I recently cleaned the glass 'shades' on a couple of ceiling fans and an overhead light fixture, all of which required removal of the bulbs before removing the shades.
Out of twelve bulbs, only two or three came out easily. The remainder seemed gritty and did not want to come out easily.
So, does anybody have a good remedy to enable easier removal of bulbs in such situations?
Gritty? Plaster dust maybe? Anyway: the following has worked for me lots of times.
POWER OFF! Assuming correct wiring polarities (I always PROVE the hot/neutral are in fact both dead, with a cheap RS multimeter):
WD-40: Spray into each socket. Wipe out with a clean, dry cloth. You don't need so much you drench the carpet; keep a rag underneath when you spray it. Test with bulb: still grinding? Repeat. Still gritty? It's probably not grit - suspect other problems.
Pop
ceiling fans and
of the bulbs
The remainder
removal of
Years ago it was standard practice to apply a thin coat of Vaseline to the screw base of each bulb to prevent corrosion and the sticking you have.
To remove stuck bulbs, turn of the power (Do I have to say that?), crack the glass on the bulb and jam the pointed tips of a pair of long-nose pliers into the base of the bulb. The pliers can be twisted with enough force to free the bulb.
As noted, first make sure all the power is off. Second check to make sure all the power is off.
Also as noted make sure things are clean.
Next consider a lube made for that use. Vaseline has been reported to cause some problems.
Always buy quality bulbs and lamps. Cheap aluminum lamp bases and sockets are asking for the kind of problem you are experiencing. Watch out for brass colored lamps.
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