3 pin B C Bulbs

[Leveled]

Where can I get an adapter to put a 2 pin B.C bulb into these Memlite 3 pin holders Thank You

[Bob Minchin]

Doesn't that rather defeat the objective of the powers that be? I doubt if they would be allowed to be sold/made Not that I don't agree with your need!

Bob

[Leveled]

It probably does but these bulbs cost seven or eight pounds and don't last long, expecting something to be available on E bay, people are damaging fittings to accommodate 2 pin types

[shazzbat]

At places like Wilko you can get 2 pin holders for about £1.50. Cheaper to change the holders and have done with it. The landlords won't know till you've moved out.

Steve

[Ian]

Sounds similar to the problem many early post-war council houses had -

3pin ROUND pin 13A plugs and sockets. And the fuse had a screw thread on one end, and was in fact the live pin.......

Don't think there are many around, now.

-- Please donate to our appeal at

£155 raised so far Thanks Ian

[John Whitworth]

I'd not heard of 13A round pin plugs. I have seen images of the rectangular pinned ones where the earth pin is horizontal, and the live and neutral pins are vertical, though. They look odd!

[shazzbat]

I lived in a turn of the (previous) century house as a kid, and there were two sizes of sockets, both with round pins. Presumably different ratings. The back boxes weren't flush like nowadays, but screwed to the skirting boards, or just above. Easily knocked and smashed when moving furniture.

And big brown bakelite light switches, the wiring for which was in a metal conduit which disappeared up into the ceiling. Electricity had not been included when the house was built.

Steve

[Andrew Gabriel]

There were a number of competing designs, different from each manufacturer, before British Standards settled on the winner in 1946 (which I think was mostly MK's design).

There's also one with a T shaped earth. However, these are current products, specials, to enable separation of incompatible supplies from standard appliances, such as where you have a clean earth or UPS supply for special equipment, or you want to provide sockets just for cleaners, or similar.

[Rod]

No help to you whatsoever. But I believe that BR (at least on the old slam door third rail EMUs) used three prong bayonet cap bulbs. I do not know what voltage they operated at. I think they were at 120 degrees to each other.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Like others have said, just replace the lampholder.

3 at 120 degrees makes the bulb have 3 orientations, which doesn't work with two rear contacts.

At one time, three prong bayonet cap was used for the smaller mercury vapour lamps with external ballasts, verses standard 2 prong ones for internally ballasted mercury vapour lamps (or ordinary filament lamps). This stopped accidental relamping with a standard mercury vapour lamp when there was no ballast in the base of the streetlamp (and the resulting lamp explosion).

Some busses and trains used screw fitting lamps with a left hand thread, supposedly so they weren't any use if nicked. Modern screw lampholders are so crap, they probably would work in them!

[cj]

In my neck of the woods the early plugs were all Wylex as they were manufactured in Trafford Park these were circular with a round centre earth pin and a flat pin at either side 1 horizontal and 1 vertical. They came in

2 sizes 5a and 15 a.The 15a had wider pins to prevent it being plugged into a 5a socket but you could plug a 5a plug into a 15a socket.They also made a 15a plug that would allow you to plug a 5a plug into it.Later these were replaced with MK or MEM 3 pin plugs similar to today's but the pins were circular and IIR MEM did have a fuse as the live pin. As for the 3pin lamp only one I ever saw was a Philips special for an emergency light this was 15w 240v with the pins at 12.- 7 -5 o clock to prevent wrong installation.

CJ

[Muddymike]

Our house still has several of these

The next picture is a but fuzzy but shows one out of its housing revealing the old wiring.

Mike

[Leveled]

This is the latest in a new build flat , for the ceiling lamps ,Thanks for all the interest E