How to get a stuck lamp out of a pole light socket.

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carlos cainas

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I Run a Bucket Truck. And sometime the lamp or the glass will break, and is hell to get the remainder of the lamp out the socket.You should allways have glass cleaner to clean the lens.Try a couple of squirts, go back and forth, and it gets them out most of the time.
 
You asking or telling?

#1: Kill the power. Don't trust the photocell.

#2: I use a pair of snap-ring pliers - think of pliers that OPEN as you squeeze them - to grab the lamp base and let me turn them loose.

#3: Prevention: A bit of No-alox on the bulb base.
 
If it's a screw-in Edison base lamp, you can use a potato. Trim it to fit in the socket, jam the potato onto the broken bulb base and unscrew it. Takes some getting used to the first time, but it works for me every time now.

potato.jpg
 
Jraef said:
If it's a screw-in Edison base lamp, you can use a potato. Trim it to fit in the socket, jam the potato onto the broken bulb base and unscrew it. Takes some getting used to the first time, but it works for me every time now.
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When I do not have a potato handy, I use a beefy needle-nose,, grab the edge of the bulb base head on and twist. Either the base unscrews or I peel it like a arsine can until it comes out. This only works when you can trust the attachment of the socket.
 
Jraef said:
If it's a screw-in Edison base lamp, you can use a potato. Trim it to fit in the socket, jam the potato onto the broken bulb base and unscrew it. Takes some getting used to the first time, but it works for me every time now.

View attachment 8845
Click to expand...

This should only be tried with the power on.
That way whether you get the bulb out or not, you'll have a well done potato to eat!:lol:
 
Needle nose work OK.
There is a tool for this I will look on our bucket truck and see if I can get the make/model
 
I just jam my linemans up in there and pull the handles apart. Unscrew.

Seems to work well unless its really stuck.
 
John Valdes said:
I just jam my linemans up in there and pull the handles apart. Unscrew.

Seems to work well unless its really stuck.
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If you jam them too hard, you risk bending the socket itself. Unscrewing a square peg from a square hole then becomes even more difficult than your original situation.
 
rcarroll said:
Occasionally I've had to use 2 pairs of needle nose pliars. Awkward, yes. Never failed & the socket was ok.
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If all else fails, they do make Vise-Grip (TM) type pliers with a near needle nose profile. That way you don't have to squeeze them both shut at the same time while you run a stick between them and twist.
 
GoldDigger said:
When I do not have a potato handy, I use a beefy needle-nose,, grab the edge of the bulb base head on and twist. Either the base unscrews or I peel it like a arsine can until it comes out. This only works when you can trust the attachment of the socket.
Click to expand...

My usual method also. They do make a tool that kind of looks like a multi bit made of plastic that you can stick in a socket, never used one, but I've seen it.
 
M80 firecracker works pretty good also. You still need to have a replacement socket on hand when finished though.
 
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