Replace Porch Light Bulbs - too high. Is there a trick to this?

[jch]

The house I just moved into has a tall (two story) front entrance with a porch light suspended by a chain and hanging about 11ft off the ground. It has three candelabra lights and two of them are burnt out. My standard step ladder is too short and I have no way to reach the fixture. The fixture is open at the bottom but only about 5" in diameter and the bottom has a base that holds the light sockets and looks as though it could swing freely within the overall glass enclosure. Is there some trick to replacing the bulbs in these fixtures? If not then what a poor design this is to require such a tall step ladder to get to it. The bulbs are oriented pointing up (ie base down) so I can't use a pole and attachment to unscrew the bulbs from below. I've never had a porchlight like this and wonder what the trick is.

[EXT]

I don't think there is a trick, other than the fact that you need a taller stepladder. Hanging the fixture any lower would probably make it easy to hit and break it. There are times and situations in a house where everything cannot be done with what you have on hand, requiring additional tools/supplies to do the job. There are probably other areas of the house that requires a tall ladder.

[John Grabowski]

An 8' ladder should do it. You might be able to pick one up used. Check CraigsList.

[Bob]

Is there a second floor window available and enough slack in the chain so that you can extend a long stick with a hook at the end to grab the chain and gently pull the chandelier in? Don't lean out too far :-)

[Red Green]

"jch" wrote in news:ue_Yk.3267$ [e-mail]:

Is there a pair of posts nearby? If you are that lucky, you may be able to use a stepladder to temporarily put a long 2x4 between the posts so you can put an extension ladder on the 2x4. Should this be an option, be careful. Depending on the length of the 2x4, it could snap in the middle under certain conditions like height of cross, your weight, bouncing and especially if there's a knot or defect. You could double up screwing 2x4 to posts then another 2x4 to the first. No extension anyway ladder right?

An 8' should give the avg max safe work height of 12'. 8 footers are not that expensive new. Often on sale. Once you go to 10', prices jump at a steeper rate. Pop for the ladder. Bulbs are gonna blow as long as the light works. You'll find other uses for it anyway. Make sure you get the right ladder rating for your weight.

Third option is to mooch from new neighbor.

[jch]

I've been looking around for a "ladder enabled" neighbor in favor of option

1. No luck so far. I guess a step new ladder could be in order since my

6footer is too short for the porch light. The other problem is an 18ft high flood light under the corner roof that I'd like to change to a motion sensitive unit. Of course my exstension ladder doesn't reach that. This is crazy. Not there's no railing or window or anyother handy way to get to the porch light. Maybe I'll just get a long extension ladder and try to use it for both the floodlight and the porchlight but that's $200-$300. The other problem with that is the large glass window (at the top of the two story foyer and of no help at all in getting to the light) that leaning a ladder against might break.

[Rose]

If you had a buddy you could stand on his shoulders.

[metspitzer]

You could safely extend your ladder at least 2 cinder blocks high. Stack two blocks on all 4 corners and use 2x8s You gain about 18"

[Red Green]

"jch" wrote in news:nm2Zk.2778$n [e-mail]:

Back the pickup under the light. Put the 6' er in the bed. Get 'er Dun. What? No pickup either?! You're hopeless! :-)

[SteffanKing]

Jump out of a 2nd story window and grab the fixture. Install the new bulbs drop down onto the hedge.

[Red Green]

metspitzer wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Safely? I don't think so unless there were a 4x8 sheet of subfloor laid over it. This would cost maybe 1/3 the price of an 8'er. He's a homeowner. He needs and will need for a long time an 8' er. "Safely teetering" around on blocks with ladder legs is an oxymoron. You can even omit the "oxy".

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'd make one trip, that would be to replace the fixture with something more practical. Candelabra lights are not known for their long life either.

[Norminn]

If you plan to live there a long time, I think it would be a good idea to have the fixture changed to one you can use with a pole to change bulbs. The poles work nicely - have used them at our condo. Rather than a chain hanger, it could have tubing that keeps it a bit more stable to make the pole easier to use.

As for the flood light, I'd want that changed too ... some kind of yard light with m.d.?

[jch]

I've got a pick-up and would certainly do what you suggested tongue-in-cheek. The porch is actually a stucco portico and won't allow access and doesn't offer any other means of support for a platform.

[jch]

Yep. A motion detector replacement floodlight is what I want but can't readily get to the existing floodlight 18ft up. It's crazy. At least I've been able to replace the lights on the flood. The porchlight is a different story. Can't access it at all unless I get the new ladder and except for this one fixture, my 6ft ladder is quite adequate around the house for other jobs. Seems ridiculous to have to buy a new ladder just to change a porchlight bulb. This whole thing adds new meaning to the riddle "How many people does it take to change a light bulb?". I appreciate all the reponses. Thanks.

[nick hull]

You could safely bolt 2x4s to the 4 legs of the step ladder extending the height a foot or maybe 2 if that is enough.

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

[Pete C.]

A commercial grade architectural metal halide fixture comes to mind. Will last a long time and be quite efficient as long as you can live with the slow startup.

[terry]

t I've

Not trying to preach but NOT having high ceilings and or roof edges etc. is what we decided when we built this house 38 years ago. After living on a windy hill facing North Eastern gales off the Atlantic!

I am 5 foot 10 and 75. Can therefore easily reach say seven feet. That dimension plus being four feet up a step ladder is more than adequate to reach almost everything except for the end eaves of the house. The soffits of our roof, for example, are about nine feet off the ground. I can reach and paint just about every outside area of this house from a regular 5 foot step ladder. A low house avoids the wind and noise and saves energy.

Only suggestion is get a) A good sturdy taller step ladder. b) Get or borrow a proper extension ladder for the 18 foot job. Have someone hold ladder and/or tie it securely while you are up there. Use two good quality lamps so that lamp replacement is less frequent.

[hallerb]

I visited a home with a very high entrance fixture, like a outdoor chandlier, asked how they changed bulbs.

turned out it was on a reel of wire, a retracting cord, they pulled it down for easy relamping and cleaning right from ground.

The OP coul;d put the fixture on a dimmer with regular bulbs, lamp life skyrockets at 100 volts if they have access but want to minimize replacing lamps

[mkirsch1]

Form rarely follows function. Whoever designed the house thought it looked good so they did it with no consideration given to replacing the bulbs.

Quit wringing your hands and fretting your life away over this. Get a taller ladder.