How to remove a light bulb from its socket. A light bulb has burst - how to unscrew it? Step-by-step instructions for removing lamp residue from the socket (65 photos)

What could be easier than changing a light bulb in a chandelier or lamp? But often things are not so simple; the light bulb can break, become stuck or rust.
Here you need special methods so as not to damage your chandelier or other lighting fixture.

It is impossible to give a clear answer as to why the light bulb does not unscrew, because there may be several reasons.
Perhaps the components of your lamp are not of such high quality; unscrupulous manufacturers are trying to reduce the cost of the design, saving on material in this way or using low-quality materials.
Perhaps the reasons are related to poor electrical contact at the threaded connection.

But what can be advised to try to prevent such problems?

Do not screw in light bulbs according to power more figure indicated on the lighting fixture as a maximum, in most cases it is 60W. The rule is more appropriate for incandescent light bulbs, since higher wattage incandescent light bulbs emit more heat and can damage both the lamp and the electrical connection (socket)

The light bulb should always be screwed tightly into the socket, but when pressing it, look for a position for the light bulb so that it can immediately be screwed into its thread freely and without much effort.

Do not leave greasy stains on the bulb bulb; this rule is especially important for halogen lamps. It is best to screw in light bulbs by wrapping the bulb in a thin cloth; in addition, this will protect your fingers if the light bulb breaks.

There are special products in the form of sprays (for example KONTAKT S61) that can be used to treat the connection, socket and thread of the light bulb and maintain reliable electrical contact on for many years even in not entirely favorable conditions, for example when high humidity. This product can also be used to treat slightly rusted contacts by cleaning them. Some experts recommend rubbing the threads with graphite, this could be a piece of brush from electric motor or a thick pencil.

Before starting any work with the lamp, you must turn off the voltage supply to it. By turning off not only the switch but also the corresponding circuit breaker in the control panel.

How to unscrew a light bulb

If the light bulb is intact but it doesn’t unscrew and you are afraid that it will burst. First of all, you need to unscrew it by wrapping the flask in a soft cloth. To move stuck threads, you can use a special spray, it could be “KONTAKT” or maybe a WD-shka, in the worst case, you can use some kind of alcohol deodorant. You need to spray it on the thread and give time for the substance to seep through the thread, after which the thread should “move.”

If the light bulb bursts, but the base remained inside and there was no need to catch it to unscrew it from there. You should immediately remove any protruding pieces of glass to avoid cutting yourself.
The most applicable option is to use pliers or round nose pliers. The light bulb base remaining inside is pushed apart from the inside with the jaws of the pliers and unscrewed counterclockwise. Or you can use thin pliers to catch the outer edge of the base and try to unscrew it in this way.
You can also use a softening spray (described above).

Instead of pliers, you can use other objects: the handle of a screwdriver wrapped in thick cloth, a soft wine rind, a tightly rolled wad of paper, or even a piece of soap of suitable thickness. The main thing here is to open the base from the inside so that you can turn the fixed object.

There are more interesting way in which an ordinary plastic water or beer bottle can serve as a “unscrewing tool”. How is this done? The neck of the bottle is heated using fire until the plastic softens, you can use a lighter. Then the neck is squeezed into the base of the light bulb and held for 10 - 15 seconds. so that the plastic hardens and adheres to the base. After which the stuck light bulb is unscrewed.

There are times when the light bulb is “tightly” stuck or rusted and none of the methods presented above helps. There is a last one radical way. You need pliers with thin jaws.
To begin with, we knock down all the insides in the cartridge so that only the metal remains, and with the help of pliers we begin to carefully crush this metal inward, into different parts one by one and little by little. As a result, a piece of twisted metal will simply fall out of the lamp socket.

You should be careful because this method can damage the socket itself, in addition, if the socket in the lamp was poorly screwed to the lamp leg, it may spin. So when manipulating the lamp, you need to fix the cartridge itself in your hand and not the lamp.

The situation when a light bulb bursts or when unscrewing the base remains in the socket has happened to many people. There is a solution to the problem, and there are plenty of different methods for unscrewing a light bulb base from a socket. The reasons for this situation are most often: poor quality of the lamp, voltage drop, exhaustion of the lamp's service life, burnout.

Options for solving the problem

If the light bulb exploded and its base remained in the socket or this was the result of unsuccessful unscrewing, there is no need to panic. The first step, before trying different methods, is to turn off the switch on the panel and turn off the power to the room. If you do not do this, there is a risk of getting an electric shock. When such a problem occurs with a table lamp, all you have to do is unplug it from the socket.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

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Important! When you have to remove the base from the socket at night, you should get an assistant with a flashlight to illuminate the whole process.

