My D.R. ceiling fixture has 5 sockets. When changing bulbs. I noticed that one socket did not work. I shut off wall switch; tried unsuccessfully to look inside socket; swabbed it out with old toothbrush *; sprayed with Cramolin (used for audio equipt), but no luck.
Any educated guesses on why one of 5 would have crapped out?
And what is best approach to reviving it?
TIA
Aspasia
There are two wires attached to the socket. One goes to the tongue at the bottom of the socket and the other to the screw shell. Sometimes these wires are riveted to the socket, and a rivet loosens up. This would require replacing the socket. Sometimes the wires are attached by screw terminals which can come loose. This would require retightening. Sometimes the tongue at the bottom of the socket becomes depressed, and the lamp doesn't reach it to make contact. This would require carefully prying it back up. At some location in the fixture, all 10 wires come together and are spliced to the feed wires. Its possible one of the wires for the dead socket came loose here, and would need to be reconnected
Probably a loose connection.
Kill the power, then remove the fixture The problem should then be obvious and a easy fix.
9 times out of 10 this will fix it. Failing that, you may want to replace the sockets with some sturdier ones from an electrical distributor. Some of the box stores are stocking these also, so check it out, Good luck.
Joe
Additionally I have recently begun to see candelabra sockets without a full shell inside. There is a strip of metal on on the inside instead and if it is bent too much outward the bulb will not light. Look inside the socket to see if this is what you have. The cure is to take a small screwdriver and gingerly push the metal strip towards the middle of the socket a wee bit.
Excuse top posting -- wanted to thank all the amigos who so quickly and generously gave of their know-how. Will try the prying up maneuver first & go from there if it doesn't work.
Aspasia
How embarrassing! A lesson in making sure to check EVERY step in the path, and take NOTHING for granted!
Summary: Bulb in 5 socket fixture went out. I screwed in new bulb but didn't go on. Posted on this NG.
I tried prying up the metal strip in socket as suggested below, but didn't help.
So peered sadly at the fixture, wondering how the hell to get that one socket out.
Days -- weeks -- later, another socket went out. In the course of changing that bulb, I screwed another bulb into the first socket.
Bingo! Went on.
I hadn't checked whether the damn BULB I first tried was good. Turns out it wasn't. But I assumed the SOCKET was bad.
Grrrr!
Aspasia
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