Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Does anyone have this sort of light fitting?

26 replies

Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 19:33

We have a litght fitting in our kitchen that used halogen spotlight bulbs (GU10). They do not have boyonet or screw fittings, just a sort of double terminal. The problem is, we can't work out how to get the bulb out. The situation is getting desperate as two out of three spotlights have blown and we need to get more light into the kitchen. How do we change these bulbs? They look like they just push in and therefore would just pull out, but that isn't working (in fact, I pulled the whole fitting out of the ceiling just trying just now! Can anyone help?

And the first person to crack a "how many people does it take to change a lightbulb" joke will be officially left off my Christmas list!

OP posts:
spookyserenity · 31/10/2005 19:42

Not a clue, but I'm sorry you're bleeding

spookyserenity · 31/10/2005 19:46

I looked them up on google and this ......

'Sylvania ES50 PAR 16 mains halogen lamp with "twist lock" GU10 fitting and wide flood 50° beam'

makes it sound like you would put them in/out the same way as with bayonet bulbs?

anorak · 31/10/2005 19:46

I don't know how to get these particular ones out, but here's a useful piece of information I learned recently. When you handle halogen bulbs, don't touch them with your bare hands. pick them up in a cloth or tissue. If your hands touch them it leaves a very thin film where your fingerprint is which becomes a hot spot and blows the bulb.

Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 19:50

Thanks for that SS - does make it sound like they twist on and off doesn't it?

Bum re the info about not handling them anorak - the new bulb has been handled loads as we try to work out how to get the existing ones out.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 19:52

They do twist round about 10 degrees but that doesn't get them out. There is hardly anything to hold them by as the bulb is pretty much incased in the metal shade. This is really irritating!

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 31/10/2005 19:55

Dh says that if you clean the new lamp with meths then you should be OK, you just need to remove the grease that comes from your fingers.

He seems to think that you need to push in slightly then make a quarter-ish turn (maybe less) anti-clockwise, although it does sound as if you've tried that.

Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 19:56

these are the little buggers making my life miserable right now!

OP posts:
Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 19:57

Tried that WWB but they don't see to push in at all. I am beginning to cry with frustration now!

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 31/10/2005 20:05

Are you sure that the light fitting is intended to take that particular bulb, or has someone bodged it up in the past (no offence intended ).

Do you know what make and model the fitting is - you might be able to find some instructions for it on the internet. Or maybe if you go somewhere like Maplin someone would be able to show you how they work.

Failing that ... I think you might have to call an electrician ... tsssch, it's gonna cost you, luv

Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 20:07

Never! Can you imagine, please come round and charge me the earth to change my light bulb!

Dh is going to have to start earning his keep! Trouble is, he is away this week as from tomorrow, hence my desperation to get the job done tonight.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 20:09

YES YES YES Just got them out! You do turn to the left, but no pushing in required. Don't know how I got them out, but it just happened. Must have been you mentioning the spending of money WWB! (we have severe money worries at the mo!)

OP posts:
Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 20:11

BTW thank you spookyserenity, anorak and WigWamBam for replying. I did get a bit desperate there!

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 31/10/2005 20:12

I'd send dh round to help you, except we're miles away and you couldn't afford to pay his expenses

In his eagerness to help, dh went rummaging around in the garage to see if we had a similar light fitting, and during the resultant crash has broken a vase (no bleeding here, though).

Do you have somewhere like a Maplin near you, or a friendly local electrical supplies shop? They know what they're doing and are usually really helpful. Go in and do the girlie bit, bat your eyelids and look tearful, they'll be falling over themselves to help out the damsel in distress!

spookyserenity · 31/10/2005 20:12

Woohoo! Glad you got them out, try not to bleed on the new ones

WigWamBam · 31/10/2005 20:13

Glad you got it out, I had visions of you really making dh pay for his ineptitude!

Dh says you must be delighted ... groan ...

JanH · 31/10/2005 20:15

Oooooh, my old neighbour had one like this in her new house and she couldn't get it out; I have the push-in kind and went round assuming hers was the same, and it did need a kind of push-and-twist and I managed it, but it was over 6 months ago and I can't remember exactly.

Sorry - not v helpful really.

Lm, could you put a lamp in the kitchen temporarily?

JanH · 31/10/2005 20:15

Oh good! Sorry, I got called away mid-post. Glad you got them out

Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 20:19

Thanks all! Whoops (Mr WWB - hope it wasn't something you valued - perhaps not if it was in the garage!) Anyway, leaving dh to put new bulb in - even though I got them out, getting them back in isn't proving that easy either! What a stupid fitting it is!

OP posts:
Shazzler · 31/10/2005 20:21

Shazzlers husband here...

There are two types of these bulbs
GU and GZ type.

The GZ have a slope on ceramic white bit on the end. GU do not. A GZ will fit in either a GU or GZ fitting, but only A GZ fits in a GZ fitting.
No matter how much you twist/force
You might want to check that.

There are a couple of ways that these bulbs stay in place. The less expensive models have a silver circlip type arrangement. This sits between against the face of the bulb and the frame of the fitting. Just squeeze the lugs together and the clip comes out, then the bulb will fall out through the fitting (attached to the wires still)

The more expensive type you half dismantle by pulling half the light fitting through the fitting. These are usually for non-fixed bulbs - eg they can be tilted to point a walls etc.

To get them out of the holder, grip the bulb, and the base of the holder and twist anticlockwise. A quarter turn is to much - more like an eighth or 45 degrees max.

If you wanna posta pic, I'll tell you exactly what sort and how to remove.

And meths/alcohol on the new bul will remove any greasy fingerprints stopping the bulb blowing. The risk of this is greatly over-exagerated.

Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 20:43

Thanks we have got it sorted now. I did post a pic further down the thread, but dh thinks we have the more expensive type that required a very accurate sort of turn (this is man speak, I think!)

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 31/10/2005 20:45

I suspect it's man-speak for "I cocked it up but I'm going to blame everything else except me for my ineptitude"

Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 20:48

Don't laugh WWB, he is huffing and puffing his way round the house like a bear with a sore head right now. (because I asked him to bath the kids as he is not going to be around to do it any other night this week). Half makes me glad he is going away!

And boy does my finger hurt! Glass cuts are really stingy aren't they?

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 31/10/2005 20:51

Men ... who'd have them? (Second thoughts, don't answer that).

Poor you, glass cuts are really nasty - especially when it's the thin glass that lamps are made from. I think you should make him wait on you hand, foot and fingernail tonight in view of you suffering for his crapness at light fittings!

Original poster
Lonelymum · 31/10/2005 20:53

Don't make me laugh. He will sulk and harrumph for the rest of the evening and is probably going to bed at about 9 and geting up at 4 or something tomorrow.

Your dh sounds much sweeter, running out to the garage to help a damsel in distress and making pathetic puns.

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 31/10/2005 20:54

You don't have to live with the pathetic puns though - they wear very thin after a while!

Swipe left for the next trending thread