Batten holder: types, ring or plain, wiring and our prices

What is a batten holder?

A batten holder is a lamp holder with a flat base that screws straight onto a ceiling, a round block or a wooden batten, so the lamp hangs straight down below it. The name comes from the wooden batten wiring of older buildings, where the holder was fixed flat on the batten that carried the wires.

It is the plainest way to put a bulb on a ceiling: two terminals inside the base, one for the switched phase and one for the neutral, and a skirt around the lamp. We make eight batten holder codes in our VIYONA range, from ₹26 to ₹65.

A batten holder, side view and inside the base

Drawn by us, not to scale. Terminal layout varies by design; codes and MRPs from our printed catalogue.

Batten, angle, pendant or 2 in 1

Lamp holders differ by how they are mounted and where the lamp points:

• Batten holder Base flat on a ceiling or block; the lamp hangs straight down.
• Angle holder Base on a wall; the lamp tilts out at an angle. See our angle holder guide.
• Pendant holder Hangs on a flexible cord from a ceiling rose, lower into the room.
• 2 in 1 holder One holder that can be fitted either as an angle or a batten holder.

For all the types side by side, see our electric holder types guide. This page is about the batten holder and what ours cost.

Batten holder price list

Every batten holder we make, with its printed MRP. All come 20 to a box under HSN 85366110:

• 202 Deluxe batten holder, polycarbonate: ₹26
• 212 Saathi batten holder: ₹28
• 207 Decent batten holder, aluminium ring: ₹29
• 214 Sumo batten holder, with aluminium ring: ₹30
• 218 Royal fancy batten holder, aluminium ring: ₹38
• 219 2 in one angle/batten holder, orange and aluminium ring: ₹52
• 220 2 in one angle/batten holder, aluminium ring, 3-step: ₹55
• 222 square batten holder, aluminium ring, 5 x 5: ₹65

Deluxe, Saathi, Decent, Sumo, Royal fancy and Square are our pattern names, and each pattern has a matching angle holder one code away: 201 with 202, 206 with 207, 211 with 212, 213 with 214, 217 with 218 and 221 with 222. A contractor can order the pair in one pattern, so the wall and ceiling lights in a building look alike.

See the Deluxe holders, Sumo holders and Royal fancy holders for photos.

Ring or plain: what the aluminium ring means

Six of our batten holders are printed with an aluminium ring: the Decent 207, Sumo 214, Royal fancy 218, the two 2 in 1 holders and the square 222. The Deluxe 202 in polycarbonate is plain, and the Saathi 212 line does not mention a ring.

Our catalogue names an aluminium ring on these holders but does not describe it. The difference is small in money: the plain 202 is ₹26 and the ringed 207 and 214 are ₹29 and ₹30.

Square and fancy batten holders

The Royal fancy 218 at ₹38 and the square 5 x 5 holder 222 at ₹65 cost more because they are meant to be seen. The square holder belongs to a matching set: the 221 angle holder and the 223 ceiling rose (₹54) come in the same 5 x 5 square body, all with an aluminium ring on the holders.

Use them where the holder is on show and nothing will cover it: an entrance lobby, a passage, a shop with exposed lamps. Where a shade or a fitting will hide the holder, the plain or Sumo holder does the same electrical job for less. The square holder set has photos.

Which lamp goes in a batten holder

Our catalogue lists the holders by pattern, not by cap, and does not print the cap type or a maximum lamp wattage. Two practical points follow:

• Cap Check that the holder and the lamp have the same cap before you buy a box. Our B22 vs E27 guide shows how to tell.
• Lamp An LED lamp draws a few watts where an old filament lamp drew 60 or 100, so it runs the holder much cooler. Our 9W LED lamp (1065) is ₹70.

Our LED bulb range has every wattage, and the 9 watt LED bulb guide covers the most common room lamp.

Batten holder connection

A batten holder has two terminals. The switched phase from the wall switch goes to one, the neutral to the other; on a screw (E27) holder the phase must go to the centre-contact terminal and the neutral to the screw shell, or the shell is live while you change a lamp. Our catalogue does not print the cap type of our holders, so check the holder before wiring it. The base then screws to the block or ceiling.

• Switch off the MCB and prove the wires dead.
• Feed both wires through the hole in the base, strip about a centimetre, and clamp one under each terminal.
• Screw the base to the round block or ceiling, fit the cover and skirt, then the lamp.
• Switch on and test.

Our bulb holder connection guide goes through each step with photos and covers two holders on one switch.

Fixing a batten holder

A batten holder is fixed to something solid. On a concrete ceiling that is usually a round block screwed over the point where the wires come out; on a false ceiling it is a support behind the board; on older wiring it is the wooden batten itself.

If the light should hang lower, use a ceiling rose and a pendant holder on a cord instead: our ceiling roses are ₹28 (203, 2-part) and ₹36 (204, 3-part), and the pendant holders ₹24 to ₹34. Our pendant holder page lists them.

Whatever it is fixed to, the base must sit flat and tight. A holder that rocks on an uneven block loosens its own terminals every time the lamp is changed, a common cause of a holder that flickers or warms up after a few months.

Where to use a batten holder

A batten holder with a bare LED lamp is an economical ceiling light, so it belongs wherever light matters more than looks:

• Utility areas Store rooms, lofts, wash areas, garages and lift rooms.
• Stairs and passages Common areas of a building, where many points are lit for long hours.
• Balcony ceilings Under a covered balcony or verandah, out of the rain, with a 30 mA RCCB on the circuit; see our balcony electrical points guide.
• Rental and site work Quick to fit and cheap to replace.

Two places call for something else. In a bathroom or open terrace, where water can reach the lamp, use a fitting rated for damp locations and a 30 mA RCCB on the circuit; ask us whether our 12W bulkhead light (1046, ₹330) suits the spot. Our bulkhead light guide covers the 12W and 20W fittings. In a living room with a false ceiling, a panel looks neater; see our LED panel light guide.

Batten holder problems and fixes

Most batten holder faults show up as one of three signs:

• Lamp flickers or goes off Often a loose terminal screw or a lamp not seated firmly. Switch off, tighten, and reseat the lamp.
• Blackening or a burnt smell A loose connection heating up. Switch off at the MCB and replace the holder.
• Lamps fail early Can be voltage swings or a poor contact in the holder; see why LED bulbs fuse quickly.

A cracked base or a skirt that no longer grips should be replaced, not taped. At ₹26 to ₹30 for a basic holder, replacement is the cheap and safe answer.

What a light point costs

The holder is one of the cheapest parts of a light point. With a switch and a 9W LED lamp, here is what you pay at MRP for the parts you see:

Moving to a ringed holder adds ₹4 to the point; a modular switch adds more than the holder costs. For the switch side, see our switch price list.

Box quantities, HSN code and ordering

All our holders come 20 to a box, and we sell in full boxes only. When you order, give the pattern name with the code, since each batten holder has a matching angle holder one code away.

The HSN code printed for our lamp holders and ceiling roses is 85366110. Dealers often sell under the printed MRP, which is a ceiling. For the full holder range, see our lamp holder manufacturer page.

Where we supply

Our batten holders are moulded at Marol, Andheri East and supplied through dealers and distributors across Maharashtra and in many states. Further away, see where we supply in Maharashtra and how we supply the rest of India. Orders through our office go anywhere in India, in boxes of 20. Full boxes only.

From our catalogue: VIYONA Decent holders, Saathi holders and pendant holders and adaptor.