bulbfluorescentsocket
I hope someone can advise me. I'm trying to insert an F40 bulb (1.5" diameter, 4' long) into the socket shown below. With every other fluorescent socket in my home, I simply orient the two bulb pins vertically, push the bulb up into the socket, and then rotate the bulb 90 degrees. But as the photo shows, I can't insert the bulb vertically, because that path is blocked. I must be missing something obvious… can anyone help me? Thank you!
David
I've never seen a "plug" that completely covers the socket, but you can get a two-prong adapter like this that will fill in the Edison socket and only leave the two prongs opened.
Those black pieces are meant to turn 360 degrees in any direction. You already have a key to turn them, in the form of a fluorescent tube. Keep the tube as close as possible to its proper position (i.e. don't try to do this at much of an angle). Turn off fixture power.
Worse come to worst, if you break the lampholder (aka tombstone) or if that type just annoys you (they annoy me), new lampholders are fairly standard, common and cheap. I typically pay 60 cents each for them and keep a bagful on hand. You can mix and match types though I prefer to keep "circular" types separate from "v" types. Height is also a factor, they come in 3 heights. Yours looks like a medium. You don't want a short but a long will probably suffice.
Best Answer
Yeah, that's just a wacky "feature" of this particular type of tombstone.
Yes, that little black sleeve rotates independently from the white tombstone. In theory, it's supposed to be impossible for it to be in that position - since you would have had to turn it 90 degrees to remove the tube. However, if the tube broke or was cleverly removed in some other way, it could wind up like that.
So, you need a "key" to turn it 90 degrees. The key looks exactly like the end of a fluorescent tube, and I bet you have one of those :) You just stick the tube almost into position to install it, and land only that end on that tombstone. Turn it 90 degrees (should be a small detent) and you're all set.