Thick rubber gloves and goggles are a must.

Preparatory procedures:

Appropriate equipment. Correctly remove residues by wearing thick rubber gloves and goggles. A hat will be needed if the lamp is placed under the ceiling or high on the wall.
If the flask bursts, then its fragments must first be swept up.
If trouble occurs with fluorescent lamp, then you should first open the windows, since such a device contains mercury vapor inside, then sweep away the fragments.
It is advisable to place a container or spread a cloth under the base so that the fragments do not fall on the floor.
Even after turning off the machine, you should check the presence of voltage with an indicator screwdriver. If the light bulb in it lights up, then it is better not to try to remove the base yourself; it is better to contact an electrician.

If the lamp bursts while the light is on, you should wait a couple of minutes before unscrewing it, as the base will be quite hot.

Pliers or needle nose pliers

The first method you should resort to is using pliers or needle-nose pliers. The latter are more convenient due to the fact that they have thin, elongated “sponges” that can reach many hard-to-reach places. They are very convenient to grab small details. It will also be easy to separate the base from the cartridge.

Using needle nose pliers

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Specialist in repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.

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Important! The handles of thin-nose pliers should be rubber or plastic. If such a tool is not at hand, the last resort is to wrap the handles with several balls of electrical tape.

Procedure:

Remove any remaining glass, if any.
Next, grab the base with a tool, twisting it outward. The lamp shade must be held so that it does not come off. It is important not to damage the circumference of the cartridge.
If the base does not give in, you can carefully bend its sides inward and then unscrew it.

During the process, the base may begin to tear or become deformed, this is not a big deal, it will even be easier to remove it, the main thing is that it does not damage the cartridge.

If you can’t grab the edges, you can try another option - place the needle-nose pliers inside the base and push the ends apart so that they rest against side walls. You need to twist counterclockwise.

If there are no tools at hand, then you can resort to using improvised means. The procedure is as follows:

Pull out the remaining glass, they will interfere.
Take plastic bottle. The volume does not matter - the necks are all the same.
Remove the lid and heat the neck until the plastic begins to melt. This can be done with a lighter or candle.
Insert the neck into the base and wait until the plastic cools down.
Get the base.

Twisting with a plastic bottle

You should be careful when handling hot plastic, because if it drips onto your skin, the burn will be very severe. The flooring also needs to be protected by at least laying paper on it. With this method, the risk of electric shock is minimal. You may come across recommendations that there is no need to de-energize the device. This is incorrect - any actions must be performed with the machine turned off.

The method is simple, although it does not always help. To do this, you need to have pieces of glass sticking out of the base; in this case, there is no need to remove them. To implement this method you need:

Cut a fairly large potato (raw) in half and separate its parts. They must be clean and dry.
Place a potato over the fragments so that they cut firmly into the flesh.
All that remains is to unscrew the base from the socket.

After use, potatoes should be thrown away. Other fruits and vegetables will not help because their flesh is not as dense.

The potato will help you unscrew the base

Unscrew the cartridge

The essence of the method is to disassemble the cartridge itself. True, this can only be done with carbolite cartridges, which are installed in old lighting fixtures from the USSR era. Ceramic ones, which are mainly used in modern chandeliers, are not intended for such disassembly. Let's return to disassembling the cartridge. It consists of the following parts:

2 carbolite halves.
Threaded connection.
Ceramic core with brass contacts.

One of the halves contains a metal sleeve into which the base is screwed. To remove the base, you must separate the base. All that remains is to unscrew the base; the already familiar thin-nose pliers will help with this. After removal, the cartridge should be collected and can be used again.

We use a cork

To implement this method you will need a cork plug. It needs to be adjusted to the size of the base. When the plug fits tightly into it, you should carefully unscrew it along with the stuck element of the light bulb.

Unscrewing with a cork

If there are pieces of glass left, you can string a cork on them. In this case, it is necessary to achieve their dense recessing into the soft cortical surface.

Other ways

There are many other ways, including:

Newspaper or dry rag. It is most convenient to twist it with newspaper. You need to twist it tightly, insert it inside the cartridge and unscrew the base.
Special equipment. Eat special tool, designed for screwing in bases without lamps. It looks like a large clothespin. You can buy this in online stores of Chinese goods.
Scissors. Turn off the power to the lamp, insert the scissors into the base, and open them so that their sharp edges rest against the stuck element, and unscrew.
Cut the base, twisting the pieces inside. Having done such manipulations, pulling it out will not be difficult.

