I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems quite
"rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always wonder if the
contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to "lubricate"
them?

Thx!

That is a good question!

I would think such a "lubricant" would need to conduct electricity for it to
work....

If it DID conduct electricity, and you got too much on - going up to the
glass portion, then it would be an electrocution hazard (when replacing the
bulb the next time and touching the glass and lube). Or if you put too much
on between the ring and bottom contact, it could cause a short circuit.

If it DID NOT conduct electricity, the bulb might not light.

If I were a manufacturer (in these days of lawsuits), there is no way on
earth I would ever manufacture such a product and advise consumers to use it
on light bulbs.

However there is aluminum wiring anti-oxidant "goop" available in electrical
departments. I don't know if this would act as a lubricant or as a glue
after it has been on a bulb socket for a year or more? Use very little and
at your own risk.


"Noozer" wrote in message
I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems quite
"rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always wonder if the
contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to "lubricate"
them?

Thx!

The tail lights in my car have some kind of grease on them to fight
corrosion. I imagine an auto parts place would sell it.


"Noozer" wrote in message
news:IY65f.221843$1i.102208@pd7tw2no...
I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems quite
"rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always wonder if the
contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to "lubricate"
them?

Thx!

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:IY65f.221843$1i.102208@pd7tw2no...
I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems quite
"rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always wonder if the
contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to "lubricate"
them?

Thx!

Odd as it may sound, there is a lubricant for light bulb bases. Sign
companies are the typical users for signs which have thousands of bulbs that
may stay in the sockets for years. The main reason for using a lubricant is
to minimize corrosion so that the bulbs can be removed without damaging the
socket. Put the words "base lubricant" into the first blank at:
http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/search.html and you should get a hit.

If you don't find something that's specially made for the job, try a
silicone-based lubricant. Don't use much and wipe the base of the bulb
before putting it into the socket. As I recall, the lubricants are
non-conductive since screwing the bulb into the socket will rub a clean
metal-to-metal contact. A conductive lubricant (like graphite) could cause
a short circuit or set up conditions for an electrical arc. That you don't
want since any arcing will make things very hot very fast.

Don't use the usual lubricants like oil. The heat from the bulb can cook
the oil into a solid glue.

TKM

This is what I was thinking, but I don't think that it would be rated for
the heat of a 120volt bulb.

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
The tail lights in my car have some kind of grease on them to fight
corrosion. I imagine an auto parts place would sell it.

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:IY65f.221843$1i.102208@pd7tw2no...
I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems quite
"rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always wonder if the
contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to "lubricate"
them?

Bill wrote:

I would think such a "lubricant" would need to conduct electricity for it to
work....

No... Mineral oil helps avoid fretting corrosion in electrical connectors.

Nick

Noozer wrote:
This is what I was thinking, but I don't think that it would be rated
for the heat of a 120volt bulb.

Actually some automobile lamps get hotter than the ones in your home.
The stuff is a dielectric grease and it is easy to find at auto parts stores
as well as some electrical departments in hardware stores.


"Jeff" wrote in message
...
The tail lights in my car have some kind of grease on them to fight
corrosion. I imagine an auto parts place would sell it.

I would also suggest looking for quality lamps with real brass bases not
brass colored aluminum or just aluminum.


"Noozer" wrote in message
news:IY65f.221843$1i.102208@pd7tw2no...
I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems
quite "rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always
wonder if the contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to
"lubricate" them?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
m...

I would also suggest looking for quality lamps with real brass bases
not brass colored aluminum or just aluminum.

Good luck with that. Based on a year's worth of intensive lamp shopping for
my new house, I've found 95% of lamps now come from China. The bases are
just one step better than Reynold's heavy duty aluminum foil.

Rub them with a soft pencil.

Doug Kanter wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
m...

I would also suggest looking for quality lamps with real brass
bases not brass colored aluminum or just aluminum.

