How To: Remove a Broken Light Bulb

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about How To: Remove a Broken Light Bulb and hope the blog can help you.

If a light bulb breaks in the socket, we’ve got three tricks to help you safely extract it, without damaging your light fixture.

Incandescent light bulbs are known to occasionally shatter in their fixtures—and when they do, it’s both difficult and dangerous to extract the bulb’s threaded base from the socket. Bits of broken glass and the risk of electrical shock should make anyone think twice before attempting to take out what remains of the bulb. Luckily, there’s a number of strategies for how to remove a broken light bulb without using your hands, and you’ll likely have at least one of these three tools on hand: a pair of needle nose pliers, a raw potato, or a commercially-sold broken bulb extractor.

First, thing’s first: Disconnect the electricity to avoid getting shocked. For a lamp, simply unplug it. For hard-wired lighting, flip the light switch off and disconnect the electricity to the room at the breaker or fuse box. It’s wise to cover the floor with a tarp to catch any rogue glass (if not, make sure to thoroughly vacuum up the area afterward, just in case). And be sure to don safety glasses and protective gloves before getting started.

Though it’s tempting to recycle glass incandescent bulbs after you recover their bases, this is not recommended. They are not worthwhile candidates for recycling because they contain tiny wire filaments and metal pieces too difficult to separate from the glass. And unlike other types of light bulbs, such as CFLs, incandescent bulbs don’t contain hazardous toxins such mercury that needs to be disposed of and recycled carefully. So go ahead toss them in the trash (just make sure to wrap them well so the glass won’t puncture the bag, which could injure anyone handling the garbage).