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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Maintenance and Technical Tips -> Ceiling Light Repair
Post Info TOPIC: Ceiling Light Repair
Neil and Connie


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Ceiling Light Repair
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We have lights over our island with little cone shaped globes on them…the globes go up over the ceramic portion of the fixture and there's a nut that goes on to hold the globe on.

Over time…the metal in the nuts has stretched…since the lights are hot…and I'm having a dickens of a time trying to find replacements. Looked at probably 6 or 8 lighting stores already and you basically just can't buy these things. I'm continuing to look but in the interim I am wondering what sort of tape I could put over the threads on the ceramic to give the nuts more ability to grab the threads. I can't believe there's not a place to buy these things but without knowing the exact threads per inch count I'm sort of at a loss…and at least of of the supply places I've checked with say that they try to contact the maker and see if they can buy spares…these lights came from Amazon and from China somewhere before that so contacting the maker is probably not in the cards…although I do have a spare set of them in the basement to dig out and see if there's any sort of part number on the paperwork.

Checking the lights with my infrared hub reading thermometer I see that the ceramic on the one that currently has no globe on it is right a out 400 degrees F. So this means that using electrical tape is out as it will melt. I wondered what else I might use. Looking at Teflon plumbers tape like you put on piping threads…it's good up to 280 degrees C which is ab out 536 F…so it sounds like it wouldn't melt at the temperatures we're talking about. Not sure about off-gassing as it heats up though.

Do we have any electricians or high temperature plumbers here that can advise on whether the teflon is the way to go or if there's something else I should be looking for?

Thanks.



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The Bear II


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How about heat shrink sleeve cut it and wrap it around the threads then put the nut on to hold it in place.

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AlanB


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Try Teflon plumbers tape.



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Lucky Mike


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put it in a vise and plumbers torch and tin solder .....


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Neil and Connie


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Not sure what Lucky Mike was talking about soldering it on…it's a glass globe and the base that the nut screws onto is ceramic so there isn't anything I can solder to.

I think I'll give the teflon plumbers tape a try…google says it won't melt at the 400 degrees on the ceramic. If that doesn't work I'll see about some heat shrink tubing…mostly what I need to do is just make the ceramic a little larger since the nut is stretched.

Thanks.



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Rickl


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Just a suggestion after you handle your original issue, can you find a suitable LED replacement bulb? If would be a lot cooler and take less energy.

PS: sometimes a picture helps in solving this type of issue as everyone more then likely may have a different vision of what you are trying to describe.

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Neil and Connie


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I'll have to see if there are LED bulbs available for the fixture…the lower heat would certainly help alleviate the problem. I'll also snap a photo when we get back to the rig and put up just in case that helps.

(later)

OK, here's a photo of the fixture.

LightFixture.jpg
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The one with the problem is on the left of course…the nut goes up inside the globe and screws onto the ceramic base then the bulb goes in. The problem is that the nut has stretched.

I'm going to try the plumbers tape and will also look into LED bulbs which will obviously burn cooler to replace the halogen ones currently in there.

Thanks.



-- Edited by Neil and Connie on Monday 6th of June 2016 09:33:22 AM

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jhilley


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What is the diameter of the nut? It may be a standard electrical 1 1/8" nut.

Take a look at this www.antiquelampsupply.com/category/210_nuts-washers-seating-rings-vase-caps

 

It may be called a collar http://www.mylampparts.com/



-- Edited by jhilley on Monday 6th of June 2016 04:47:36 PM

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Neil and Connie


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Thanks...I will check them out and see if I can get more. I think it's less than 1-1/8 but will measure and see. 



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