LPL Enlarger Problem

Help me pleeeeeeease!!!

My enlarger just tanked... a little backstory...

Today I was setting up my LPL7450 in a new location and I put in my alignment neg to see if the setup was true and I noticed the image was very dim on the easel... checked the rehostat dial and it was on full... hmmmm.. turned off the enlarger and the light still glowed orange through the diffusion plate for at least 3 seconds... turn on the enlarger again... same sequence... dim then glow... turn on enlarger again...NOTHING!! ... a dark day in my darkroom... hmmmmm must be the bulb... remove the bulb a JER200/82 and the base chunks glass in the palm of my hand... the wee bulb has succomed and turned black....

No problem I have a EYA200/82 on hand... pop that baby in and.......

NOTHING!!!!! NOT A PHOTON!!!

On removing the second bulb one of the prongs pulls out of the base of the bulb and sits stubbornly in the receptacle... YIKES!! I have begged, pleaded even offered it lovely parting gifts... I actually think it has dug itself in deeper just to be vendictive... now I am preparing an assault with a pair of tweezers... I have left them lying on the baseboard of the enlarger just in view of the bulbprong hoping it will reconsider it's position.

Now many questions arise at this point...

Is my enlargers electrical system fried... can it be repaired?

Are there still bulbs available for this enlarger?

The house I am in now although new has a 'strange' history and some of the ground holes in the plugs actually had little metal screws in them... I removed them with a magnet before plugging in my enlarger (3 prong plug)... was this a mistake?

Do I need a new enlarger... or perhaps a new house?

Help....... Annie

First, the electrical situation in your house: In my humble opinion, call an electrician. Someone needs to make sure that a dangerous situation doesn't exist so that you can live to print again. Small investment for safety.

Second, the broken bulb in socket. I've had good luck putting pliers into (inside) the base of a broken bumb, and pulling the handles outward to exert pressure on the inside of the base, and then untwist it from its socket.

Good luck.
Neal

The ceramic lampholders should be readily available from any electrical supplier that sells domestic low voltage lights. If you don't feel confident to change it then get that electrician to do it when he checks the wall sockets. Buy a spare lampholder whilst you are there, they don't last long. I am assuming that the lamp is a 200w 24v reflector lamp. It may be fitted with a 250w like the later 7451 enlarger, since the 200w are now difficult to get.

Annie,

I would not begin to diagnose your house electrical system without a volt meter. If you have or can get one you probably can diagnose this yourself. It is important that your house have a ground circuit...that is at earth (ground) potential.

Next if you have incoming voltage to your enlarger, then you should have some voltage to the leads to the lamp holder. If you have voltage to those leads and can extract the bulb terminal then you should be good to go with another lamp.

If you can not remove the bulb terminal then you should be able to find a replacement socket at any number or places. I use Bulbman here in the states a lot. A Google search will find them for you.

If you have voltage to the enlarger and none to the lamp socket leads then you have a transformer that is fried. A transformer can be obtained from a number of places. It should have 115/60hz input and 24/60hz output. It should be sized for a minimum of 250 VA if you use a 250 watt lamp. One can always go larger rating on a transformer...not lower. I personally would opt for a 500 VA 115/24/60hz transformer if it needs to be replaced. It should be fused with a twelve amp fuse on the secondary of the transformer.

Thanks!!!

Looks like I have to get a rubber suit and get to work... the house is less than a year old so I assume the electrical is up to code... I am hoping the 'outlet modifications' were performed by the three wee hellions that inhabited the upstairs where my darkroom is now located.

Don, I am definately going to get a voltmeter and do the other things you suggested. Hopefully the enlarger can be salvaged... I assume there are not too many large format enlargers to be had here on the island... hmmmm.... as I recall you bought all the good ones!

Cheers and thanks, Annie

.... just wondering... I removed the fuse from the transformer (which has an input of 110-120V/60hz by the way) and it is intact... does this mean there is a chance the transformer is fine and the problem is in the lampholder or the lamps themselves? ...getting my hands on a voltmeter on a Sunday in a village of less than 100 people hasn't panned out so far...

Thanks again, Annie