How to disassemble a light bulb: real tips to help craftsmen. How to disassemble an incandescent light bulb and pull out the insides How to disconnect the base from a light bulb

To make something interesting with their own hands, DIY enthusiasts implement non-standard ideas using available means. A use was also found for the ordinary bulb of a burnt-out incandescent lamp. But fluorescent and LED ones are not suitable for these purposes; they are disassembled only for repairs.

In any case, it is important to know how to disassemble the light bulb, and then you can experiment with its further use.

We suggest you understand the intricacies of this process. The article describes in detail how to act correctly if there is a need to open and disassemble Various types lighting fixtures. In addition, we have prepared interesting solutions homemade products from old incandescent light bulbs.

Old lamps are used to create vases and containers for spices, miniature aquariums and many other crafts.

If you decide to master this process, then you should start with an ordinary incandescent light bulb. Inside it does not have a filling that is hazardous to health in the form of additives from harmful substances. Therefore, disassembling it is not only simple, but also completely harmless to health.

Briefly about the device

To begin dismantling the insides of the lamp, you need to general outline get acquainted with its device. Main element- a filament body, the ends of which hold the electrodes.

Additional rigidity is created by holders mounted on a glass support - a bead. The rod is connected to a leg, which includes electrodes, a rod, and a plate.

Lamp and its leg. The components of the structure are: bulb (1), filament body (2), additional stands (3), rod (4), electrodes (5), blade (6), intermediate leads (7), plate (8), rod (9 ), external terminals (10), terminals (11), base (12) (+)

All internal elements will have to be removed from the flask through its lower part.

How to disassemble

Here it is necessary to take into account some nuances, because You will have to work with glass. The material of the leg is very thin, while that of the base insulator is quite rough.

To prevent flying fragments and associated risks, you need to use a cardboard box. Its bottom is covered with soft material.

Before starting the operation, you need to arm yourself with thin-nose pliers. With their help, it will be possible to dismantle the contact that is firmly sealed at the neck of the flask.

The element is loosened and turned until the two wires going to the main part of the lamp - the filament body - break. Next, the released contact is removed.

The next task is to open the base insulation. This will require the same tool. Using thin-nose pliers, swing the light bulb leg and remove it complete with the plate, rod, electrodes, and filament body.

Having opened access to the internal cavity of the lamp, carefully clean it with a piece of textile. Without the insides of the light bulb, only the heat-resistant glass bulb remains.

How to use it depends on your imagination - it can become a container for spices, a tiny aquarium, a lampshade or a lamp.

For some crafts, a base will be superfluous. It is not difficult to remove since the connection is not very strong. You can just keep it for a day in a mixture of hydrochloric acid with ammonium nitrate or in hydrofluoric acid. Which will dissolve the glue that attaches the base to the base of the flask.

With this option, it is important to thoroughly rinse the product in a soapy solution after the acid. And don’t forget to wear gloves to carry out all manipulations.

Another way is to unscrew the part at the point of contact with the glass, then remove the glue and remove the vessel. Sometimes it is enough to scratch the junction of the base and the bulb with a glass cutter to get rid of it.

Disassembling the lamp with socket

If the filament breaks, the ballast may still be operational. In this case, the flask is disposed of, and the working device is used as a spare part.

If there is a fuse in the control circuit, it may blow. The issue is resolved by installing a resistor with a resistance of several ohms in its place.

How to disassemble an LED lamp

First of all, it is necessary to check the voltage supply to the cartridge contacts. To do this, screw in a working lamp; if the light comes on, the previous device is faulty.

Reasons for failure LED lamp can be very different - the diode is burned out or the board is not in order.

They often stop working due to condensation that has accumulated inside the housing. In any case, it is necessary to first disassemble the structure.

The components of an LED lamp are:

• shell;
• base;
• matrix with a package of LEDs;
• diffuser;
• driver.

The lamp bulb is not airtight because there are no gases in it. The shell can be made of either plastic or glass. The plastic light diffuser is located at the top.

The ones used are varied. The components of the package are groups of LEDs soldered onto PCB or aluminum boards.

Drivers in the form of individual blocks or built into the housing serve to transform the input voltage to a value most suitable for LEDs assembled in groups. The most popular power supply schemes are transformer type.

To inner part becomes accessible, you need to open the fastening clips holding the light-diffusing dome. If it is attached to the housing with screws, they must be unscrewed.

There is another disassembly method used for devices made using sealant sizing. For implementation you will need a syringe with a needle, an awl, and a solvent. To detach the diffuser, you will need to remove the sealant that secures it to the retaining ring.

An awl is passed along the edge and the solvent with which the syringe is filled is injected into the groove. After 30 seconds, the diffuser is removed by twisting. The radiator is removed using a screwdriver, and the LED matrix is ​​unsoldered.

