Lighting fixture - going out

[KD]

Greetings all:

The lighting fixture in our bedroom has recently started to give us some issues. It takes two bulbs, and there is a round frosted glass dome that covers them both, attaches with a nut on a screw. We only use one bulb in it (the spiral low-energy variety), we find it too bright otherwise.

Problem lately is, the light goes out. First time it happened we figured the bulb had gone poof. But no - turn the bulb to take it out and replace it, and before we can unscrew it a half turn, the light goes back on. Great. Screw dome back on. Light works for awhile, but usually the same day it happens again. Repeat.

What could be causing this? Do I have a dangerous electrical situation, simple loose wires, or a possessed light fixture?

Thanks!

KD

[KD]

Greetings all:

The lighting fixture in our bedroom has recently started to give us some issues. It takes two bulbs, and there is a round frosted glass dome that covers them both, attaches with a nut on a screw. We only use one bulb in it (the spiral low-energy variety), we find it too bright otherwise.

Problem lately is, the light goes out. First time it happened we figured the bulb had gone poof. But no - turn the bulb to take it out and replace it, and before we can unscrew it a half turn, the light goes back on. Great. Screw dome back on. Light works for awhile, but usually the same day it happens again. Repeat.

What could be causing this? Do I have a dangerous electrical situation, simple loose wires, or a possessed light fixture?

Thanks!

KD

[KD]

Oops. That wasn't supposed to go twice, sorry.

[SQLit]

Sounds like a loose connection. Check all of the connections

[buffalobill]

if you use a twist flourescent bulb which is not to be enclosed in an enclosed fixture it will overheat and fail. also, with the switch off and rubber gloves and a plastic spoon handle bent the center tab of the socket up a bit to make a better connection to the base of the bulb. also you may have a bad switch. try a working conventional filament bulb awhile to help narrow down the problem.

[KD]

Thanks, I'll try out these things tonight when I get home. The bulb has been in that fixture for probably close to a year, so I don't think it's the bulb overheating. Plus, we're not in that room that much - the light gets left on for maybe an hour or two at most at night. I'm guessing the bending of the centre tab might just work.

KD

[Bob]

If that doesn't work, try a different bulb. The bulb could have a problem.

Bob

[PipeDown]

This just happened to me. The same type of bulb too. (cheapo CFC discounted to $1 each by power company)

It was because the contact on the bottom of the bulb is too pointy for many fixtures, it is not as broad as those on better bulbs. When the bulb was overtightened in the fixture, it pushed the center contact (in the fixture) and bent it inside the socket. Now instead of contacting the bulb perpendicularly at the base, the metal touched the side of the base (I'm not talking about the threaded contact). When screwed all the way in, the metal did not touch at all but when slightly loosened, it would make contact again and light up.

You need to unplug the fixture and use a needle nose plier to bend the center contact back into place or replace the socket if too damaged. Be careful inserting that bulb again, thread only as tightly as required to light the bulb.

Now you know why some bulbs are cheaper than others. Compare the base to a typical incandescent and you'll see what I mean, the center contact is much bigger and rounder.

A lamp socket which does not have a hollow area behind the center contact would be immune to this problem but many do. My problem was on a Halo 6" recessed cieling fixture, a perfectly good brand.