Gallery of Lights
The Site => General discussion => Topic started by: joe_347V on May 13, 2013, 01:02:53 AM
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One of the striplights in my kitchen has a broken off socket so I replaced it the next time I relamped it.
That socket didn't get used much as I converted the all the kitchen lights to T8 and I replaced all the sockets at the same time. It and the old ballasts (Universal 413-C-TCP from '82 which underdrove 40w lamps) were kept so I could reconvert them back if I needed to.
Keeping broken sockets aren't good on both IS and RS lights since on IS you get the arcing from a loose connection and with RS you might get starting issues and/or premature EOL since the cathode heating might be finicky on a broken socket. The premature EOL is mostly with the ballasts that underdrive lamps since the cathode heating is what prevents premature sputtering.
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IMO, they should either use single pin lamps for IS or ceramic sockets, though that won't help if the socket chips...
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It's still making contact and firing up fine every day, but I DO plan to replace it next time I get sockets...
With that particular ballast (a GE Bonusline) I know that improperly installed lamps will start fine at first, then take longer and longer then just glow dimly. I had a GE MainLighter do that once...took longer and longer each time, then I adjusted the lamp slightly and it was fine.
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hmm. that's odd... i've never heard of a ballast behaving that way before...
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It might be because a improperly installed lamp doesn't make full contact rendering the heating circuit useless which will make a lamp harder to start.
Depending on the socket design a improperly installed lamp might be further away from the metal housing and that affects starting too.
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Both pins were in the socket, they just had to be adjusted a fraction of an inch to both make contact. Regardless, I had figured out what it was and taken corrective action.
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Hmm. sounds probable... after having the lithonia fixture turn one of its sockets to soup i always double check to make sure the lamp it properly seated lol. I listen and fell for the lamp to "snap" into place. those newer doughnut sockets are fool proof too yet i managed to misinstall a lamp and it was even a two footer lol. the standard doughnuts still make a little sound and jolt the lamp into place when you install them.
Even though most like the y-slot sockets becuase they look older, i like doughnuts SO much better. Ironically i can only find the Y-slots locally in standard profile. the doughnuts only come in the short style that troffers and my twin RS fixtures use. my '73 RS fixture had originally used the tall doughnuts but i had to buy Y-slots. I guess they're alright but they are a pain to install lamps in and for some reason i feel as if the lamp can fall out easier.
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I have a 15w preheat undercabinet lighthttp://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?album=641&pos=37 (http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?album=641&pos=37)
that has the Y-slot sockets. On that light they feel secure (with an 18" lamp) but with 48" lamps I would NEVER want Y-slots.
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my F20 undercabinet light has them too, though the F30 one has doughnuts and the lamp is REALLY tight fitting. not enough space between the sockets. my preheat industrial has a cross between a y-slot and a doughnut. it's hard to explain... the sockets are hygrade-sylvania, which means the light is from before 1942. the sockets look like these. (http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=1506&pos=48&pid=52384)
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Hmm, I think one of my lights uses the same kind of socket too. Y-slots are ok IMO even for 4' lamps but I guess the Leviton which I used (they're actually the same ones in old preheaters, and they still make them) are one of the better y-slots.
Doughnut (both short and tall) are very common here and almost every store sells em. Mike, want a few of them? I can probably stick some in your box.
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yeah the Y-slots i used are leviton too (sold as GE) but are pretty cheap looking. But hey, they do the job...
sure, I'd like a few of the tall doughnuts if you have some spares. Thanks! I have a bunch of those short ones though. the leads sometimes end up breaking inside of them meaning that you can't use them with two-lamp RS ballasts...
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Seems to me that factory-original lights have tight sockets, then ones that have been taken apart have looser sockets. My Sears shoplight was like that when I first got it...in fact that's WHY the first one broke before I even lit it up!
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Here's the type I use, they're pretty well made so I guess Leviton also has a cheaper version: T
(http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/albums/userpics/normal_DSCN6807.JPG)
There's also a version with the starter block attached to the bottom. These are basically the screw mounted sockets that vintage preheaters used.
Hey Mike, the doughnut ones I can get are identical to this (http://1000bulbs.com/product/5314/SOCK-L13357U.html) except that there's a nut in the slot in the middle that lets you screw the socket down.
I find most lights have some play in the socket slot and if you move the sockets the furthest apart the lamps are loose fitting and tight fitting if you move the sockets closer.
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I agree with the "Play" thing too.
My favorite sockets are the really long/tall donut ones used on striplights.
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Most fixtures have a play in the socket mount to simplify assembly and to lower costs since a wider tolerance, allows more different brands of sockets to be used and makes stamping out the fixture housings cheaper.
Mine are plunger, followed by tie of Y-slot and doughnut. There's two types of doughnut too, one uses similar flat contacts as a Y-slot and the other has knife blade contacts. I find newer ones use the latter type.
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the knife blade ones make the lamps "snap" into place. there's also those dummy-proof doughnuts that have either a black or green roating piece that makes lamp intstallation fool-proof. I still managed to install the lamp wrong though and arc the socket lol. :8)
yeah those sockets are fine. I can't seem to find them locally for some reason... If you want to see the cheaper looking Leviton Y-slots, i may have a pic in my gallery since I used them on my 1973 shoplite when i restored it.
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I always thought those dummy proof doughnuts were sort of cheaply made compared to the older sockets. Anyways I did find a pic of those sockets in your gallery and I think Lowe's here sells similar sockets. They're even cheaper than the doughnut sockets here. :O
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IMO they should slightly re-design them so they don't have that little dip where the slot is making it harder to improperly install a lamp? But that might make it even trickier to relamp...
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Looking at the striplight pic you had I recognize those sort of sockets...I had to cannibalize a pair of those once to fit into a single-lamp F40 vaportight fixture. The little screw that attaches them to the lampholder bracket had to be left out. I felt bad doing it to such nice sockets, with screw terminals instead of the regular push-ins.
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i'm not too much of a donut socket fan although Boston cremes are delicious :P
the Y-slot sockets have never failed me, they seem foolproof and ive had less of them break off versus the donuts
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yeah that's true... the y-slot sockets seem to hold up better. for some reason i just don't think they hold the lamps as well. i've never had a lamp fall out though. I like plunger bi-pin sockets the best but those require special fixtures.
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Not sure why but to me plunger sockets and bipin lamps seem like a disaster waiting to happen...busting off the end of the lamp trying to install it. Maybe I just like donuts the best since I'm used to them.
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how could the end possibly bust off with plunger sockets?