My husband was screwing in a large light bulb over our sink, when the glass "bulb" part came right off!
Question:How can we remove the filament from the socket? There is no broken glass to use the half potato trick.
Answers:
You'll have to find something that you can grab it with and unscrew it - maybe tweezers or needle-nose pliers. Or, superglue something (like a dowel rod) to the inside and when it's dry, turn it. Just turn the power off before you do anything.
needle nose plyers with the switch off
Either phone an electrician or go to your breaker box and turn off the electricity that runs the kitchen. Phone your local hardware store or Home Depot or Lowe's and ask them what the most appropriate tool for the job would be.
There is more than just filament left in the socket--there is also the part of the lightbulb which screws into the socket.
If you or your husband have any doubts, get proffessional help.
Take a potato, cut in in half and use it to grab the broken piece and unscrew it.
Don't use your hands, you will cut them to shreds, the potato is dense enough to hold onto it and unscrew without breaking apart.
Don't use anything metal in there either you will get a shock. you should also pull the fuse or trip the breaker if you don't need the light but if you are unable to do that the potato will work safely as sit is not a conductor
You may also want to put rubber gloves on as an added insulator as electricity is grounded by rubber
Turn the power off to the socket. Spray some WD-40 with that long stick attached to the sprayer into the socket. Use a pair of needle nose pliers or long tweezers to grab a hold of the metal portion of the socket and start turning. You may need to spray in more WD-40 as you turn to loosen it up.
"Unknown friends" solution will work. However, don't rely on rubber gloves to prevent electricution. Turn off the breaker (found in the breaker box) to the room in question prior to doing anything electrical.
Take a dry wash cloth, wrap it around a broomstick handle, insert it into the socket, push up and turn the handle counterclockwise. If the broomstick handle turns and not the wash cloth, wrap the wash cloth tighter around the handle.
Oh, make sure the light switch is off.
dont use a potato...Ive heard that for years...(35 yr electrician)
I shut off the power, use the needle nose method with a small screwdriver to pry out the socket first
you have to turn off the power to the light and unscrew it with a pair of needle nose plyers, just grip an edge of the metal part and turn like you would the light bulb.
ELECTRICITY HAS TO BE TURNED OFF.
The half potato trick still works. Shape the potato to go inside where the screw part is and unscrew.
Mark J is correct...just remember to shut off the breakers before doing this.
and for gosh sakes...do not call an electrican for this...why pay for something as simpe as this.
Good luck sweetie
Cut the power and use pliers.
take a pair of long nose pliers and gently unscrew the base of the broken bulb make sure the switch is off
Turn the power off. Insert a pair of pliers into the socket and open them until they touch the inside of the socket. Then turn the handles to unscrew the rest of the light bulb.
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