Help! Broken Lightbulb!

the needle nose pliers trick is usually the one that works -
i've had success using 2 needle nosers -- you know so you can grab on both sides and try to undo it?

after that,....best bet it to take the light fixture down and mess w/ it at eye level.

This happened to me last year, but the needlenosed pliers did the trick. -- After I threw the breaker, of course.

What about two sets of pliers? One set at, say, one o'clock, the other at seven, then twist left in unison?

Lol! Great minds and all...

That only works when there's glass to jam it onto.

Buy a helper monkey.

If a potato doesn't work, try a yam.


I'm extra handy.

hold it,...i just pm'd III,....problem solved.........he was using mashed potatos

Sell the house and move.

It's your only hope.

Take the light fixture down, then take the remains of the bulb out. Or just put up a new fixture. The wife might like going to Home Depot or Lowe's to shop for a new, fashionable light fixture for the closet (though be careful, this can be a slippery slope - "Hey, wouldn't that look good in the dining room?". Worst case, hire an electrician/handyman to replace the fixture.

Mashed potatoes don't work? When did this happen?

Hmmmm that would explain why all my light fixtures don't work and have potatoes dripping out of them. I thought maybe it just took time for them to take effect.

Anyone know how to get mashed potatoes out of light fixtures?

How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?

None. That's a hardware problem.

How many Microsoft software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?

None. They just declare "dark" the new standard.

How many Apple software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?

None. They just design an entirely new light source that is elegant, efficient, and 8 times more expensive than lightbulbs, garnering 5 percent of the "light" industry.

How many union pipefitters does it take to change a lightbulb?

15 - one to do the work while the other 14 to stand around drinking coffee.

curse the darkness.

If you're going to use needlenose pliers, make sure there's no power to the bulb before you stick those puppies in there.

I am in the "remove the entire light fixture" camp. Do be careful, though.

lostgirl said:

Anyone know how to get mashed potatoes out of light fixtures?

Click to expand...

Apply gravy until it they gain enough weight to bust out on their own.

To be on the safe side, call the electric company. Tell them to shut down grid 192a.47.

III said:

Okay, now I'm really gonna show my ignorance. If I remove the light fixture, it's sufficient to just have the light switch in the "off" position and put some tape over it, right? I don't have to turn off the breaker, right? There's a good enough chance I'll screw this up and start a fire anyway.

Click to expand...

yes.
but if i remember correctly you have many many many kids,....

be careful of them flipping the switch on old daddio

Umm...I used to change fixtures w/o throwing the breaker. It was OK as long as 2 wires didn't touch if not....umm...do you already have curly hair?
Throw the breaker. Duct tape the kids for the hell of it though

III said:

Oh I'll duct tape the kids first. That's the first step in any home-improvement project.

Click to expand...

You can do it, we can help.