What does replacing a broken light socket involve?

Replacing a broken light socket means a licensed electrician switches off the circuit, takes the socket out of the fixture, checks the wiring and connections behind it, fits a matching new socket and tests the light. When the socket is cracked, scorched or loose, the electrician may recommend a new fixture instead, because a new socket in an old fixture is not always the better buy.

What the visit covers

Finding out why it failed. A light that will not come on is not always the socket. The electrician first rules out the bulb, the switch and the circuit, then looks at the socket itself: a centre contact that has lost its spring, a cracked or discoloured insulating sleeve, a loose body, or corrosion from moisture.

Looking at the heat damage. A socket usually fails because something has run hot. The CPSC says a bulb that is a higher wattage than recommended may overheat the light fixture, wiring or nearby combustible materials, leading to a fire.^[1] Its checklist advice: "if you aren't sure, use a bulb 60 watts or less."^[1] The U.S. Fire Administration gives the same guidance: use lightbulbs that match the recommended wattage on the lamp or fixture, and keep anything that can burn away from lamps, light fixtures and light bulbs.^[2] If the wire insulation inside the fixture is brittle or browned, a pro will say so, because a new socket on damaged wire only hides the problem.

The repair itself. The socket is replaced with one of the same type and rating, the connections are remade, and the fixture is put back and tested. On a fixture with several sockets, a good electrician looks at the others while the fixture is open, since they have usually had the same bulbs and the same heat.

Repair or replace the fixture. If the fixture is old, damaged, rusted or made with parts that are no longer sold, replacing the whole fixture may be the better value, so ask for both options in the quote. A like-for-like fixture swap is covered in how much an electrician charges to replace a light fixture in Virginia.

Permits and older wiring

Virginia's building code lists, among the ordinary repairs, replacement of general use snap switches, dimmer and control switches, 125 volt-15 or 20 ampere receptacles, luminaires (lighting fixtures), and ceiling (paddle) fans in Group R-2 where serving a single dwelling unit and in Groups R-3, R-4, and R-5.^[4] That item is about replacing fixtures; whether a repair inside a fixture needs a permit is for the electrician and your building department to say. A new circuit, a new fixture location or new wiring is not, so ask the electrician whether a permit applies.

If the house dates from the 1960s or 1970s, mention it. A national survey for the CPSC found that homes built before 1972, and wired with aluminum, are 55 times more likely to have one or more wire connections at outlets reach "Fire Hazard Conditions" than homes wired with copper.^[3] It also says cables installed between 1965 and the mid 1970s in new homes, in additions, and as part of rewired/new circuits may contain aluminum wiring.^[3] If an electrician finds aluminum wire in the fixture box, ask how they plan to handle the connection.

When to call a licensed pro

For a paid repair, always. Virginia defines a tradesman as any individual who engages in, or offers to engage in, work for the general public for compensation in the trades of electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.^[5] The Code says that no individual shall engage in, or offer to engage in, work as a tradesman as defined in § 54.1-1128 unless he has been licensed.^[6] The Board for Contractors also warns: if you contract with someone who does not hold a license, the Board for Contractors may not be able to help you resolve a complaint,^[7] so check the licence before you book.

Leave the light off and call promptly if you see any of these:

• scorch marks, melted plastic or a burning smell at the fixture
• a bulb that flickers or a socket that buzzes or crackles
• a switch plate or ceiling around the fixture that feels warm
• a fixture that has come loose or hangs unevenly
• a breaker that trips every time the light is switched on

Find help

Browse electrical repair on Loclis or read more electrical repair answers. For related jobs, see what an electrician does to fix a ceiling fan.

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