Good luck with that. Based on a year's worth of intensive lamp
shopping for my new house, I've found 95% of lamps now come from
China. The bases are just one step better than Reynold's heavy duty
aluminum foil.

I fear that is why you have to look. I can't see how they could make
them cheaper.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
Doug Kanter wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
m...

I would also suggest looking for quality lamps with real brass
bases not brass colored aluminum or just aluminum.

Good luck with that. Based on a year's worth of intensive lamp
shopping for my new house, I've found 95% of lamps now come from
China. The bases are just one step better than Reynold's heavy duty
aluminum foil.

I fear that is why you have to look. I can't see how they could make
them cheaper.

Most of the better lamps I found were "artisan" products. You know: $400.00
because they came with a hand stenciled shade or some such thing. Doesn't
matter, though. I don't find corrosion problems in lamps. Seems to occur
more with ceiling fixtures.

Joseph Meehan wrote:
Noozer wrote:

This is what I was thinking, but I don't think that it would be rated
for the heat of a 120volt bulb.


Actually some automobile lamps get hotter than the ones in your home.
The stuff is a dielectric grease and it is easy to find at auto parts stores
as well as some electrical departments in hardware stores.


"Jeff" wrote in message
...

The tail lights in my car have some kind of grease on them to fight
corrosion. I imagine an auto parts place would sell it.


I would also suggest looking for quality lamps with real brass bases not
brass colored aluminum or just aluminum.


"Noozer" wrote in message
news:IY65f.221843$1i.102208@pd7tw2no...

I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems
quite "rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always
wonder if the contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to
"lubricate" them?



You can find dielectric grease as labeled for
sparkplug boots. Sparkplug boots get really hot.

Doug Kanter wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
Doug Kanter wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
m...

I would also suggest looking for quality lamps with real brass
bases not brass colored aluminum or just aluminum.

Good luck with that. Based on a year's worth of intensive lamp
shopping for my new house, I've found 95% of lamps now come from
China. The bases are just one step better than Reynold's heavy duty
aluminum foil.

I fear that is why you have to look. I can't see how they could
make them cheaper.

Most of the better lamps I found were "artisan" products. You know:
$400.00 because they came with a hand stenciled shade or some such
thing. Doesn't matter, though. I don't find corrosion problems in
lamps. Seems to occur more with ceiling fixtures.

Yep, more heat.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Doug said:
Good luck with that. Based on a year's worth of intensive lamp shopping for
my new house, I've found 95% of lamps now come from China. The bases are
just one step better than Reynold's heavy duty aluminum foil.

===============

You should also discover that 95% of the lamp sockets are also made
in China and are equally worthless. Center contacts corrode quickly and
the cheap pop rivets that carry current get loose and often melt from the
heat from the increased resistance.

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:IY65f.221843$1i.102208@pd7tw2no...
I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems quite
"rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always wonder if the
contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to "lubricate"
them?

In the situation you describe, I've used Permatex anti-seize compound with
good results.

http://www.permatex.com/products/pro...tem_no =81464

If you still have your hair just rub the base over your head.

In article . com,
"Limey Lurker" wrote:

- Rub them with a soft pencil.
-

You mean with the graphite?
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

In sort, I think you have your answer: don't use lubricant, and don't
worry about it. Household light bulbs have been functioning fine witout
it. And given all the warnings, hazards, caveats, and pitfalls that
have been mentioned here, and since you don't indicate that you have
any particular reason to use lubricant (you just seem to think it would
be useful, which apparently it is not), then don't do it. It isn't
useful in your situation, and could make for big problems, like getting
electrocuted.

-Kevin

kevin wrote:
In sort, I think you have your answer: don't use lubricant, and don't
worry about it. Household light bulbs have been functioning fine
witout it. And given all the warnings, hazards, caveats, and pitfalls
that have been mentioned here, and since you don't indicate that you
have any particular reason to use lubricant (you just seem to think
it would be useful, which apparently it is not), then don't do it. It
isn't useful in your situation, and could make for big problems, like
getting electrocuted.

