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Our house has track lights in the basement, and a lot of spare heads and lamps. One of the heads is blinking and burning out lamps at a fast clip, so I thought I'd replace it with a new one. Problem is I can't figure out how. I was guessing the end of the track would slide out, and then the head would also slide out of the track. Both seen to be firmly attached with no signs of a screw or anything holding them in place. So before I get my fine tuning instrument (16 oz claw hammer) and beat them apart, I though I'd ask. I've attached a pic of the track lap itself, and the business end of a replacement head. There's no doubt in my mind many of you know how to do this.....care to share?
[attachment=24056]
[attachment=24055]
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Spring loaded. Pull down to clear the indexing tabs, then turn to release.
Tom
“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
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02-14-2020, 01:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-14-2020, 01:31 PM by fredhargis.)
OK, thanks...I'll try that. I guess if it just pulls out the end doesn't need to come off.
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(02-14-2020, 01:29 PM)fredhargis Wrote: OK, thanks...I'll try that. I guess if it just pulls out the end doesn't need to come off.
Those two metal tangs on the right are what connect to the hot and neutral, and they're in line with the two larger plastic tangs, one on each side that both hold one set of tangs, lock into the track. Pulling down should get it just far enough away from the track that the little plastic tangs on the square part, which are engaged in the long slot of the track, just clear the slot so the whole thing can rotate, which brings the metal conductive tangs out of their slots deep inside the track.
To put it back in, you insert it at 90 degrees to normal, rotate until the little outside tangs hit the track, then pull down just enough that they clear and you can finish rotating it, then let the spring pull those little tangs into the slot so the square sits flat on the bottom of the track.
At least, that's how I think it works.
Tom
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You were exactly right (I didn't have any doubt), changed it in 5 minutes.
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[attachment=24066]
Tom
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There is a positive(hot) and negative(neutral) or at least only one way it goes in. I guess you guessed right.
John T.
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(02-14-2020, 09:55 PM)JTTHECLOCKMAN Wrote: There is a positive(hot) and negative(neutral) or at least only one way it goes in. I guess you guessed right.
I wondered about that, and did not pay attention to the way I put the new one in. Does a lamp have to be polarized? I've seen a lot of fixtures with plugs that were not.
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(02-15-2020, 06:36 AM)fredhargis Wrote: I wondered about that, and did not pay attention to the way I put the new one in. Does a lamp have to be polarized? I've seen a lot of fixtures with plugs that were not.
Modern lamps with Edison screw bases have the neutral to the screw and the hot to the bottom tip. If it’s reversed, you can get zapped just changing the bulb with the light powered as the screw is energized. Got zapped a lot as a kid, since my parents’ house had lots of lamps without polarized plugs.
Tom
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02-15-2020, 12:13 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-15-2020, 12:18 PM by JTTHECLOCKMAN.)
(02-15-2020, 06:36 AM)fredhargis Wrote: I wondered about that, and did not pay attention to the way I put the new one in. Does a lamp have to be polarized? I've seen a lot of fixtures with plugs that were not.
Those were the old chords. Today the chords have a large blade and a small blade. Probably some cheap China stuff may still have the old stuff. Track lighting has polarization because like the previous poster said if the hot wire is on the side the screw base is you can get zapped while putting in lamp if circuit is hot. Your hand could actually touch that screw base. With the hot on the side that touches that nib on the bottom it is impossible for the hand to touch that while screwing in lamp.
You either got lucky when you installed or you jammed it in which is not easy to do especially on some of these tracks. There is usually some indicator on one side of the track that lets you know where the prong goes. It could be as simple as a line or arrow.
On the track you show it is a line on the right side. Hopefully the electrician wired it correctly.
John T.
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