Change a light bulb

Changing a Light bulb is an easy DIY job. But for those of you who haven't done it before or you're unsure how to do it, here's some handy advice.

Safety is very important when working with anything electrical.

So before you start remember:

Check the wattage and type of fitting the on the used bulb and replace it with a bulb of the same type.

Turn off themain power at the fuse board

Use a ladder when needed.

Dispose of the bulb well out of the reach of children

Don't put your fingers in the exposed light socket

Turn off the power

First make sure the power is turned off. The safest way to do this is to switch the large red or black power button to 'off' on the fuse box.

Allow the bulb to cool before touching it.

Use a ladder

Ensure you can safely reach the bulb by using a stepladder.

Remove bulb

Take the bulb out of the socket. The way you do this will depend on whether your bulb has a bayonet mount or a screw fitting:

Bayonet Mount (two prongs, standard in the UK): 

Grasp the bulb lightly but firmly, push upwards gently and turn anticlockwise until it is released from the socket.

Screw Fitting (most common in Europe): 

Keep gently twisting anticlockwise until the bulb comes loose from the socket.

Replace the bulb

Insert a replacement bulb lightly but firmly into the socket. Depending on the type, turn it clockwise until it locks into place or keep gently twisting clockwise until it won't go any further.

Restore power

Once the bulb is in, turn the power back on again and switch on the light.

Dispose old bulb

The old bulb needs to be disposed of safely as the glass is fragile and very sharp. Use the packaging from the new bulb to wrap the old one for safe disposal.