" from the OUTSIDE surface of my nose works well for stuff like that.

It's an old clockmaker's trick too:

Jeff

[EXT]

Soon, the US military will need to replace some of their weapons, tanks and other hardware. It is not hard to imagine that they will have to order through China just like the rest of us. Heaven help us if there is a war or conflict with China, where would they get the weapons if China cuts the US off.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

There's a thread lubricant I bought off the internet called BulbEZ that works really well. It comes in a tiny tub but it will last a lifetime. The consistency is like an extrememly hard wax rather than like a liquid or grease. I used to have one hell of a time getting bulbs to let go after they burned out but not any more. Great stuff.

I didn't buy it from the link but they're the ones who make it. There's probably something on the page that tells you where you can buy it. It runs about $4 (US).

[tbl]

It was the change in the material that the bulbs' bases and the bulb sockets are made from. It used to be brass, but is now aluminum, usually. Brass on brass is not too bad a combination for bulbs and sockets, but al on al is terrible! It galls (tends to cold-weld to its mating part).

There are electrically-conductive lubricants that can be applied sparingly to the threads, that will make things much better, in this regard. Just be sure not to bridge accross the two conductors!

[cornytheclown]

vaseline is a dielectric.....its a very good one too...

you dont need a lot and you are not using it for its insulating properties...you actually would be better off with some sort of conductive grease...Ive used heat sink grease before...and it works too.....vaseline is more likely to be around the average houshold though...graphite would also work and its conductive so it might be a better choice if you have some handy.

you just need a lubricant and you dont need much.

[mm]

Nothing has changed, but it is China's fault.

(just kidding. I may be having more trouble too, not sure. My big problem is standing on the bed and changing the bulb without removing the glass thing.)

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.

[Chris]

I read elsewhere a suggestion to take a pencil and draw around the bulb threads (so as to leave some graphite on the bulb threads). Haven't tried it.

[Joseph Meehan]

The problem with Vaseline as I have seen it is that it is often put on too heavy and drips, it is also slightly corrosive. Yea, I know that does not seem right, but I have both experienced it and seen other references to it.

[TKM]

Good point. Corrosion is particularly likely if the socket is brass and the bulb threads are aluminum -- dissimilar metals corrode faster, particularly if there's moisture.

I use silicone spray -- just a light coating with the excess wiped away. It won't act like glue if the socket gets hot.

TKM

[byron]

You better not tell the anti-globalist protesters that free trade apparently works to help the poorer countries.

Then again you have Mexico, which is third world and seems determined to stay that way despite being located smack dab next to the richest nation on earth. Go figure.