A burnt-out LED can be easily identified visually. It reveals itself by having a black dot. As an option, to make the lamp work again, a jumper is placed at the edges of the unusable LED, but it is better to replace it with a new one.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video of the disassembly process, where everything is clear without unnecessary explanation:

The process of disassembling and repairing an LED lamp:

Disassembling the incandescent light bulb is easy. You can make a lot of interesting things out of it, but you can’t reuse it for its intended purpose. Fluorescent and LED light bulbs can be disassembled to a certain point and repaired.

Do you have experience disassembling lamps? Or maybe you have made interesting objects from old lamps? Please share your skills with readers - leave comments and attach photos of your homemade products. The feedback form is located below.

Damaged electric lamps do not have to be thrown into the trash. They make crafts out of them various crafts. To do this, the light element is disassembled. In this case, a screwdriver and thin-nose pliers are used as a tool. Also, don't forget about hand protection, so wear gloves. We’ll talk further about how to disassemble a light bulb and what comes out of it.

We disassemble the lamp with socket

When the lamp is unscrewed from the base, the glass part often breaks or comes off without the base. How to disassemble a light bulb without breaking it? To do this, follow the instructions:

1. Prepare your instrument. Don't forget about protective equipment to avoid cuts.
2. Using thin-nose pliers, grab the contact located deep in the base, carefully loosen it and pull it out.
3. Using the same tool, the base insulator is cracked. Be careful and careful. After all, this is a glass part.
4. The contact at the bottom of the base is removed.
5. After removing the contact, proceed to filling the inside of the light bulb.
6. The elements remaining inside the product are loosened with a screwdriver, and then removed, carefully removing them using thin-nose pliers.
7. Special attention is paid to the glass leg, which is located inside the lamp.
8. On last stage remove the filament body along with the electrodes and element holder hooks before finally disassembling the light bulb.
9. If necessary, the light bulb is cleaned, polished and given an aesthetic appearance.

Disassembling a fluorescent lamp

Many people are interested in the question of how to disassemble an energy-saving light bulb, but few people ask whether this can be done at all.

A compact fluorescent light bulb with an electronic ballast (electronic ballast) mounted in the housing in the base area is generally prohibited from disassembling. The lighting element contains toxic mercury vapor. To gain access to the launch controller and repair the lamp, take a wide flat-head screwdriver and unfasten the latches, taking turns.

The process of disassembling the lamp is complex. Products that have spent many days in use are difficult to disassemble. After all, plastic, when exposed to prolonged heating, hardens, and the latches can break during the process of opening the lamp.

If the latches are broken, they are sawed off or cut off by running the blade of a sharp tool along the seam and then opening the halves. After such reconstruction, the parts of the lamp are assembled back, gluing together.

Now you know how to disassemble a light bulb. And it will be easier to do this if you heat it up construction hairdryer. An electronic ballast is located inside the product, connected to the base contacts using short wires.

How to disassemble an LED lamp?

Such a light bulb is unlikely to be used for decoration or interior decoration. Devices are disassembled only for the purpose of repair. Understand how to disassemble LED light bulb, can only be done by a person with extensive knowledge in the field of electronics.

First of all, check the supply of electrical voltage to the contacts of the socket into which the lamp is screwed. If there is power to the lamp, but there is no light, try to determine the cause. Most likely, it is in the light bulb itself. To check this, screw a working lamp into the same socket and check whether the light is on.

A glass bulb from a lamp can be used for a wide variety of purposes: for decoration, growing small ornamental plants, such as succulents, DIY crafts. You can think of one original idea how to present such decoration.

The situation when a light bulb bursts or when unscrewing the base remains in the socket has happened to many people. There is a solution to the problem and there are plenty of different methods on how to unscrew a light bulb base from a socket. The most common reasons for this situation are: poor quality lamps, voltage drop, lamp life exhaustion, burnout.

Options for solving the problem

If the light bulb exploded and its base remained in the socket or this was the result of unsuccessful unscrewing, there is no need to panic. First step before trying different methods- this is to turn off the switch on the panel and turn off the power to the room. If you do not do this, there is a risk of getting an electric shock. When such trouble happened to table lamp, then it is enough to pull out its plug from the socket.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Important! When you have to remove the base from the socket at night, you should get an assistant with a flashlight to illuminate the whole process.

Preparatory procedures:

1. Appropriate equipment. Correctly remove residues by wearing thick rubber gloves and goggles. A hat will be needed if the lamp is placed under the ceiling or high on the wall.
2. If the flask bursts, then its fragments must first be swept up.
3. If trouble occurs with fluorescent lamp, then you should first open the windows, since such a device contains mercury vapor inside, then sweep away the fragments.
4. It is advisable to place a container or spread a cloth under the base so that the fragments do not fall on the floor.
5. Even after turning off the machine, you should check the presence of voltage with an indicator screwdriver. If the light bulb in it lights up, then it is better not to try to remove the base yourself; it is better to contact an electrician.

If the lamp bursts while the light is on, you should wait a couple of minutes before unscrewing it, as the base will be quite hot.

