Electrical – change the socket of a light fixture by simply cutting the old one off and re-wiring

electricallight-fixturelightingwiring

I currently have a wall light fixture that is only for small bulbs (I believe they are E14's):

Wall light fixture

Currently, Philips Hue does not manufacturer bulbs of this type. As a result, I am wondering how I can go about changing the socket size in order to get this light running Philips Hue bulbs. I'm specifically wondering if its as easy as cutting the old socket off and replacing with something like this:

Lampholder white

Are there any compatibility issues to consider? Given the wattage is different, I presume only the necessary amount of electricity will flow to the bulb? (i.e. there is no risk of the bulb receiving too much electricity).

Aside from ensuring the power is off, matching up the wires correctly and using marettes, any other recommendations or advice?

Thanks,
Chris

Best Answer

It looks like the Hue system doesn't have any candelabra sized bulbs. I don't see a Hue switch that would let you control the fixture as is. All the Hue system bulbs look large.

There are adapters that will let you use standard bulbs in an e14 socket:

E14 to E27 Socket Adapter

I'm just not sure the bulb will fit in the fixture with the adapter - looks like it may be too small even without the adapter. It might turn out to be easier to change the fixture.

(BTW, if you are in the US, you may want to check that it's really E14 and not E17 intermediate size socket.)