While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke, I cannot for the
life of me, unscrew one of the burned out bulbs in my bathroom. When
we cought the house all bulbs were already in place. Someone must have
screwed this particular bulb in slightly misaligned. I've tried, but I
am afraid to break the bulb or shatter it in my hand.

Does anybody have any tricks on how to unscrew a stuck bulb?

It's on my wife's side, so no need to hurry

Thanks,
Chris
Nashville
USA

wrote in message
ps.com...
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke, I cannot for the
life of me, unscrew one of the burned out bulbs in my bathroom. When
we cought the house all bulbs were already in place. Someone must have
screwed this particular bulb in slightly misaligned. I've tried, but I
am afraid to break the bulb or shatter it in my hand.

Does anybody have any tricks on how to unscrew a stuck bulb?

It's on my wife's side, so no need to hurry

Thanks,
Chris
Nashville
USA


The base of the bulb may have corroded a bit from bathroom humidity. Turn
off the circuit breaker, not just the switch. Surround the bulb with a thick
plastic bag, like a Zip Lock. Tap the bulb to break it, leaving just the
base. Using needle nose pliers, bend the metal base inward on two sides,
then grab the metal with the pliers and unscrew it. Safety goggles are a
good idea, if you're looking up at a ceiling fixture.

On some occassions it happens that you cannot unscrew a light bulb. What I do is
gently to break the glass and then use pliers to unscrew it.

neg wrote:
On some occassions it happens that you cannot unscrew a light bulb. What I do is
gently to break the glass and then use pliers to unscrew it.

In the past, I have pliers or a potato (cut in half) to remove the
lightbulb base. Pliers are usually more convenient, but I have found
the potato to be more effective in some instances.

All good ideas. However, to avoid the problem in the future, find some
silicon grease, and wipe the threads of the bulb LIGHTLY with the
grease before putting the new bulb back in. This will keep it from
seizing up. You don't need much grease. You can get silicon grease in
any good hardware store or automotive supply house.

wrote:
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke, I cannot for the
life of me, unscrew one of the burned out bulbs in my bathroom. When
we cought the house all bulbs were already in place. Someone must
have screwed this particular bulb in slightly misaligned. I've
tried, but I am afraid to break the bulb or shatter it in my hand.

Does anybody have any tricks on how to unscrew a stuck bulb?

It's on my wife's side, so no need to hurry

Thanks,
Chris
Nashville
USA

Others have told you how to get it out. I will make a couple of
suggestions to avoid the problem in the future.

Stop by the auto parts store and ask for a small quality of the grease
for electrical connections. It is a dielectric grease made for this kind of
problem to prevent it.

When you buy light bulbs try to get real brass bases, not just brass
colored aluminum or aluminum colored aluminum. Same goes if you replace
fixtures.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke,

Would it be a sick joke if both lamp and socket were left hand thread? This
happen to me once trying to remove a car wheel.

wrote in message
ps.com...
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke,


As long as you brought it up - something from comedian Dat Phan, born here
to parents who came from Vietnam. Describing a joke his dad finds funny:

Two Asians walk into a bar. Next day, they own it.

# Fred # wrote:
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke,

Would it be a sick joke if both lamp and socket were left hand thread? This
happen to me once trying to remove a car wheel.

I had a Fiat Spyder --- spindle nuts were left-handed on one side,
right on the other. Rotation of wheels was such as that it would
tighten them... Also, there was a castelated nut that you dinged a lip
into to keep them on -- no cotter pin.

professorpaul wrote:
# Fred # wrote:
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke,

I have used a potato smushed into the broken bulb (after switch and breaker have been switched OFF) Have also heard of an old candle (large0 works too

i bet its a flame bulb, they are junk quality and stick more often.
regular bulbs are better if you ask me

On 16 Jan 2007 12:53:37 -0800, "Borrall Wonnell"
wrote:

neg wrote:
On some occassions it happens that you cannot unscrew a light bulb. What I do is
gently to break the glass and then use pliers to unscrew it.

In the past, I have pliers or a potato (cut in half) to remove the
lightbulb base. Pliers are usually more convenient, but I have found
the potato to be more effective in some instances.

Pliers are often much too thick to get into the small gap between the
bulb base and the socket. I use scissors, not to cut anything but
sideways as thin pliers.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke, I cannot for the
life of me, unscrew one of the burned out bulbs in my bathroom. When
we cought the house all bulbs were already in place. Someone must have
screwed this particular bulb in slightly misaligned. I've tried, but I
am afraid to break the bulb or shatter it in my hand.

Does anybody have any tricks on how to unscrew a stuck bulb?

It's on my wife's side, so no need to hurry

Thanks,
Chris
Nashville
USA


The base of the bulb may have corroded a bit from bathroom humidity. Turn
off the circuit breaker, not just the switch. Surround the bulb with a thick
plastic bag, like a Zip Lock. Tap the bulb to break it, leaving just the
base. Using needle nose pliers, bend the metal base inward on two sides,
then grab the metal with the pliers and unscrew it. Safety goggles are a
good idea, if you're looking up at a ceiling fixture.

Worked like a charm. I was hoping that I would not have to break the
bulb, but I guess not. The zip-lock back worked wonderfully.

I appreciate your help.

Chris

wrote:
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke, I cannot for the
life of me, unscrew one of the burned out bulbs in my bathroom. When
we cought the house all bulbs were already in place. Someone must have
screwed this particular bulb in slightly misaligned. I've tried, but I
am afraid to break the bulb or shatter it in my hand.

Does anybody have any tricks on how to unscrew a stuck bulb?

It's on my wife's side, so no need to hurry

Thanks,
Chris
Nashville
USA

Hi,
Be drastic. Turn off the breaker and use a pair of needle nose to deal
with it.

On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:47:50 -0500, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

Others have told you how to get it out. I will make a couple of
suggestions to avoid the problem in the future.

Stop by the auto parts store and ask for a small quality of the grease
for electrical connections. It is a dielectric grease made for this kind of
problem to prevent it.

They used to sell this in 8 oz cans or something and it was very
expensive iirc. Now they have it in tiny foil envelopes iiuc.

There is a series of 5 or so, on their own rack, one for keeping
sparkplugs from siezing in their holes, one keep sparkplug wire boots
from sticking to the plugs, one maybe to keep disk brakes from
squeaking, one with dielectric grease, and I forget the other one.

They were a dollar last time, and one doesn't need much of any of
them. I used only half of the brake packet to do two brakes, even
though I wasn't trying to use little. I was trying to use the right
amount.


When you buy light bulbs try to get real brass bases, not just brass
colored aluminum or aluminum colored aluminum.

Let aluminum be aluminum.

Same goes if you replace
fixtures.

# Fred # wrote:
While this may sound like the beginnig of a bad joke,


Would it be a sick joke if both lamp and socket were left hand thread? This
happen to me once trying to remove a car wheel.



Not a sick joke, but more likely a subway or street car from about 50
years ago.

They used incandescent bulbs for interior lighting which were LH
threaded.....to discourage their being pilfered by "bulb snatching" riders.

And, they are still available y'know...

http://www.sunshinelighting.com/item-12530-3218.htm

You might be able to pull off some good gags with a couple of those bulbs.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.