Special tools for unscrewing the base

In the old Soviet ones, the skirt is unscrewed, and then the base is unscrewed without any problems. On modern imported ones you can unscrew them with pliers on a de-energized lamp. If the base is stuck and does not spin, then simply bend it inward in several places and it will fall out on its own. The base bent inward in several places is convenient to grasp with pliers.

What to do if the light bulb is simply stuck in the socket

All of the above methods are suitable if the light bulb is not stuck, but simply burst. An option is to unscrew the socket from the chandelier. If this method cannot be implemented, then you will have to break the glass part of the lamp and use one of the options proposed above. To prevent pieces of glass from flying into different sides, before breaking, you should place any suitable container under the light bulb.

You may come across advice to use a spray like WD-40 or “KONTAKT”. But there is a risk that even with the machines turned off, the device will be dangerous. In this case, it will not be possible to check whether there is a phase, since the lamp is stuck. The only way when using such a spray is absolutely safe is to remove the chandelier completely, disconnecting it from the power cables.

Conclusion

You can unscrew the base if it is stuck in the cartridge in different ways. The most important thing is to take safety precautions and turn off the power to the lamp before starting work.

📋 Take the test and test your knowledge

During the operation of lighting devices, situations often arise when the light bulb fails. If they simply burn out, then there are no difficulties - just unscrew them and replace them with new ones. Although it is advisable to understand the reasons for what happened. The situation is more complicated, when the product exploded or was simply damaged. We will tell you what to do if a light bulb breaks in this article.

Causes of damage

Any electrical appliance must be operated with the utmost caution. But not in every case this is ensured 100%. So why do light bulbs burst? There may be several reasons:

Manufacturing defect. Violations can be made both on the flask itself and in the design of the base.
Increased voltage in the network. Incandescent lamps can operate above the standard voltage, for example up to 230 V. But large surges can cause damage. This is especially true if deviations are regular.
Problems in the contact part of the cartridge or in the switch. Often accompanied by extraneous sounds and flickering.
Violation of the integrity of wire connections, violations made during wiring installation.
Network overload with electrical appliances consuming a lot of electricity.
Increased vibrations and mechanical damage.
Operation in conditions of high humidity or temperature changes.

The result of such phenomena can be the situation shown in the photo, when a light bulb bursts.

There is a problem: where to start?

Any problem with the electrical wiring system in the house is dangerous and fraught with consequences. After all, the matter may not end with damage to one lighting fixture.

Therefore, if light bulbs burn out and explode regularly, then it is advisable to seek help from specialists or test the wiring yourself. Provided you have the appropriate skills and experience.

If a light bulb breaks, you must follow safety rules. The most important thing is to turn off the power automatically, take your time and don’t panic. After all, even with a broken bulb, you can remove the base from the cartridge. There are many ways to do this. But personal safety must be ensured.

The question often arises of how to unscrew the socket if a light bulb bursts. Solving the problem is not fraught with any particular difficulties - everything necessary actions are carried out independently. The only thing is that all your actions must be careful. After all, in the process of manipulation you can easily damage the cartridge.

Well, be sure to take care of the source emergency lighting. After all, working in the dark is not very convenient, and even dangerous. Therefore, a bright flashlight will greatly help you when replacing a light bulb.

How to unscrew a lamp with minimal effort

If a light bulb burns out or explodes, what is the first thing to do? If the lamp is intact, it is necessary to turn off the power to the chandelier and allow the lamp to cool. For greater safety and to avoid damage, wrap the flask with a soft, non-slip cloth and carefully begin to unscrew it. Do not use excessive force, as the flask can easily burst.

Let's consider best ways Unscrew the socket and the broken light bulb. At the very beginning, you need to use pliers to break off the fragments of the flask to eliminate the possibility of injury. Then, using pliers with narrow and elongated jaws, clamp the edge of the base and slowly begin to unscrew.

There is no need to rush, as there is a high risk of damaging the cartridge. If you do not make sudden movements, the manipulation will be successful and the burst lamp will be removed.

You can do it differently. The pliers should be inserted into the base and opened, pressing the jaws against the inner surface. After this, with a little effort, begin to twist it in the desired direction.

