How to change a light bulb
So, it would seem, what can you come up with easier and simpler than unscrewing a light bulb and replacing it with another? After all, it’s elementary! Or is it not elementary?! If everything is so simple, then why, during such an operation, no, no, and some kind of incident will happen: a person will get an electric shock, or he will take it and fall off the stool. No, it's not that simple!
Our fellow citizens are still a long way from experts in replacing light bulbs! And sometimes they have never done this in their own lives. And we haven’t even heard about safety precautions.
So that the wife’s banal request to replace a burnt-out light bulb does not become the reason for resting on a hospital bed, we will try to study all the hidden nuances associated with its replacement.
The content of the article
General rules for replacing any light bulb
The technology for replacing different types of light bulbs has significant differences. But in any case, there are points that must be observed, regardless of the type of light source:
- Before you begin replacing, you must turn off the power to the work area. Do not think that for this it will be enough to flip the switch, because it does not give absolutely any guarantees that nothing terrible will happen to you during work.
- When turning off the power supply, do not forget about your own safety measures. Wear safety glasses and gloves. In addition, you need to work in a comfortable position, which means using a stepladder if necessary.
- Often, when the electrical switch is turned off, the phase wire does not open, which can lead to a very unpleasant surprise. Double-check that the room is completely de-energized. A guaranteed result will be achieved only if the machines are turned off, and if they are not, then there will be traffic jams. But even after completing this procedure, it would be useful to take a tester and check again that there is no voltage. Repeated testing with a tester will help if there are “bugs” in the network; they are sometimes installed in order to “bypass” the electric meter and not pay for electricity. If there are bugs, then turning off the machine will have no effect, since the wiring will bypass them.
- If the device is connected to an electrical outlet, remove the plug from it. Remember that there may also be residual voltage, which is no less dangerous. Such situations are not uncommon, so even when replacing a lamp in a table lamp, you should not forget about safety measures.
- Only after all procedures have been completed can you begin to change the light bulb. But in any case, do not touch metal surfaces while working, and it is better to refrain from replacing if the humidity in the room is too high. Only use tools that are insulated.
- Do not hold onto the metal parts of the lighting device while working.
- When working at height, be sure to use a ladder or stepladder. With their help you can work at heights of up to five meters.
- Replacing lighting devices located at a height of more than five meters is permitted only by specialists who have special permission to work at heights.
How to replace a lamp
Any quality work must be preceded by a preparatory stage. This also applies to the correct replacement of the lighting device. You should take care of personal protective equipment, the availability of tools and equipment.
Try not to ignore any of the listed points, as this will only cause harm. The duration of work will increase, the risk of injury will increase, and the quality of installation may suffer.
The first stage - preparatory work
When changing a light bulb (no matter what type it is), you must remember that it is an electrical device, and therefore there is always a danger of electric shock. It is for this reason that you should prepare a tool that has insulation, as well as instruments for testing.
Important! Inspect your screwdrivers and pliers. All of them must have plastic handles, which will protect against electric shock. Just remember that such protection only helps when the voltage does not exceed twenty-four volts. At a higher value there is no guarantee.
Get to work wearing rubber gloves. In this case, it is advisable to use electrical gloves rather than household gloves. Eyes should be protected with goggles.
You need to have instruments with you that will allow you to check the voltage in the network. This is an indicator screwdriver or any other measuring equipment.
When planning to change a lighting fixture, be prepared that you will have to turn off the power supply to the room yourself and do it correctly.Otherwise, you will still be convinced that current is flowing through the wires and you will understand why the light bulb lights up.
The second stage is to disconnect the room from electricity
When changing a light bulb, you will have to act at your own peril and risk. Well, really, you wouldn’t call an electrician for such nonsense and ask them to send a specialist. But he also has work to do need to pay. Sadness. You have to do everything yourself. But here for all your actions required be responsible. Therefore, remember once again that safety comes first.
In any organization, the manuals indicate that such work can only be carried out by specialists who have the appropriate clearance, skill and qualifications. However, every person at home regularly faces such a need.
The third stage is dismantling or installing the lighting device
To complete the task of replacing a lighting device, you must follow several important, but not at all difficult, steps. To do this you don't need to have any tool at all.
You need to do the following:
- First of all, remove lampshades, chandeliers, and any elements that make it difficult to work with the lamp. Do not forget that all actions should be performed in personal protective equipment.
- Unscrew the lamp counterclockwise. Remember that the light bulb, if it is an incandescent lamp, heats up from operation, so do not handle it with your hands. Put a regular glove on top of the rubber glove and carry out the dismantling in this form.
- Installation of a new lamp is carried out by screwing it in clockwise.
- After the lamp is replaced, you can return all decorative elements and other parts to their place (you can also clean them of dust and other contaminants).
Installing a new light bulb
At its core, installing a new lighting fixture is no different from dismantling it. All the steps just go in reverse order:
- If the lamp has a threaded connection, then you need to tighten it clockwise until you feel that it cannot be screwed in any further. You should not make titanic efforts to do this, otherwise you may damage the cartridge or break the glass flask. Halogen models are screwed in the same way.
- The contacts of the long light source must be placed in the guide slots where the old light bulb stood. Once it is installed, you need to turn it ninety degrees until you hear a click.
- In ceiling and other recessed lighting fixtures, lamps are inserted until the spring clicks. There is no need to press anything.
- When the lamp is installed, you should check that it is securely seated. This plays a special role if it changes in the ceiling lamp.
- After completing the work, check the quality of installation. Apply voltage to the lamp, while it is better to turn away. You need to be careful when turning on a new light source. There are often cases when they are caught with a manufacturing defect and explode immediately.
Features of replacing damaged lamps
It often happens that when unscrewing or, conversely, installing a new lamp, its bulb is damaged. The base remains in the socket and can only be unscrewed with pliers. However, before doing this, you need to collect all the glass shards.
If you happen to break a mercury lamp, you need to act carefully, but quickly. Having broken, it is capable of filling a room with a volume of fifty cubic meters with its poisonous vapors in just a few seconds.
In this case, the permissible content of mercury in the air will be one hundred and sixty times higher than the norm. This means that if such an unpleasant situation occurs, then all people who are in the room must leave it immediately.
The next step is to open all the windows in the room for ventilation. The minimum ventilation time is twenty minutes. All this must be done, even if you do not feel any unpleasant signs of exposure to mercury, because this does not mean that everything is in order. Mercury vapor is colorless and odorless, settles very quickly in the body, and is practically not excreted.
It is possible to continue work on replacing the lighting fixture only after ventilation is completed and all shards of broken glass have been removed.
When working, you should have personal protective equipment, which includes:
- rubber gloves;
- protective glasses;
- damp cloth or bandage made of cotton wool and gauze.
As soon as all the consequences of the broken lamp have been corrected, you need to contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Employees of this structure must check that the premises are safe for people to stay there, and also pick up the damaged lighting fixture.
Rules for recycling light sources
After unscrewing a used lamp, do not throw it away. Try to handle it as carefully as possible. Do not place on a hard surface or where people could easily sit on it.
Never throw the lamp into a bin with other household waste. After dismantling the product, try to get rid of it immediately after finishing the work. This will be more reliable and no unpleasant situations will happen.
Important! Only incandescent or LED light bulbs may be disposed of in the household waste bin. The only harm they can cause is a cut if handled carelessly.
All light sources containing mercury inside must be handed over to the people who are responsible for their disposal - this could be an electrician at your housing office. You can also take them to a special collection point or throw them away in a specialized container. You can congratulate yourself on a successful replacement only after you have disposed of the damaged lamp.
