Broken off Light Bulb

[wunbe]

Damn thing exploded as I was replacing it. Left only the metal base in the socket.

How to remove w/o more cursing?

Beyond step one, shutting off the power to it, that is..

Wunbe

 

[Montelores]

Potato?

Monty

 

[graygun]

Try to bend the rim outward a bit ( wire cutters or other) and then use pliers to spin it out.

 

[Ka6otm]

Try to bend the rim outward a bit ( wire cutters or other) and then use pliers to spin it out.

I've done this and it works but be absolutely sure that you open the circuit breaker prior to doing this.

 

[graygun]

Try to bend the rim outward a bit ( wire cutters or other) and then use pliers to spin it out.

I've done this and it works but be absolutely sure that you open the circuit breaker prior to doing this.

amen

 

[coach]

Needle nose pliers will do the trick. I’ve heard said jam a potato in the socket and turn.

 

[gramps]

I always used needle nose pliers. Insert into the base, open up the pliers and turn. Will be safe if current is OFF. Good luck!
gramps

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Another vote for the needle nose pliers.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have used both the potato and the needle nose pliers option.
I prefer the needle nose pliers.

 

[wunbe]

If the switch is off and the other lights in the fixture are off, do I really nees to fuss with the circuit breaker?

wswunbe

 

[Specs]

If someone wired the common to the switch (white wire) the light socket will be hot all of the time. Is the breaker too hard to switch off?

 

[Bob Wright]

Old time remedy, use a bar of soap to grip the remains and turn out.


Bob Wright

 

[Bull Barrel]

Get a new house!

Long nose pliers.

 

[wwb]

Try to bend the rim outward a bit ( wire cutters or other) and then use pliers to spin it out.

I've done this and it works but be absolutely sure that you open the circuit breaker prior to doing this.

If the breaker isn't off, it will be very shortly. Pretty punny, huh? (also, that's why there are plastic sleeves on the handles)

 

[Doc Holliday]

If the switch is off and the other lights in the fixture are off, do I really nees to fuss with the circuit breaker?

wswunbe

Fuss? You go outside, you flip a switch. Doesn't get much easier than that, and you don't waste a perfectly good potato, or bar of soap, or ear of corn or whatever else is suggested.

 

[ronto]

Another vote for the needle nose pliers.

Me too.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

After the breaker's off (ya never know how a lot of circuits are wired, or when someone's gonna come in the room and flip a two way switch while your finger's in the socket!), a tiny screwdriver is helpful in bending a bit of a tang in the bulb base for the needle nose pliers to grab. When reinstalling bulb, a touch of dielectric grease or petroleum jelly on the threads of the new bulb may help next time it has to be removed. Just a touch! You don't want to glom things up so badly as to impair the electrical connection.

Rick C

 

[wunbe]

Thanks all,

Needle nose worked fine. Turns out the bulb base stood proud of fixture and was easily backed out once a tight grip was applied. Just turned off the switch.

The fuss I want to avoid is mostly in resetting clocks, restarting the puter -- I'm nearly out of charcoal --, and the 3 hour or so delay until all my cable TV's functions are fully restored. (Once shut down, the channel scan feature and DVR take a while to get back into working order. We also lose anything being copied, )

wunbe

 

[bogus bill]

Reminds me of the time my wife was on top of the step ladder trying to get something off a shelf or ledge we had over the garage door. I walked into the garage and hit the garage door opener. "I swept her off her feet."

 

[Bob Wright]

If the switch is off and the other lights in the fixture are off, do I really nees to fuss with the circuit breaker?

wswunbe

Fuss? You go outside, you flip a switch. Doesn't get much easier than that, and you don't waste a perfectly good potato, or bar of soap, or ear of corn or whatever else is suggested.

You still have to grip it with something.

And, if its overhead, wear safety glasses.


Bob Wright

 

[Jeepnik]

I always used needle nose pliers. Insert into the base, open up the pliers and turn. Will be safe if current is OFF. Good luck!
gramps

Finally someone mentioned turning off the power. Oh well, I suspect those that have tried to remove an energized bust bulb never did that again. :roll:

 

[graygun]

Thanks all,

Needle nose worked fine. Turns out the bulb base stood proud of fixture and was easily backed out once a tight grip was applied. Just turned off the switch.

The fuss I want to avoid is mostly in resetting clocks, restarting the puter -- I'm nearly out of charcoal --, and the 3 hour or so delay until all my cable TV's functions are fully restored. (Once shut down, the channel scan feature and DVR take a while to get back into working order. We also lose anything being copied, )

wunbe

Sometimes I just cut power at the switch but no one else is around to possibly turn it on. You can put a piece of tape across switch and maybe someone will at least think..."uh wut's dat for".

 

[caryc]

Potato?

Monty

Tim the Tool Man Taylor tried that and wound up cooking the potato, rather quickly !

 

[Kanook]

Shortest old rickety wooden ladder that makes you stretch, cut one leg on strong side approx 1/2" shorter than rest. Metal bucket ( 3 gallon) filled with salt water to be placed on top of ladder (where you will be standing). Needle nose pliers, camera wife, and a beer. Don`t worry about breaker, it'll flip when you short it out.

Have wife with recorder watching you, look at her and say "I got this, hold my beer".

 

[caryc]

If the switch is off and the other lights in the fixture are off, do I really nees to fuss with the circuit breaker?

wswunbe

It's better than looking down at your still smoking body and saying, "Man I wished I had turned off that breaker". There's really no such thing as being too careful where electricity is concerned.

 

[gramps]

I agree, but I test the socket etc with a multimeter to make sure no current is present.
gramps

 

[Montelores]

.45 Colt with hard cast 300 gr. bullets out of a Ruger Blackhawk or .44 Mag with 300 gr. XTP from a Ruger Super Blackhawk, minimum.

Oh, sorry.

Wrong thread.

:wink:

Monty

 

[caryc]

I agree, but I test the socket etc with a multimeter to make sure no current is present.
gramps

Trouble is that someone could flip the switch the second you pull those tester probes out.

 

[JFB]

I've trusted my life, alone with all my co-workers to a simple paper tag preventing someone from throwing the switch

 

[caryc]

I've trusted my life, alone with all my co-workers to a simple paper tag preventing someone from throwing the switch

Yes, and it's usually accompanied by a padlock.