There are several other ways to properly unscrew the base with your own hands. You can take a regular plastic bottle with a small neck. The neck must be heated so that it begins to melt. After this, it should be placed in the cartridge and allowed to cool, secured to the base. Gently rotating the bottle, we begin to unscrew the base.

There is another simple method that does not require special equipment. After all, it’s enough to find a medium or large-sized potato. It is cut into two parts. Take one half and carefully insert it into the base. Firmly held fragments of the bulb or the edge of the base penetrate inside the potato. After the lamp body is fixed, you can begin to unscrew it.

Instead of potatoes, you can use a bar of soap. To begin with, the block should be slightly softened at the surface so that the body penetrates into it more easily. Well, then carry out the manipulations similarly to the previous method.

Without forgetting the safety rules, you can use other available means. For example, insulating tape collected in a lump with the adhesive layer facing out or ordinary newspaper will do. They are carefully inserted into the damaged base and gradually rotated counterclockwise.

A burst lamp is not a big problem if the situation is handled competently, in compliance with safety rules and our recommendations. You can choose any method that will avoid injuries and damage. But do not forget to turn off the power to the lamp in advance.

Photo instructions on how to unscrew a broken light bulb

When unscrewing it from the socket, the light bulb sometimes bursts. This is an unpleasant situation, since the lamp will still have to be taken out. This article will discuss how to unscrew a broken light bulb from its socket.

Causes of the problem

A lamp in a socket can burst for several reasons:

Sudden voltage drop. In this case, sharp fragments remain in the base. You should be careful when dismantling to avoid injury.
Careless twisting. Excessive force during dismantling is associated not only with carelessness, but also with rust that has formed inside the cartridge. It interferes with twisting. If you put in a little more effort than necessary, the light bulb will burst.
Factory defect.

Removing the remaining light bulbs should be done very carefully. There is no need to rush anywhere to avoid cutting yourself on pieces of glass or a broken cartridge.

Solutions

Before starting work, it is necessary to turn off the power to the lighting fixture. If the wiring was installed with several inputs, the power supply can only be turned off in a specific area. If this is not possible, you will need to disconnect the entire apartment. You should not rely on the switch of a lighting device that has become unusable, since its power supply may initially be incorrectly arranged and interrupt not a phase, but a zero. To illuminate the work area you will need standalone source light (flashlight, mobile phone, candle, etc.).

Pay attention! The remaining intact central tube in the base will have to be broken before dismantling work.

There are several options for solving the problem of a broken light bulb socket:

Pliers

Use pliers to pry up the edge of the base (without touching the cartridge itself). Rotate this element counterclockwise. Metal often sticks due to rust. In this case, treat the damaged surface with cologne or other alcohol-containing liquid. We wait a few minutes for the rust to soak. After this, we continue to unscrew the part. There is also a method in which the pliers are inserted inside and unclenched, which allows you to unscrew the base.

Disassembly

This method is not suitable for ceramic products new type. However, the method works in the case of carbolite elements, since they can be disassembled. We unscrew the cartridge very carefully, supporting the base with one hand. We remove the cylinder, dividing it into two parts. As a result, a “skirt” remains in your hands, in which the base is located. Now it will be easier to work, since manipulations are carried out not under a suspended ceiling, but on the “ground” - in a convenient mode.

Plastic bottle

Heat a regular plastic bottle over an open flame until it melts. Work carefully as otherwise the hot plastic will come into contact with your skin. We direct the heated neck of the bottle into the metal base. We wait for the plastic to harden, and then pull the light bulb out of the socket. The plastic acts as a kind of hook due to the ability of the semi-liquid material to penetrate small cracks and irregularities.

Champagne cork

This method repeats the principle described above. Lightly sharpen the edges of the cork with a knife, removing the chamfer. Then insert the plug into the base of the lamp. Next, slowly unscrew the base so that you can then pull it out.

Potato

This method is especially relevant when glass shards protrude from the base. Cut one potato into two parts. We take one of them in our hand and “put” it on pieces of glass. After this, unscrew the base.

Other ways

If the base does not unscrew, we use additional options:

Dry rag or newspaper. We twist the material to make it denser. We direct the twist into the cartridge and take out the base.
Special tool. This is the easiest way to unscrew the base. However, to implement it you will need to buy a special device in the store that looks like a clothespin.
Scissors. We insert the scissors into the base. We open the tool so that the sharp edges catch the stuck part. Unscrew the base.
We cut the base into fragments and take them out separately.

