Plastic cage around LED GU10 socket

ledlight-fixture

We bought a new house in the UK in 2011. Most of the lighting is GU10 LED bulbs although a couple of rooms have GU10 halgens, which I'm happily replacing with LEDs as they burn out.

A couple of the already-installed LEDs have now gone as well. When I've tried to replace them, the GU10 socket has a plastic cage attached (see picture, with replacement bulb). This means the bulbs I've been buying don't fit, as they are slightly shorter than the existing LEDs, and the rim of the bulb stops the contacts from engaging with the socket.

I haven't been able to find replacement bulbs that fit (I've bought Philips Master LEDspot MVs) and I can't see how the cage can be removed without unwiring the socket completely.

Any ideas for how I can fit a new bulb, or even what the purpose of the cage is, would be appreciated.

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Best Answer

I ended up just cutting the cage off using an ordinary pair of scissors. Haven't had any problems since.