CFL bulb mystery

[thefrenchone]

Hi all...

I have in my possession 4 x SES CFL bulbs (warm white), which I bought to replace the bright white ones because the colour of the light was so horrid.

I am putting them in a nearly-new, 4-pendant light fitting, which we installed last week.

Here's the mystery....

One bulb works in pendant #3 only.
The others don't work in any (have tried every combination).

I thought bulbs either work, or they don't!?!

Have tried all with looser or tighter connection.
Wore gloves throughout to keep finger grease off them.
And have now put the cool white ones back in, and those all work fine.

Anyone here seen anything like this before?

Thanks for reading.
Cat

 

[JohnD]

you say they are ES

are the lamps and holders all UK standard?

I suspect they are not fitting well enough to contact the L terminal.

 

[JohnW2]

I have in my possession 4 x SES CFL bulbs (warm white), which I bought to replace the bright white ones because the colour of the light was so horrid. I am putting them in a nearly-new, 4-pendant light fitting, which we installed last week.
Here's the mystery.... One bulb works in pendant #3 only. The others don't work in any (have tried every combination).

Do I take it that the old bright white ones still all work in all four of the pendants?

Kind Regards, John

 

[thefrenchone]

Hi Johns!

JohnD -

are the lamps and holders all UK standard?

I'd assumed so...
The light fitting is from "made.com", it's this one: http://www.made.com/florence-pendant-light-black
The bulb is this one, bought from this seller: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331168781945

I could be wrong. Or maybe the bulbs are just so cheap and nasty that they're bound to be problematic?

JohnW2 -

Do I take it that the old bright white ones still all work in all four of the pendants?

Yes, all working fine.

 

[JohnW2]

The light fitting is from "made.com", it's this one: http://www.made.com/florence-pendant-light-black
The bulb is this one, bought from this seller: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331168781945
... Or maybe the bulbs are just so cheap and nasty that they're bound to be problematic?

For three out of four cheap lamps bought on eBay not to work is far from unusual! As for the fourth one, as the other John has said, since all four pendants are known to work (with other lamps), the odds are that the dimensions of the fourth cheapo lamp are such that it only makes satisfactory contact in one of the the pendants.

Cheap is not necessarily best

Kind Regards, John

 

[thefrenchone]

Aye. Just a bit tight on funds at the moment, seemed a "good deal". Lesson learned methinks.

Thank you to you both for your replies!!

 

[Taylortwocities]

I have had this problem too with some ES lamps, but from reputable makers.

In some cases the lamp just doesnt make contact. I don't think its the end connector (line) as I had 'adjusted' that up with me pliers. I think its the side neutral contact.

I eventually found a lamp that worked in the fitting, it worked, so tested it and ran away. Job done.

European standards, hey?

 

[333rocky333]

sometimes the shoulder of the cfl lamp butts up to the lampholder surround before the things entirely screwed in, you sometimes see the scuff mark on the cfl lamp if thats happening

 

[RF Lighting]

Yep I've seen this plenty of times, mainly on those new dreadful ES lampholders that are supposedly not polarity sensitive, so have to cover all of the screw thread before it makes contact with the electrical supply.