How do I get a stuck lightbulb out of a socket?

Question

Try as I might, I can't get it unscrewed. It seems too tight or "off track." The lightbulb isn't busted yet--it still has its glass.

Answer 1

This can be a very dangerous task because of the risk of cuts from a broken glass bulb and shock from an energized socket. If you cannot extract the bulb with your bare hand, it is likely that you will have to break it to remove it, but try this first:

Rotate the bulb back and forth to see if you can loosen the cement holding the bulb into the threaded base. If you can break this cement loose without breaking the bulb, the glass bulb will be held in place by only two thin wires connecting the bulb to the base. Rotate the bulb as if you were unscrewing it until these wires break and the bulb comes free of the stuck base. If this doesn't work you will have to break the bulb to continue.

The safest way to break a light bulb is to wrap the bulb in plastic wrap and follow this with a couple layers of newspaper. Tap the glass bulb sharply with a hammer to break it. Carefully remove and safely discard the shards. There will be a glass stem, or the stub of one, sticking out of the base and connected to glass that is cemented to the inside of the base. Use a screwdriver to break this stuff out of the base, but be extremely careful of sharp glass edges and flying debris.

Wear eye protection and heavy garden gloves as you work. Make sure the socket has no power applied. If this is a floor, table, or desk lamp, unplug it from the wall outlet. If the lamp is stuck in a ceiling fixture, make sure that power to the fixture is turned off,.which can be difficult to determine if your fixture is controlled from more than one wall switch.

With the glass bulb removed, you will be left with a stuck sheet-metal base in the socket. The base is made of very thin sheet metal. Use a pair of long-nosed pliers, with one "nose" inserted between the base and the socket and the other "nose" gripping the inside of the base, to pry the sides of the base inward. Work your way around the base, and as far down into the socket as you can, until the base no longer touches the inside of the socket. You should now be able to either turn or simply pull the base out of the socket using the pliers.

Sometimes the brass "button" on the bottom of the base gets "welded" to the center brass contact of the socket. This happens most often when a high-wattage bulb (150 watts or more) is screwed in without tightening it sufficiently. You should be able to easily break this weak "weld" bond by rotating the base back and forth in the socket to fatigue it. Inspect the socket afterward to make sure there is no damage to the centrally located socket contact. Damage to socket contacts (there are two if a three-way bulb is used) can sometimes be repaired by carefully polishing the contact with fine sandpaper.

After removing the damaged bulb, find out whether or not a new bulb will easily screw into the socket. If not, replace the socket. Sockets are available at home improvement stores and hardware stores for about a dollar.

Answer 2

Turn off power to the socket... It its a lamp unplug... It a fixed socket turn off breaker or remove fuse... tightly hold a trashbag over bulb and break using bag to collect broken glass as it breaks..

Cut a potato in half and wedge into bulb base and try to remove... If that doesnt work ise a pair of needle nose pliers to grab ahold of the metal lightbulb base and try to turn out it may take a while and the base will likely shread a bit but with the glass borken the base is very weak and you can get it out...

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do I get a stuck lightbulb out of a socket?
Try as I might, I can't get it unscrewed. It seems too tight or "off track." The lightbulb isn't busted yet--it still has its glass.

Answer 4

Remove Light Bulb

Answer 5

For an unbusted bulb I made handle bars out of duct tape. I adapted a technique from this video:

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/home-improvement/remove-stuck-light-bulb

I had to unscrew a stuck recessed flood light. I took two strips of two foot long duct tape and taped each strip as close to opposite sides of the bulb as I could with one foot of excess tape hanging off on each strip of tape on each side of the bulb. Then I tightly twisted each side of the two strips of duct tape together to make handlebars. I then pressed the tape in the center of the strips still taped to either side of the bulb thoroughly to make sure it had a good hold. I grasped each "handlebar" and very slowly unscrewed the light bulb. It was ridiculously easy. I tried to do it by hand and even with rubber gloves for an hour before the duct tape trick and the duct tape worked like a charm.

Answer 6

I wouls suggest you try to grasp it with a rubber product for grip. . . .i.e. rubber dishwashing gloves. If it still doesn't come out: carefully break the bulb then slice a raw potato in half and push it into the socket and twist the element out.

Answer 7

If the potato trick won't work, you have to get some needle nose pliers and bend the metal inwards all the way around. That should loosen it enough to get it out. Please be sure the power is OFF!

Answer 8

cut a potatoe or carrot in half (raw) ,push it into the socket and give it a twist. It should come right out.

Answer 9

i notice a lot of people are recommending the potato trick.... i knwo the light bulb is still in tact so you might think about breaking it then go from there.