E14 lamps, some working, some not.

[Selfmade]

This one's mostly just a matter of curiosity as the light in question is probably going to be replaced, but I attended an old-fassioned E14 3-spot fitting with one lamp broken off inside. Successfully extracted that with some long-nose pliers, but the new lamps the occupant had bought did not work (they looked suitable to me - E14 CFLs), while the one remaining old halogen worked perfectly in all three lamp holders. Occupier said she'd had similar problems previously with this fitting where some lamps did not work. Any ideas why this might be?

 

[chris gray]

Probably centre pin not making contact

 

[DPG]

As Chris says, centre contact may need bending out a bit. Over years of having a lamp (bulb) pressed against them they lose their springiness.

Do it with power off obviously

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Yeah, Edison screw fittings are a pain.
Sometimes you just have to keep screwing the lamp in and out a few times.
Sometimes (with the power off) you have to grip or lever the centre contact in the lamp holder with something and bend it so it will make contact with the lamp.
Even then after you get them to light up, you may have to do the same again at a later date.

 

[Selfmade]

Thanks all - this was my first thought about the contacts. Managed to bend them out a little with my long-nose pliers, but not much. Still a bit puzzled about why there is such a difference between the different lamps. There was no obvious difference between the lengths of the center contacts on the lamp. Oh well, will probably be being replaced with a GU10 fitting anyway.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Thanks all - this was my first thought about the contacts. Managed to bend them out a little with my long-nose pliers, but not much. Still a bit puzzled about why there is such a difference between the different lamps. There was no obvious difference between the lengths of the center contacts on the lamp. Oh well, will probably be being replaced with a GU10 fitting anyway.

It could be that the threads on the lamps are formed slightly differently.

 

[Selfmade]

It could be that the threads on the lamps are formed slightly differently.

This does seem more likely; they did look slightly different and the neutral contact in the lampholders did look like it would only contact one small part of the lamp.