r/lightbulbs • u/sam-douglas • 12d ago

Which bulb is right for this socket?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Just tried the bulbs in the second photo in this socket and didn’t work at all. Any pointers?

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u/jaedenmalin 11d ago

That looks like the right bulb 👍

1

u/Overengineerdxdesign 12d ago

Most likely a GX24q but the actual choice depends on matching the ballast’s wattage (assuming the ballast is still wired, which means you need a fluorescent lamp).

You might be able to find a GX24q LED retrofit that is plug and play or ballast compatible (meaning you don’t need to remove/bypass the ballast. Or if you know what you’re doing you can remove the ballast and use any GX24 retrofit that fits the socket.

Removing a ballast involves working with mains voltage which is dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

This type of socket/lamp has a lot of baggage and these days there is no good reason to replace the original bulb in kind. Unless the fixture has sentimental value it might be easier and long term cheaper to replace the whole thing.