Will appreciate any clues on how to remove a light bulb that seems to be frozen in socket. Bulb is 60W and is in one of five sockets on ceiling fan. Has ceramic "lampshade" which cannot be removed without removing bulb first. Last time this happened in similar situation the bulb ended being broken which made a big mess.
Turn off light. Put on a leather glove. Hold a bucket under bulb in case it breaks. Twist bulb. If it breaks, use pliers to get socket out.
Lena
"Hints to Heloise" or something similar says to use a potato. Jamb it into/onto the broken glass and lamp base and wind it out.
I have always used a needle nose pliers. ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net
Well the suggestion made should help you get the lamp out. Once you get it out, take the rest of them out as well. Now go to the hardware store and buy new 60W lamps that have real brass threds not aluminum or brass colored aluminum threads. Those cheaply made (but some times over priced) lamps are the cause of your problem.
Good advice from DanG and Lena, but I would add a bit of work for you (sorry). I would turn the light off at the breaker (not the switch). After you break the bulb -- and yes, you will break the bulb -- I would use an electrical tester to check for power before I touched anything. You can get a cheap tester (they don't cost very much) when you're going to the store to get replacement bulbs.
Before you break the bulb, spray in some penetrating oil or even WD-40 and let it soak overnite. Almost guaranteed to come out EZ if you use kroil.
I don't know why people are saying things like "wear goggles". If the WD40 idea doesn't work, just put a sock or something over the bulb, break it, then force the remaining base to unscrew with pliers, or 2 pairs of pliers (one on each side of the metal base).
Great advice. Yes brass based bulbs are less likely to seize. However, try to find a brass based bulb, it seems there are only a couple of manufacturers these days and they have all switched to aluminium bases for most of their bulbs. Sometimes a little silicon grease (not caulk) or other lubricant will prevent seizing in difficult sockets. The worst combination is aluminium based bulbs in aluminium sockets, especially in outdoor fixtures.
DanG spake thus:
The other tip I've heard is to jam a carrot in there and twist.
Don't forget safety glasses.
later,
tom @
I heard bulbs wiped down with a little wd-40 is a good thing. Any experiences?
later,
tom @
Oil is much better. WD40 is not billed as a lubricant.
I would suggest a dielectric grease. You can find it at the auto parts store. WD-40 is a great water displacement, but it is not a very good lube and in this case it is not really the lube that is needed, rather the protection from oxygen and water.
Because wearing safety glasses is easy to advise and won't do any harm?
I've had some success gently working stubborn bulbs both ways, gradually unscrewing them. If the bulb breaks, needle-nose pliers have been a simple fix. I've always managed to use pliers without damaging the socket, so I've never felt the need to try produce.
"jeffc" wrote in news:2KQRg.66000$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.southeast.rr.com:
Some day when you get a metal filing,piece of glass or just scratch your cornea doing general stuff, then you will understand.
If you think it's stupid to wear safety glasses doing this then you should really get off knowing I sometimes wear safety glasses even when painting. Not because of paint. Because of bushes & shrubs.
You need to experience (and probably will with your comment) day 1 of a scratched cornea.
Mark Cato wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@doris-powerbook.cfa.cmu.edu:
Pliers do work 95% of the time just by putting in the socket and pulling them open while turning. Like you say, the stubborn one you gotta grab the bulb base.
"Frank Thompson" wrote in news:1159175879.439085.277200 @b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
Lots of good recommendations given.
Don't even bother taking precautions in case the bulb breaks. Break it in something right off while you 100% know and expect it.
Knowing that it might break while concentrating on something else isn't good enough. Remember, it's gonna break and implode/explode a bit.
A LOT of suggestions about breaking the bulb and using pliers to remove the base. But if you try this, you'll never use pliers again. When a bulb breaks and leaves the base in the socket, use another bulb. Push the bulb base into the broken base and keep pressure on it while unscrewing. The new bulb base exerts pressure over the whole surface of the old base, giving enough friction to break the old base loose. Especially good for deep recessed lamps like floodlights where you don't have room to manipulate pliers. And it keeps your hands off the metal portion of the socket.
Bob
If the power is still on, you can cook your potatoes and carrots and have a real nice dinner.
Wow - sounds like a great idea. Kind of like pliers, except with a fragile glass handle that's harder to control, and no real grip or leverage on the old base! You probably shouldn't wear gloves, because they could keep you from feeling your progress, and you probably wouldn't want safety glasses either, because they could interfere with your vision. And be sure to stand on a rocking chair or a swivel stool to reach the broken bulb. Don't bother turning off the breaker, either, because who wants to walk all the way down to the basement? Sheesh.
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