!@#$%&* Wedge Base Lamp Socket

I've got outdoor lights (12VAC) that use wedge base sockets. Only problem is the lamps seem to disintegrate in the heat and break off when you try to change the bulb.

(1) Any Tricks to get the !@#$%&* glass out of the socket?

(2) Alternative socket and bulb style that's small like that?

...Jim Thompson

Reply to
Jim Thompson
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I have experienced this issue a multiple of times on exterior landscape type fixtures. My first impression was that it would be near impossible to construct the sockets, or the fixtures, out of a lower quality material. :-]

The solutions I've tried that appear to work are:

1) Changed from an 11 watt lamp to a 7 watt lamp to reduce the heat issues.

2) Buffed & coated the contacts on the lamp with a silicone spray to reduce corrosion, and the resulting removal difficulty.

3) Gently move the burned out lamp from side to side (helps to break the lamp loose from any welded, or seized contacts) before attempting to remove it.

4) Replace any of the sockets with loose, or low tension contacts, that allow arcing to take place.

Since taking these actions it's been years since I've had a lamp break on removal.

For the lamps that broke on removal I constructed a pick to help remove the broken lamp base. It consisted of a thin piece of flat spring steel (street cleaner brush) with a short hook bent on the end, and ground down to fit into the socket. This allowed the hook to be slipped in along the side of the lamp, and pull it out. A small pair of Hemostats (like a medical person would use) also works.

Louis--

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Reply to
Louis Bybee

"Jim Thompson" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Those 7 or 11 watt bulbs? First, don't turn but pull ;) With a very small screwdriver, work all the bits out. Put some vaseline or grease on the new lamp.

Cheap rubbish it is. First had plastic ones, but they became very brittle after two years. Now I have metal ones, aluminum, a lot better and worth the extra bit of money.

Reply to
Frank Bemelman

How about trying a small piece of surgical rubber tubing, like the lamp extractors for the old telephone style wedge base lamps used in the old 1A2 W-E PBX systems? It slid over the glass as far as possible, and you gently wiggled the lamp out of the socket.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Aha! Got out the hemostat (used normally to hold small objects while soldering) and literally removed the wedge end of the bulb bit-of-glas by bit-of-glass :-(

Now, what kind of silicone spray do you recommend?

Thanks for your pointers! I was dead-ending trying to find replacement sockets.

...Jim Thompson

Reply to
Jim Thompson

Wait'll the aluminum corrodes where the base meets the stake. They're all junk, IMHO.

Reply to
HA HA Budys Here

Or use a pen body - cut the end off to leave a hole of size 'x', where 'x' fits the bulb. :-) Used one of these to remove small bulbs from equipment in years gone by.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Taylor

I use LPS brand available at the local electrical supply.

I suspect that if you were very careful in placement, and amount used, an anti-oxidant (no-ox) compound would work also.

The silicone has always worked for me so I haven't tried anything else.

Louis--

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Reply to
Louis Bybee

I have some contact lubricant/protector. I think I bought it at an auto parts store. It is used for trailer light plugs but the instructions say that it can be used on 110V lamps to prevent seizing. This stuff looks a lot like Vaseline.

Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

Hell if I know. ;-)

Bill @ GarberStreet Enterprizez };-) Web Site -

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Reply to
Bill Garber

I use silicone grease rather than petroleum jelly due to the heat (heatsink compound would also be good).

Regards Ian

Reply to
Ian Buckner

Jim, to get the glass out, cut a potato in half and shove the cut end into the socket then unscrew as if the potato were a bulb.

Reply to
EEng

It's *wedge* base ;-)

But I've used the potato trick on some ceiling floods that decided to come out minus the threaded part.

...Jim Thompson

Reply to
Jim Thompson

In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com (EEng):

No, to get the glass out, cut a potato in half, shove the cut end into the socket, twist for about 2 minutes, then bury the potato and forget about it. Problem solved!

: )

Reply to
Mark Jones

Wedge base bulbs dont "UNSCREW"

Reply to
Rudy

Made myself a tool to handle this kind of problem. See picture at:

Newsgroup: alt.binaries.schematics.electronic Subject: !@#$%&* Wedge Base Lamp Socket - BulbExtractor.gif Message-ID:

...Jim Thompson

Reply to
Jim Thompson

On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 13:14:24 -0500, "Mark Jones" wroth:

I tried that once and all my warts went away!

Jim

Reply to
James Meyer

James Meyer posted for all of us....

Genital?

Reply to
Tekkie

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