Apr 11
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Why did 5 of 6 sockets on my chandelier stop working today? How do I fix it?

3 Comments


Question by agkfes: Why did 5 of 6 sockets on my chandelier stop working today? How do I fix it?
I have a six socket chandelier with 60W B10 small base bulbs in my dining room. Some of the bulb bases appeared burnt and smelled charred after I removed them but they worked fine in other sockets. This leads me to believe that the sockets are broken. Am I right?

Best answer:

Answer by peter f
replace all the sockets and rewire it then test it first before putting back up

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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Posted in Crystorama Chandeliers by Crystorama Chandeliers 3 Comments

3 Responses to "Why did 5 of 6 sockets on my chandelier stop working today? How do I fix it?"

  • mike1942f says:
    April 3, 2011 at 9:00 am
    Reply

    Possibly. It is more likely that the bulbs were not in snug and arced in making the connection, eventually getting bad enough to fail. Before unwiring, with the power off, use a pencil with an eraser on the end to clean the contacts inside the socket. If it looks moderately bad, use a knife tip to scrape the crud. Use the eraser, knife, or sandpaper to clean the bulbs. Try the old bulbs and perhaps a new bulb in each socket (check each socket with the same bulb first)
    If a socket is still dead, then replace it.
    If this solves the problem, make sure the bulbs are gently snug. You may wish to get some of the antioxidation connection sealant sold for copper/aluminum connections and apply a thin film to the bottom contact and side shell on the bulb.

  • Corky R says:
    April 3, 2011 at 9:24 am
    Reply

    In a chandelier with multiple bulb sockets, it’s typical for all the sockets to be wired together to the two power wires coming in from the top of the fixture. It’s possible that the six that are not working have dislodged for some reason, from the hot side of the wiring and are not now getting any power. You’ll have to take it apart to find out. If that’s not the problem then MIke’s advice seems quite reasonable.

  • starrystarrynight says:
    April 3, 2011 at 10:05 am
    Reply

    I’d be worried if they appear burnt and smelled that way. It sounds like you’ve had too big of a load on the chandelier. My chandelier also has 6 sockets but it’s not recommended to go over 40w. You could go to the expense of rewiring but it’s probably safest just to get a new one. You don’t need an electrical fire.

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