Can I cure a dodgy light fitting?

Hello:

At the top of the stairs in our house, there is a light fitting that continually gives trouble. The trouble is that the connection between the lead terminal, at the base of one of the two bulbs, and the sprung brass, live terminal pin(s) keeps getting broken. I do not believe that there is anything wrong with the wiring to this fitting, since, until putting in two long-life bulbs, several weeks ago, it never gave any trouble. I am forced to assume that, through vibration, the bulb must move — only slightly, but enough for it to break the connection for one of the bulbs. (Opening and closing the nearby loft trapdoor, on its hinges, and pulling down and pushing back up the sprung loft ladder, may cause enough disturbance to move the bulb off its connection-pins. After all, the corner of this large trapdoor is only about six inches from the glass globe of the fitting).

Before taking off the globe and trying to put things right, I should like to know of a certain way to get this bulb to stay connected. At nearly 82, for me to climb a tall pair of steps (placed right at the edge of the top stair — the only place to reach the three securing screws around the edge of the globe) is a nightmare of a job, and would be difficult for anyone.

I am aware that one way of attempting to cure this recurring failure of the bulb would be to replace it, but that may not work for long, and I have no desire to duplicate the ordeal of taking off the globe and putting it back on. It may be that there is something not quite right about the bayonet fitting in which the bulb is pushed. I should like to have a strategy that will deal with that possibility.

Can anyone suggest anything that an ordinarily savvy householder might do, if the bulb itself is not the cause of the trouble (it could be a one-off, badly-made bulb)? By the way, to get the light-bulb to come on, every couple of days or so, I take a light aluminium tube (the one used for operating the loft trapdoor), and give the glass globe of the light fitting a couple of taps with it. It always comes back on, but, as stated, this must be repeated.

With grateful thanks to anyone with a useful comment,
A.W.

Are the lamps screw-in or bayonet fitting?

Some screw in lamp holders have a problem as the contact in the base has some spring when it is new. Over time (and with a 60W lamp warming it up) the contact loses its springiness so the contact with the lamp isnt made properly.
Also, some of the new screw in bulbs aren't quite long enough to make a good contact.
Usually this can be fixed for a while by (power off) using long nosed pliers and pulling out the centre contact a bit, then scrape the surface to clean it up.

It's another story isf it isn't screw in lamps though………..

The bulbs go into a bayonet fitting (after pushing the bulb in, you just give it a half-turn, and it locks in).

If the old bulbs had been in a long time, the lampholder pins sometimes stick in a bit too far , sometimes putting the bulb in and out a few times frees up the sticky pin, making a better connection to the new lamp.

Iva also noted in the past some low energy bulbs are heavier and the lamp drops slightly enough for one contact to not touch properly.

sounds like you need someone to safely check the lampholder with possible veiw to renewing the holder.
it may be worth swopping the two lamps with each other to eliminate possible lamp fault