Does anyone know how I go about changing this light bulb?


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Old 02-15-18, 10:09 AM
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Does anyone know how I go about changing this light bulb?

This is a really funny situation that I cannot for the life of me figure out how to change a light bulb! This light fixture is located in my back yard and I would like to change the light bulb housed in the glass. I can’t figure out how to remove the glass. I turned it relentlessly but it won’t come off. If you look closely at the photo you can see there is a some sort of turnable screw behind the bulb and the encasing, but I believe that is to take off the entire fixture. There is also some sort of screw above the glass and bulb but screwed from the inside. If anyone knows how I should do this please let me know. Thank you.
 
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Old 02-15-18, 10:27 AM
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Isn't that a screw right in the very front above the glass? The globe either screws in (but apparently not yours) or it is just inserted into the canopy/holder and the screw tightened under the lip of the glass to hold it in place.

Normally it's a thumb screw but it could have been replaced with a normal screw requiring a screwdriver be inserted. It could even be an allen screw.
 
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Old 02-15-18, 10:45 AM
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This one looks close. It doesn't show the thread in style and would use one or three screws as Gunguy described.
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/58...iABEgLjPfD_BwE

Bud
 
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Old 02-15-18, 12:10 PM
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Yea that is a screw but it’s put in from the inside. So what you see in the photo is the threads of the screw. The head is on the inside? How would I remove the screw like that?
 
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Old 02-15-18, 12:21 PM
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The ones I have seen use 3 screws so check for others. Also, look carefully at that screw to see if it has an allen wrench hex in the center. May not be a head on the inside.

Did I understand you correctly in that the glass globe will rotate around and around, not just an inch or so back and forth?

Bud
 
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Old 02-15-18, 02:52 PM
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Sorry, I had missed your last couple of lines. How can you see the head of the screw? I mean, the angle and everything would seem to make that impossible. Also, the groove in the glass is not normally wide enough for a screw head.

Just remembered one other thing...there could be a very small slot in the screw, accessible from the outside. Seems I remember seeing that on some as well. You'd need a very small screwdriver to get to it. It's to prevent some nefarious person from just taking the globe off and unscrewing the bulb while they go about their criminal business.

Here's a very good pic of what it looks like you have. If you scroll down, you can download the instructions...which are pretty simple. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westingh...0000/204705263
 
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Old 02-15-18, 03:14 PM
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Unscrew the entire glass cover (the glass that is not visible has threads on it), rotate the whole thing like you are unscrewing a light bulb.
 
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Old 02-15-18, 03:40 PM
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He tried that Z...that's not the kind that unscrews. Whatever kind of screw is in the front is what's holding it since it's not a photoelectric eye there.

I guess someone could have snapped the screw off, but I highly doubt it.
 
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Old 02-15-18, 03:43 PM
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If you look at this picture the screw doesn’t have anything for me to put a screw driver to. Like someone broke off the head of the screw. But thank you for the link to Home Depot it’s exatly the same one but that one actually has a screw that can be taken off. How do I remove the screw if there is no head. Should I just use pliers?
 
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Old 02-15-18, 03:51 PM
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I'd pull the whole fixture so you can work on it easier if you can't grap the threads with pliers.You might even go to HD and open a box to see if you can bend a tab or something to remove the globe, then replace the screw.

Once you can work on it, you may be able to somehow cut a slot in the screw or drill it out.

Though, for $12, it might be simpler to just replace it.
 
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Old 02-15-18, 04:31 PM
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Just to satisfy your curiosity, one of the following situations might be the case althouh making an assumption and trying to remove the glass might break the glass.

1. The glass is held firmly by the screw in front but there are smaller nubs in back that might give way if you pull the bottom of the glass out. Downside: The glass is held more firmly in back than you expect and the top back edge of the glass breaks before it separates.

2. The screw indeed has the head on the inside but loose enough that pushing the glass bottom in causes the glass to separate from the rim in front. Downside: the top front edge of the glass breaks before it separates.

3, The head of the front screw was on the outside where it belongs but has indeed broken off and you could use a vise grip to twist the remains of the screw out.

4. Drill some 1/8 inch holes in the metal rim right next to the screw in front, causing the screw and the metal around it to break away, releasing the glass. Downside: Is destructive; the fixture cannot be resurrected.

Moral of the story: Don't waste your time. Remove the big screw or thumb nut on the fixture frame in back releasing the fixture from the wall and discard the entire fixture, unopened.
 
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Old 02-16-18, 08:53 AM
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Two thoughts:
1- Could that thing be simply a button you push to release the glassware?
2- Is that thing actually a photocell?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Andy
 
 

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