I am replacing a light socket in a ceiling lamp.
The old socket had two short wires permanently attached to the socket, which were then connected to the wires coming out of the ceiling with wire nuts (neat looking ceramic ones actually, I think it was done in the forties or fifties).
My new socket has screw terminals, so I am thinking I can just connect the wires from the ceiling directly to the screw terminals.
These are all copper wires.
Is there some reason I should instead attach a new wire to the screw terminals and then use a wire nut to connect that?
It looks like this (although the mounting bracket is a different shape):
Best Answer
I WOULD NOT attach the building wiring directly to the socket. I would use some #16 or #18ga stranded leads from the socket.
There needs to be some flexibility between the socket and the house wiring since even something as simple as changing lamps will move the socket around a bit, as well as expansion and contraction from the extreme heat generated by the lamp.
The reason the new socket has terminals is because it is a replacement socket. Factory sockets usually have leads to save assembly labor.