-Kevin

Your reading of the responses seems a lot different than mine.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

wrote:

You mean your father never taught you this trick?

Stick your dick in the socket. Turn on the power and you will
ejaculate immediately. The semen will lubricate the bulb.



Must be mogul base lamps...

Bob

kevin wrote:
In sort, I think you have your answer: don't use lubricant, and don't
worry about it. Household light bulbs have been functioning fine witout
it. And given all the warnings, hazards, caveats, and pitfalls that
have been mentioned here, and since you don't indicate that you have
any particular reason to use lubricant (you just seem to think it would
be useful, which apparently it is not), then don't do it. It isn't
useful in your situation, and could make for big problems, like getting
electrocuted.

-Kevin


Humbug. That is just a summary of your thinking
and has nothing to do with the responses provided
here. Electrocuted? About as much chance as
having your car drive over you while you are
driving. Possible but as unlikely as you winning
the $340+million lottery.

Candle wax.

--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


"Noozer" wrote in message
news:IY65f.221843$1i.102208@pd7tw2no...
I've noticed that when changing lightbulbs that the socket seems quite
"rough" and the bulbs don't screw in smoothly. I always wonder if the
contact is as good as it could be.

Is there something I can apply to the threads of the bulb to "lubricate"
them?

Thx!

Hmmm...

... the socket seems quite "rough" ...
... I always wonder if the contact is as good as it could be ...

Well, it sure seems like the OP does not actually have any problem
whatsoever, other than a sort of feeling that maybe the contact could
be better. The OP didn't say the bulbs burn out too fast, or get hotter
than expected, or flicker, or get stuck in the sockets, or are hard for
him to put in, or take out, or hum, or sometimes need wiggling, or make
a scratching noise when installed that irritates his sensitive hears,
or make keep him up at night worrying. In short, the OP made an
observation, and wondered if it meant anything. From reading the
responses, the answer seems to be "No, your observation means nothing."
To wit:

If you put the wrong stuff on, the that is a hazard...

If it DID conduct electricity, and you got too much on - going up to the
glass portion, then it would be an electrocution hazard (when replacing the
bulb the next time and touching the glass and lube). Or if you put too much
on between the ring and bottom contact, it could cause a short circuit.

.... or just make your bulb not work:

If it DID NOT conduct electricity, the bulb might not light.

Or as another poster puts it, after describing why in lubrication is
called for in other harsh or extreme conditions (sign companies with
hundreds of bulbs that stay in for years at a time)...

If you don't find something that's specially made for the job, try a
silicone-based lubricant. Don't use much and wipe the base of the bulb
before putting it into the socket. As I recall, the lubricants are
non-conductive since screwing the bulb into the socket will rub a clean
metal-to-metal contact.

.... the lubricant won't necessarily give you better contact anyway,
since it is non conductive. And again...

A conductive lubricant (like graphite) could cause
a short circuit or set up conditions for an electrical arc. That you don't
want since any arcing will make things very hot very fast.

.... the wrong stuff could be a hazard, or...

Don't use the usual lubricants like oil. The heat from the bulb can cook
the oil into a solid glue.

.... cause problems later.

Or you could put in something not designed for 120V bulbs...

The tail lights in my car have some kind of grease on them to fight
corrosion. I imagine an auto parts place would sell it.
This is what I was thinking, but I don't think that it would be rated for
the heat of a 120volt bulb.

.... and just presumably take your chances that it won't be some kind of
problem, all in order to solve a "corrosion" problem that the OP never
indicated he even had (quite rough != corroded).

Or you could search for an expensive product ...

I would also suggest looking for quality lamps with real brass bases
not brass colored aluminum or just aluminum.
Good luck with that. Based on a year's worth of intensive lamp shopping for
my new house, I've found 95% of lamps now come from China. The bases are
just one step better than Reynold's heavy duty aluminum foil.

.... to replace something that is working, has probably worked for years
for the OP, has no visible signs of trouble, and is commonplace in
probably 99% of electrified homes on the planet.