Lars wrote...
Here in the UK many of the desk lamps I can buy nowadays take a bulb
with an Ediscon Screw fitting. Also many wall lights for outdoor use
(sometimes with a PIR detector) take an ES fitting bulb.

Until recently all I ever needed for a general purpose light bulb was
a bayonet fitting. Now ES fittings seem to be appearing!
Pictures: http://www.bltdirect.co.uk/base.htm


Is there a particular advantage of the ES fitting over the bayonet
fitting in these sorts of applications?

One very nasty DISadvantage is that if an ES fitting has been incorrectly
wired then the cap will be live and it is possible to get a mains shock
whilst changing a bulb - particularly if you have multi-way or pull switches
where it is not obvious or impossible to tell whether the circuit has been
switched off.

It's not just those terrible ES fittings that are perverting our standards -
just about all light fittings commonly available from UK DIY stores are not
suitable for normal use as supplied. Every one I have seen is supplied with
just a two-pole connector or two-terminal piece of choc-strip and hence
should be connected via a junction box. I have never seen one that contains
proper instructions explaining how the unit should correctly be fitted in a
domestic UK installation.

I suppose it won't be a problem in future since you'll have to shell out a
couple of hundred quid for a Part-P certified sparky to fit it for you -
right?

David