Need more electrical advice

[Bekeart]

Change ALL sockets - rewire the fixture.

My question is simple. Can a person (me) change the ceramic sockets out? If I take the bulb out, remove the globe and then disassemble the light, will I be able to buy a new ceramic socket to replace the bad one?

I am NOT a licensed electricain. Lots of work with theater lighting and upgrading outlets while following accepted practices. (i.e. DEAD circuits and correct wire sizes and colors)

There are times to try and identify what/which part is causing the problem. There are also times to "shotgun" replacing all suspect items. After finding two outlets with erratic contact to cord plugged into them - I replaced EVERY outlet in the house that had just been bought.

My suggestion:

1) POWER OFF

2) Remove the fixture

3) Remove one socket assembly

4) Take socket assembly to store

5) Buy full set matching sockets of original style.
Or a full set of matching sockets of current style.

6) Replace ALL sockets and check all existing wiring in the fixture.

This will cost extra for the additional sockets. But if one socket has failed the others are SUSPECT and may fail later.
The extra money and little extra time will be rewarded with peace of mind. Isn't your sanity worth it ? ?

Bekeart

 

[cussedemgun]

Maybe "bad" is not the correct term for these sockets. I will try to describe it in layman's terms as best I can. When the bulb is removed, the ceramic socket will be loose and turns with the bulb. The ceramic is brittle and somewhat chips off as it is being dealt with. Once back in place, the ceramic socket feels tight but has to be "jiggled" in order to get the bulb to come on. Sometimes it holds and some times it will not.

Not wanting people to think I am cheap to avoid hiring an electrican, I hired one twice so far. Each time they repaired a few outlets and once changed a ceiling fan out. Each time my charge was around $600. I tried to work out a deal with the electrical contractor to get ALL my outlets corrected along with any other electrical issues. Each gave me a figure of over $800 a day for one electrican and said it may take a couple days to get the basics done. The last time one was out here, he took about 3/4 hr per outlet to rewire each outlet. He was here six hours any got eight outlets done. That to me seems high. I have about 50 outlets in this house. Not all are faulty but it is adding up paying for few fixes.

Sir;

You need more than "a little advice", you need competent help. (& at a reasonable rate)

The fixtures of which you speak need to be removed & bench inspected to get an idea if repair or replacement is the best way to go. Expensive is not always an indicator of quality electrical components. Often the ginger bread & design are what you pay for, not durable components.

Look to your nearest trade school or junior college that offers trade classes. Contact the teacher of the electrical apprentice class & get his reccomendation. The fixtures could be removed by you, bench inspected & repaired as a class project, & replaced again by you.

Look for an advanced student or recent graduate that wants part time work. House wiring is not rocket science but not an 'anyone can do it' thing either.

For the main wiring, start with the drop line coming in to the main box. All connections need to be checked. Any that are loose or show signs of discoloration need to be taken apart & re-done. Clean all contact surfaces with a wire brush or sand paper, grease with dielectric grease (avalible at hardware or auto parts stores) & re connect tight but not enough to strip. Many wall outlet fixtures were installed with press in stabs rather than the screw connections. Re-doing these less than desirable methods may have been what was taking the former man so long.

As you can see, re-doing can be more time consuming, if done thoroughly, than the original instalation because now cleaning is necessary plus access is now a major issue.

Hope this helps, Jim

 

[handejector]

Unless the Arson Investigator finds five empty gas cans (old metal ones) in the ash pile, fires are ALWAYS said to be electrical on a total loss.
I often wonder how they know when a building burns to the ground and everything is "rearranged".
It's never dryer lint, gas leaks, kitchen mistakes, gasoline fumes in the garage, electric heaters and curtains mixed up, faulty heating system vents, leaky chimneys, or fireplace errors. Sure, if they get there in time to put it out and one of these causes is obvious, the electrician gets a break.

Don't get me wrong, wiring CAN cause fires. I've been asked to inspect homes/buildings and give an opinion. A couple of times, my opinion was "I'd sleep here tonight, but I'd pull the meter first!"

 

[mtgianni]

A suggestion. Find the replacement part first before removing the old ones. Take a picture if need be.

Have a tape measure or calipers with a visible reading next to the part when you take the picture.

 

[27145]

Maybe you should just go back to using your whale oil lanterns?

 

[Engineer1911]

Very few houses burn down because of faulty plumbing.

 

[oldman45]

Maybe you should just go back to using your whale oil lanterns?

Have you tried finding whale oil lately? I cannot find a sevice station that sells kerosene any more.