How the hell do I change this lightbulb? Feeling v v stupid

[Twitterqueen]

It's a Homebase Baya wave spotlight

I've only had it around 2 months and all the bulbs have gone. I believe I need to push the bulb in and twist it to the left, but I can't do it. I'm worried I'm going to push too hard.

Do I just push harder?

[wooldonor]

There are probably two prongs on the end of the bulb that go into a curved slot so you need to twist the bulb (gently) so that they will slide back to the part where they can come out.

I have lights like that and they are a bit tricky the first time, just twist gently

[BumWad]

You should have a sucker type thing to put over the bulb and twist it.

If not then just try and use the flat of your hand and twist

[Solo]

Put on a rubber washing up glove (dry!) and use the flat of your hand to push and turn anticlock. Use your other hand to support the cowling of the light.

[Solo]

Ps. The rubber glove is for grip.

[MyMelody]

we have some like that, they were here when we bought the house - no sucker thing though, I wonder if you can buy them separately? anyway yes they are a real pain, you do need to push and twist but be gentle, its normally a case of trial and error for me (and swearing at it a few times) before I get it right. I am going to try the rubber glove trick next time!

[Twitterqueen]

Ha ha Solo. Is it definitely anti-clockwise?

[Solo]

? to undo?

I have an upright light thing that is like yours for getting bulbs out. I have the sucker thing, but a much younger Ds decided to put that onto a hot bulb, so it no longer does the (bad) job it once did. I now use my Marigolds.

[wooldonor]

1 think mine are clockwise to undo although it's a while since I've had to change one

[Twitterqueen]

Yes, is it anti-clockwise to undo. None of the bulbs are giving at all.

Maybe I'll try the plunger - my one remaining marigold has just shrivelled into little tiny pieces through lack of use

[Solo]

[wooldonor]

Have you tired to grip the bulbs by the outside rim while you're twisting, it's probably just a case of getting the position right

[moggle]

We had one of those in the kitchen in our old house and a bulb got stuck, we never managed to get it out (obviously bulb had long since died) ... moved out a fortnight ago and we all had one more go and still couldn't get it out. I did wonder whether some well aimed WD40 might help, but thought it could potentially make the bulb so slippery it'd be even worse. Sorry buyers!

[Naoko]

Those things are a nightmare. I have recessed ceiling spotlights that are equally impossible to get out, and when two of them went I ended up instituting a 'if you want a cup of tea, you must have a go at the stuck ceiling lightbulbs' for any and all visitors :o (At least the ones I thought would see the funny side. I'm not actually really rude.). It took six months, but eventually my landlord's brother managed it!

[Twitterqueen]

I've got to get an electrician in to do the safety certificate (new kitchen), maybe I'll ask him to do it! It's bloody dark in there in the evenings now.

There's no room between the bulb and the casing to get anything useful in.

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

I got one out by supergluing a bit of wood (or something) to it, waited till the glue was really well dry and then used the wood/thing as a handle. I'd tried suckers and it didn't work (was really stiff), so I thought, well the bulb's only going in the bin anyway...

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

Now, if anyone knows how to get my bathroom (sealed) spotlights out and back in again without wrecking the ceiling.... I have totally not figured that one out yet, they have weird clips and springs and are a nightmare to get out never mind back in again or without pinching fingers!

The huge investment in halogen spots all over our house is one of the few things I really don't thank the previous owners for...

[HaveToWearHeels]

MyName I have those sealed spots lights you need to unscrew the chrome/white/brass ring on the outside which is flush with you ceiling, then there should be two clips holding the bulb in. They wire plug into the back of the bulb. I watched DH do one a couple of days ago (it's the only DIY job he can do !)

[TheSilveryPussycat]

Replace halogen spots with LEDs. We have recessed G10s in our kitchen, lots of the buggers. Sometimes I can do them, sometimes not.

[TheSilveryPussycat]

*GU10s

[PigletJohn]

keep an eye on the cost of replacement bulbs. It may be less trouble and expense to move to a more energy-efficient lamp.

In the trade press I am seeing LED products now that claim to give 1000 lumens for 10Watts (nearly ten times as efficient as a filament bulb) which is a lot better than current CFLs and LEDs. I have been unwilling to recommend spending a lot of money on LEDs for the last few years because they much more expensive than CFLs, and I was sure something better would come along.

[CanadianJohn]

This website shows the hole-pattern for the GU10. You push the bulb in, move it a tiny bit anti-clockwise, and it should come out. In theory.

www.goodmart.com/products/miller-oem-corporation-gu10-ceramic-socket-leads-hickey-gu10ph.htm

LED lights are more expensive to buy, but will last a lot longer.

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

Thanks Heels but our ones must be a different sort, they don't unscrew! It seems like you have to sort of prise down the white ring (with fingernails or a tool) and it will then drop down a bit. But the tricky bit is after that, as they have these funny sprung clips going up into the hole and stopping it coming all the way out, and of course you can't really see in there to work out what to do.

I have managed to change a couple, by sort of fiddling around till it dropped down enough, but then they don't want to go back in again or else they spring into (usually the wrong) place with a sudden snap and sometimes damage the ceiling hole or my fingers One end of the bathroom is now in gloom because I've been trying to get DH to have a go in case he can work it out, but he hasn't yet (anyway I have a feeling he did try one before already, and had the same problem).

We have been replacing some of the downstairs ones gradually with LEDs but have had some issues with that too, had to buy different transformers but some of them still didn't work afterwards or were very flickery. And several of the old halogen transformers also seem to have failed now, so there are currently several missing lights downstairs as well. I would love to just replace them all with "normal" lights but it would mean re-doing the whole ceiling so would be lots of ££!

[Twitterqueen]

Electrician came today, with builders, and they got the spotlights out - just as well as the nights are drawing in. Apparently they were 50w bulbs and should have been 35w, which is why they blew so quickly. But the bulbs were supplied with the light, so bad on you Homebase.

Builders also bought and replaced the bulbs - at no charge, which was very kind of them.

Apparently there should have been a 'sucky' thing in the box with the light - but I didn't see one. Now I need to go to B&Q and ask for sucky thing....

[LoveMyBoots]

Sorry to derail slightly, but while PigletJohn is here, we have GU10 light fittings in our kitchen and have tried replacing with LED GU10s, but they always end up flickering, to the extent that we went back to halogen ones. Any idea why they might flicker?