An "extension cord" for a light.

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › An "extension cord" for a light.

andrew027

1256 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 537

# 174962 12-Jun-2015 10:55

OK, this is a slightly weird request, but here goes...

With the exception of the laundry and garage, every light socket in my house is a ceiling mounted down light that takes an E27 (Edison screw mount) reflective bulb, mostly R80s but a few R50s. What I want to do, in one room only, is put in a couple of light weight pendant lights. This will only be a temporary thing, so I don't want to rewire the lighting and replace the recessed fixtures if I can help it.

So what I'm thinking of is some kind of lighting "extension cord". It would be a length of 2-core electrical flex that would have a standard lamp holder at one end, but the other end would need to screw into the E27 socket - and I can't find anything that does that job. Does anyone know where I can get something like that?

wasabi2k

2091 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 849

# 1323260 12-Jun-2015 11:02

You will find a bunch on aliexpress/ebay (light socket extender/extension).

There are also significant safety issues with them - so don't know if you will find them in any stores.

P1n3apqlExpr3ss

823 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 29

# 1323261 12-Jun-2015 11:05

Pretty sure I saw something like this at Kmart last week

andrew027

1256 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 537

# 1323264 12-Jun-2015 11:13

wasabi2k: You will find a bunch on aliexpress/ebay (light socket extender/extension).

There are also significant safety issues with them - so don't know if you will find them in any stores.

Thanks wasabi2k - I'll have a look there...

Provided there isn't too much weight (and these will be very lightweight shades) what are the "significant safety issues"? I want to do this, but not so badly that somebody dies or the house burns down.

Also, Bunnings sell them, but a bit shorter than I was hoping for, and with B22 bayonet fittings at both ends. I'd be OK with B22 at the bulb end, but need E27 at the socket end.

Edit: Added link to Bunnings product.

MikeB4

13967 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6725

Trusted

Subscriber

# 1323270 12-Jun-2015 11:19

The rule I was always told that extension cords are for temporary use only, e.g using a power tool.

Mike
Retired IT Manager.
The views stated in my posts are my personal views and not that of any other organisation.

Using empathy takes no energy and can gain so much. Try it.

Aredwood

3842 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1732

Subscriber

# 1323757 12-Jun-2015 23:58

The main problem was people taking adaptors that go into light sockets. And then wiring extension cord sockets onto the end of them. With the resultant lighting circuits getting overloaded and no earth wire available to whatever was plugged in. And if an E27 socket was on the end of the cord. They are dangerous if the phase and neutral get swapped over.

These are dangerous for the above reason as a 50% chance of swapping the phase and neutral http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Big-Promortion-B22-to-E27-Base-LED-Light-Lamp-Bulb-Fireproof-Holder-Adapter-Converter-Socket-Change/32299122161.html
What the OP wants to do - not so much as they are doing the opposite. But still not recommended.

tardtasticx

2937 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 405

# 1323758 13-Jun-2015 00:14

P1n3apqlExpr3ss: Pretty sure I saw something like this at Kmart last week

Was about to say the exact same thing. Deffo seen them at Manukau and St Luke's KMart in Auckland.

They look kinda interesting and I can't believe I've never seen one before, kind seems like a logical thing to invent.

Bachelor of Computing Systems (2015)

Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina Display (4GB/2.4GHz i5/128GB SSD) - HP DV6 (8GB/2.8GHz i7/120GB SSD + 750GB HDD)
iPhone 6S + (64GB/Gold/Vodafone NZ) - Xperia Z C6603 (16GB/White/Spark NZ)

Sam, Auckland

richms

22186 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4756

Trusted

Subscriber

# 1324055 13-Jun-2015 14:18

surpustronics had e27 to b22 adapters last time I was in the shop. They are cheap as on ali/ebay too.

No safety issue with swapped live and neutral on compliant e27 holders either - where the thread is isolated and the connection is done by a contact at the bottom when the lamp is all the way in. That makes the lamp have to be in far enough to not be a touching hazard by the time that side connects (or the central contact for that matter) - but plenty of ok in the US but nowhere else ones are sold online where the whole brass thread is just connected to the power.

Richard rich.ms

gregmcc

1672 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 397

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

# 1324074 13-Jun-2015 14:58

tardtasticx:
P1n3apqlExpr3ss: Pretty sure I saw something like this at Kmart last week

Was about to say the exact same thing. Deffo seen them at Manukau and St Luke's KMart in Auckland.

They look kinda interesting and I can't believe I've never seen one before, kind seems like a logical thing to invent.

I seem to remember these bayonet style plugs been banned quite a number of years back, some thing along the lines of only allowed non reversible style plugs.

richms

22186 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4756

Trusted

Subscriber

# 1324077 13-Jun-2015 15:04

I recently got a bayonet plug at bunnings from the deta range of stuff they sell. Slapped it onto a set of xmas lights to stick in an old outside lamp socket.

Richard rich.ms

Niel

3267 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 77

Trusted

# 1324140 13-Jun-2015 18:13

Bayonet plugs are still available from Bunnings if you want to make your own lead. Don;t recall seeing Edison style, maybe because there is a chance that over time it will unscrew from the weight, to the point of making intermittent contact and starting a fire (not that it would really happen, maybe just that it "might" happen).

You can never have enough Volvos!

richms

22186 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4756

Trusted

Subscriber

# 1324164 13-Jun-2015 19:17

Not really sold here since they seem to think that BC is still the main fitting used. Cant even get ES batten holders at a sane price.

They exist in other countries. There are ones that have a ES passthru and 2 US/Eu sockets on the side. I got one of those for some other xmas lights outside. Good thing my cheap nasty sets of LED lights came with EU plugs on them ;)

Richard rich.ms