Ways to avoid trouble

To avoid getting into a situation where you have to look for a way to remove the base, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

Do not install light bulbs whose power is greater than the power of the socket or lighting device. The higher the current in the lighting equipment and the brighter the light, the more thermal energy is released during its operation. As a result, the likelihood of lamp rupture increases.
The lamp should “sit” tightly in the socket, but still, when screwing it in, you should not be too zealous.
It is recommended to buy light bulbs from trustworthy sellers. Cheapness most often results in low-quality goods.

So, there is nothing difficult in unscrewing a broken light bulb from its socket. It is only important to work carefully and follow safety regulations.

Burnout of lamps installed in suspended ceiling, occurs when the backlight is used intensively or installation technologies are violated: loose fixation, non-compliance with wiring connection standards, work performed without the use of special protective gloves, etc. But thanks to the well-thought-out configuration and design of spotlights, removing the lamp and replacing it with a new one is not difficult.

The following types of lamps are used to illuminate the ceiling:

Incandescent;
Halogen;
LED;
Luminescent.

Various types lamps and fasteners to the socket.

They differ in power output, heat, economical energy consumption, cost and service life. Regardless of the type of light bulb used in the design of the lamp based on the established GOST standards, the package includes similar parts, knowledge of the structure of which facilitates the dismantling process:

The housing, which is located in the inter-ceiling space and is hidden from view, contains wiring and a cartridge;
Spring-type “tendril” clamps that securely hold the light bulb in one position and fix it flush with the surface of the ceiling;
A glass or plastic cover, which performs a protective and light-diffusing function, protects the lamp from the penetration of dust and moisture;
Fixing ring that holds the protective cover on the decorative outer formwork.

When a light bulb burns out, not the entire lamp needs to be replaced, but a part. To do this, you only need to dismantle the fixing ring and the plastic cover. However, during operation, difficulties are caused by the type of lamp to be replaced and the method of attachment to the housing. There are different types of fastenings for lamps to the socket:

Threads are a standard type of fixation, most often installed on conventional incandescent lamps;
Pins (2 metal guides) that pass through a special groove in the cartridge and with light pressure, if connected correctly, a characteristic click is heard;
90 degree rotating lock.

Dismantling the lamp without removing the housing

Replacement process

To dismantle the light bulb without removing the housing from the ceiling, follow the following instructions:

Turn off the power supply;
Remove the retaining ring and protective cover;
Unscrew the burnt out light bulb counterclockwise;
Insert in its place a new one, of the same power and model as the previous one, so that the lighting remains uniform at all light points;
Treat the lamp bulb and contacts before installing it in the socket with alcohol or window cleaning liquid, which will extend the service life by removing dust and excess organic particles;
Close the cartridge with the lid and secure with the clamping ring;
It is important not to touch the lamp with bare hands; it is recommended to use a piece of soft textile or special installation gloves for this purpose.

Another way to replace a light bulb is to completely remove the lamp body from the hole in the suspended ceiling by prying up the decorative formwork with a flat-head screwdriver. This provides easier access to the wiring, terminals and transformer. The lamp is inserted by bending the clamping tendrils and placing the housing in the suspended structure. The lampshade is changed in the same way.

Dismantling the lamp with housing

All work is carried out slowly, carefully, trying not to touch the structure’s skin, so as not to damage it, leave marks, dents, or cuts if dismantling is carried out next to the tension fabric.

High-quality replacement and maintenance of lamps by cleaning them with alcohol solutions every six months will extend the life of the lamps and make ceiling lighting effective for a long period of time. You can see an example of dismantling and the process of installing a new spotlight in the video.

Another reason for burnout

Another reason for replacing a light bulb is a burnt-out transformer or power supply. This happens as a result of frequent power surges or incorrectly selected device power. Ideally, the transformer is connected to each installed lamp separately, and the lamps are connected in parallel. This will protect the device from overloading and from burning out all the lamps at once - the principle of a chain reaction.

Tips for reinstallation:

It is better to use a low-power electronic transformer for each individual lamp; it is light and compact, suitable for installation on suspended and suspended ceilings, without overloading the structure with its weight;
The input voltage of the transformer should be 220 V, the output voltage should be equal to power installed lamp;

Connected transformer

Install the transformer at a distance of 20 cm or more from the lamps so that the heat emitted from the lamp does not damage the device, but no more than 3 m from them, otherwise the resistance of the wire will increase, which will lead to a short circuit.