Okay, so I was just reading throught the "best answers of the year" section and someone asked how to get a light bulb that broke off in a lamp out, and someone else said next time to coat the base of the bulb with petroleum Jelly so that dosen't happen. My gut instinct says that thats a fire hazzard, but then again I could be wrong. Does that work? Is it a fire hazzard? And if it's not a fire hazzard could someone please explain to me why not, as petroleum is flamable, so why not it's jelly?
2006-12-04 14:29:02 · 5 answers · asked by lilly g 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Hi there ... let me tell all of you something ... just because an answer wins some award still don't believe everything you read. Think for yourself. I am an electrician and when a buld breaks of inside a socket just turn the power OFF and then tear the old busted one out with a pair of "dikes" "wire cutters" you don't need freekin jelly. If you want a trick people will tell you to use a potato ... it might work but how much time will it take to find you a potato? Just tear the old one out, they are thin and tinlike and will tear right out. Think for yourselves! Even if it is a reward winning answer!
2006-12-04 14:38:30 · answer #1 · answered by Zippy 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
So far the responders methods have merit. What was omitted from the petroleum jelly(Vaseline) trick is you just need a very light coating on the metal part only to keep the connection lubricated so it will turn out easily. When a bulb is in a socket where the heat of the bulb heats up the metal end of the bulb and the socket the normal lubrication burns away and the metal parts can no longer slide against each other easily and it is difficult to remove the bulb without breaking the bond of the metal part to the glass and the glass along with the small wires will just twist off. With the added lubrication(as little as there is) the bulb has a better chance of being removed in tact.
I once had a fixture in my living room where the socket was straight up and received most of the heat from the bulb. It was turned for a good part of the time and naturally the bulbs needed to be changed quite regularly and I was always stuck with the bulb coming apart. I put a light coating of Pam (non stick cooking spray) on the metal part of the bulb and never had a problem after that.
The key is just a light film on the metal part of the bulb only. Not enough for it to melt and run down the bulb as that would be a fire hazard just enough to provide a little lubrication.
2006-12-04 16:22:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't dare try jelly - anyway when I have a bulb burst I ball up an old rag (turn power off first) then stick rag into whats left of bulb - twist and it comes right out
2006-12-04 14:50:54 · answer #3 · answered by kim 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I with you. It's a fire hazard. When it gets hot it would smell too. P.S. The best way to take a broken bulb out of a lamp is to un-plug it and shove a potato in the broken part and un-screw it.
2006-12-04 14:44:08 · answer #4 · answered by whataboutme 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
lawdhammercy
2006-12-04 15:52:27 · answer #5 · answered by MsThang 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