NEED ADVICE

[ANNA]

Hi there,

Is this Forum for member of the public who need advice too?

I have made a homemade light in the garden and it was working fine - but has since blown the bulbs etc, so I am looking for some help and advice please.

Cheers

Anna

 

[kerching]

Ask away

 

[Andy™]

I have made a homemade light in the garden and it was working fine - but has since blown the bulbs etc, so I am looking for some help and advice please.

is the 'etc' the cable, fuses, everything else?

 

[ProDave]

When fillament lamps were the normal, it would be quite a regular thing to get called out to "check the lights as the bulbs keep blowing"  I don't think I ever found anything wrong ans it was just down to carp lamps.

If you have the correct lamps of the correct type and voltage, is it water getting in perhaps?

 

[Murdoch]

Try a LED bulb in it....

 

[Andy™]

Try a LED bulb in it....

will it grow into more LED's?

 

[Tony S]

Filament lamps are designed to be mounted with the bayonet cap uppermost. Or if the lamp is enclosed with insufficient ventilation then premature failure will happen.

 

[roys]

Filament lamps are designed to be mounted with the bayonet cap uppermost. Or if the lamp is enclosed with insufficient ventilation then premature failure will happen.

Surely not Tony,  There must be millions of table and standard lights where the cap is at the bottom, I would have thought filament lamps could be mounted up or downward facing with no adverse effect to the lamp.

 

[ANNA]

HI

Its just the bulbs as we have checked the armoured cable and fuse etc.  We also fitted a PIR timer on it but that just didn't work properly at all - ?

I am going to get laughed out of town but I think we should have made the bulb bits waterproof.....don't scream at me 

It is a metal candelabra type thing on a tall metal post - we put 9 brass bayonet lightholders on each 'candlestick place' - connected it up and it worked brilliant - but then just stopped.  I did say to my hubby at the time we should waterproof the bayonet holder bit but he said it would be fine!!??

Don't laugh too much please but we just wondered if we have got this completely wrong?  Or is there a way of making the brass bayonet holder and bulb waterproof?

There was no fuse blowing or bangs or anything......were we just lucky it didn't explode?

all the best and please be kind - after you have all had a good laugh 

 

[Sidney]

So a homemade light in the garden?

My advice would be to put it away somewhere safe and buy a more suitable replacement that's designed for outdoor use.

 

[Ardet R]

It is extremely dangerous to consider that an external light on a metal pole running at mains voltage would not need to be protected from the weather.

Please do not attempt to see if it works again, it is entirely possible that the metal post may have a significant voltage on it.

If the circuit had 30mA Residual current protection and the metal post was suitably earthed then this would have tripped if the water ingress was bad, but even if it had not tripped it could hurt to touch it.

The light should be designed so that rain cannot get into any part of the wiring or lamp holder, including by dripping down the bulb.

This is not generally sensible to be able to do with normal brass bayonet lamp holder.

I echo Sidney's advice.

 

[ProDave]

Exposed brass bayonet lamp holders on a home made candelabra?

This has to be a wind up thread?

If not then disconnect it straight away, and go and buy a proper waterproof light designed for outdoor use.

 

[Andy™]

It is a metal candelabra type thing on a tall metal post - we put 9 brass bayonet lightholders on each 'candlestick place' - connected it up and it worked brilliant - but then just stopped.  I did say to my hubby at the time we should waterproof the bayonet holder bit but he said it would be fine!!??

dont worry, itll be fine. one (or both) of you will soon be collecting your darwin award. you do know electricity can kill without any warning, dont you?

 

[poni]

Filament lamps are designed to be mounted with the bayonet cap uppermost. Or if the lamp is enclosed with insufficient ventilation then premature failure will happen.

Tony is right, the filament will overheat if fitted lamp holder down, at the lamp holder end there is a clear bit of glass to let out the heat.  

 

[ANNA]

JESUS

we have removed the fuse rapid

honest - this is not a wind up message ……...

we still want the same lamp/candelabra to work - is there a way or an electrician who can help us...

my father was the best electrician in Cheltenham and he would be turning in his grave about us and also laughing - but also bollock us!

I went cold after reading your replies - thank you! x

 

[ProDave]

Can you post a picture of your creation? You will probably have to put it on an image hosting site and post a link

 

[binky]

I think we have bollocked you in the absence of your late father. 

It can be possible to waterproof an internal light fitting, but how reliable it will be going forward is debatable. It sounds like you have the lamp-holders pointing upwards, which is defo going to be a problem. You could leave it indoors except when using it? 

 

[Sharpend]

Careful guys, it’ll soon be the only candelabra with an umbrella!! 

Then the op will complain the lamps are burning holes!! 

Seriously though, did your late father teach you nothing about electricity??

as the lads have said disconnect from power source, post some pics and we can go from there. 

Perhaps this would be worthwhile reading

https://talk.electricianforum.co.uk/topic/37523-voltimum-external-influences-and-the-ip-code/

 

[Tony S]

Filament lamps are designed to be mounted with the bayonet cap uppermost. Or if the lamp is enclosed with insufficient ventilation then premature failure will happen.

I suppose I should hang this picture the other way up.

​

 

[kerching]

I was always told that GLS lamps were 'cap up' due to orientation of filament along with the shape of the unsupported segments...or was it 'bulbs' that it applied to?