Changing the bulbs in your bedside lights – or any other lights that are easy to reach – is pretty easy. Provided you follow all the typical safety procedures it should be a simple matter of taking just a few moments to complete.
But what about ceiling lights? These are not quite as easy are they? Let’s see how you can do it successfully.
For starters don’t be tempted to stand on a chair to do it. Chairs are not designed for this purpose and it is actually quite easy to feel really unstable sitting on them. For one thing the only bit you have to hang onto is the back of the chair, and that is a lot lower down than you might think when you are standing on the seat.
So let’s think about this with safety in mind. You need to get a proper stepladder – one that makes an A shape when you set it up. Make sure it is properly set out and standing on an even floor. Even the slightest wobble could put you off balance.
Once that is done climb partway up the ladder and make sure it is positioned correctly to enable you to easily reach the light bulb. Don’t take the bulb out until you have turned the electric off though. Just ensure you can reach it without stretching.
The next step is to turn the electrics off, which means you should only change the bulb during the day. Doing it at night while trying to hold a torch at the same time is not a good idea! You should also do it when the bulb is cold and hasn’t been turned on for some time.
Take out the old bulb and then fetch the new one when you put the old one in the bin. Go back up the ladder, put the bulb in place and then go back and switch the electrics on again and flip the light switch. If you have put the bulb in correctly it should turn on. If not, turn off the electrics again and make sure you go back and re-tighten it. You’d be surprised how easy it is to miss turning it that extra little bit that makes all the difference.
So there we have it – the safety first way of changing your ceiling light bulbs.