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| Light socket short? How dangerous? | Login/Join |
| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity  |
20 years ago, I was still living in Japan. And 15 years ago, I was finishing my PhD.... That's my defense and I'm sticking to it! 
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Double check all your bulbs. Not many CFLs are dimmable. You can see the warning on your burned out CFL in the first pic. Some LEDs are dimmable, but not all of them. From an earlier post of yours (with the photos):
You can't tell by looking at whether there's plastic or not to determine if it's a CFL or LED. That's just how Philips made that G25 type bulb. Here's one from Feit that has plastic:  https://www.lowes.com/pd/Feit-...lb-3-Pack/1002464300 Looking at the wattage and/or other info printed on the bulb base will help you determine which type it is, if you don't have the original packaging. CFLs are also marked with Hg, as they contain small amounts of mercury.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Wait, so why are we talking about dimming now? Did I miss something?
Just so I'm clear, you mean, check them all in order to swap out any CFLs, right?
I wrote that before I realized this was a CFL. I thought it was an LED, so I thought it was an older model or something. In any case, as I said, when I buy bulbs, I go by the label on the box rather than by looking at the bulb itself. (Which may be another reason I didn't realize that CFLs have all those shapes.)
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
I asked about dimmer switches because you said this:
And I subsequently noted this:
I thought you might have other CFLs in the house that aren't corkscrew style and you didn't realize they are CFLs, so you didn't replace them yet. And I didn't know if you knew that not all LEDs are dimmable. For instance, those Philips G25 globes you bought for the bathroom don't clearly say dimmable on the front of the package. Most of the packaging I've seen for dimmable bulbs note that up front. If they're not, they hide that in the fine print on the back.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
As far as the plastic is concerned, you noted that there is no plastic on the LED G25 globes you bought, and I thought you were noting the absence of plastic as a way to differentiate CFLs from LEDs. That's why I posted an example of the LED G25 globe from Feit that has plastic.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
thanks for the confirmations! Between the online format and the simul-posting, it's easy to get confussed.
Yes and yes, I didn't realize a cfl could be a regular shape, so I definitely want to go through and check. Re dimming, I always assume a bulb isn't dimmable if it doesn't say dimmable on the package. But, coming into this rental has been challenging, particularly bc the owners, who were the previous tenants, were not super conscientious in a variety of ways. So obviously, I can't make any assumptions about the light bulbs they left behind!
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
So my question might have gotten lost... Given that this was a CFL, is it possible that it's not the socket but the light bulb itself? I think WTG, you suggested we try a new bulb in the socket, but is that safe if the socket did short out?
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
If it were my fixture, I would grab any new LED bulb and screw it into the socket in question, with the wall switch off. Turn on the wall switch and see what happens. Turning the switch off will cut the power immediately if you notice any anomalies. I would be very surprised if your fixture is the problem. To me, everything points to the CFL, which is probably older than eta: But if you're at all nervous, see if anyone else (paging Steve Miller or Big Al) weighs in with an opinion before doing the bulb test.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
WTG, thanks! I'll ask Mr. SK what he thinks, and hopefully someone else will chime in as well.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
I’d change out the bulb and see if that fixes the problem. Is the replacement bulb doesn’t work then the socket will have to be replaced. Either way it’s very unlikely to cause a fire, and leaving it turned off at the switch will eliminate any possibility of it.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Thanks Steve! Maybe we’ll check it after I get home from work. I’ll write an update!
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
I'm having a similar problem in my office. Two of the overhead cans seem to burn out LEDs in a matter of a month or two. I suspect I'll need an electrician to address this. | |||
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Beatification Candidate |
It may be an overheating problem, particularly if the cans are insulated as they may be and the LED bulbs are reflector types such as are often used in cans. The larger lamps restrict air flow and the insulation tends to retain the heat the lamp generates within the can. Big Al
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| Beatification Candidate |
I agree with Steve. Big Al
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Thanks, that's probably the right answer. I guess the LEDs are more sensitive to that sort of temperature change than the incandescents, which didn't have a problem there. | |||
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