Pliers or needle nose pliers

The first method you should resort to is using pliers or needle-nose pliers. The latter are more convenient due to the fact that they have thin, elongated “sponges” that can reach many hard-to-reach places. They are very convenient for capturing small parts. It will also be easy to separate the base from the cartridge.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Specialist in repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.

Important! The handles of thin-nose pliers should be rubber or plastic. If such a tool is not at hand, the last resort is to wrap the handles with several balls of electrical tape.

Procedure:

• Remove any remaining glass, if any.
• Next, grab the base with a tool, twisting it outward. The lamp shade must be held so that it does not come off. It is important not to damage the circumference of the cartridge.
• If the base does not give in, you can carefully bend its sides inward and then unscrew it.

During the process, the base may begin to tear or become deformed, this is not a big deal, it will even be easier to remove it, the main thing is that it does not damage the cartridge.

If you can’t grab the edges, you can try another option - place the needle-nose pliers inside the base and push the ends apart so that they rest against the side walls. You need to twist counterclockwise.

If there are no tools at hand, then you can resort to using improvised means. The procedure is as follows:

1. Pull out the remaining glass, they will interfere.
2. Take a plastic bottle. The volume does not matter - the necks are all the same.
3. Remove the lid and heat the neck until the plastic begins to melt. This can be done with a lighter or candle.
4. Insert the neck into the base and wait until the plastic cools down.
5. Get the base.

You should be careful when handling hot plastic, because if it drips onto your skin, the burn will be very severe. Flooring You also need to protect it by at least laying paper on it. With this method, the risk of electric shock is minimal. You may come across recommendations that there is no need to de-energize the device. This is incorrect - any actions must be performed with the machine turned off.

The method is simple, although it does not always help. To do this, you need to have pieces of glass sticking out from the base, in in this case there is no need to remove them. To implement this method you need:

• Cut a fairly large potato (raw) in half and separate its parts. They must be clean and dry.
• Place a potato over the fragments so that they cut firmly into the flesh.
• All that remains is to unscrew the base from the socket.

After use, potatoes should be thrown away. Other fruits and vegetables will not help because their flesh is not as dense.

Unscrew the cartridge

The essence of the method is to disassemble the cartridge itself. True, this can only be done with carbolite cartridges, which are installed in old lighting fixtures from the USSR era. Ceramic ones, which are mainly used in modern chandeliers, are not intended for such disassembly. Let's return to disassembling the cartridge. It consists of the following parts:

1. 2 carbolite halves.
2. Threaded connection.
3. Ceramic core with brass contacts.

One of the halves contains a metal sleeve into which the base is screwed. To remove the base, you must separate the base. All that remains is to unscrew the base; the already familiar thin-nose pliers will help with this. After removal, the cartridge should be collected and can be used again.

We use a cork

To implement this method you will need a cork plug. It needs to be adjusted to the size of the base. When the plug is firmly seated in it, you should carefully unscrew it along with the stuck element of the light bulb.

If there are pieces of glass left, you can string a cork on them. In this case, it is necessary to achieve their dense recessing into the soft cortical surface.

other methods

There are many other ways, including:

1. Newspaper or dry rag. It is most convenient to twist it with newspaper. You need to twist it tightly, insert it inside the cartridge and unscrew the base.
2. Special equipment. There is a special tool designed to screw in lamp bases without lamps. He looks like big clothespin. You can buy one in online stores of Chinese goods.
3. Scissors. Turn off the power to the lamp, insert the scissors into the base, and open them so that their sharp edges rest against the stuck element, and unscrew.
4. Cut the base, twisting the pieces inside. Having done such manipulations, pulling it out will not be difficult.

In the old Soviet ones, the skirt is unscrewed, and then the base is unscrewed without any problems. On modern imported ones, you can unscrew them with pliers, on a de-energized lamp. If the base is stuck and does not spin, then simply bend it inward in several places and it will fall out on its own. It is convenient to grab the base bent inward in several places with pliers.

What to do if the light bulb is simply stuck in the socket

All of the above methods are suitable if the light bulb is not stuck, but simply burst. An option is to unscrew the socket from the chandelier. If similar method impossible to implement, you will have to break the glass part of the lamp and use one of the options proposed above. To prevent pieces of glass from flying in different directions, you should place any suitable container under the light bulb before breaking it.

You may come across advice to use a spray like WD-40 or “KONTAKT”. But there is a risk that even with the machines turned off, the device will be dangerous. In this case, it will not be possible to check whether there is a phase, since the lamp is stuck. The only way when using such a spray is absolutely safe is to remove the chandelier completely, disconnecting it from the power cables.

Conclusion

You can unscrew the base if it is stuck in the cartridge different ways. The most important thing is to take safety precautions and turn off the power to the lamp before starting work.

📋 Take the test and test your knowledge

To decorate the interior or make various crafts, many people began to use ordinary incandescent lamps. However, to use it, you need to disassemble it, and this is not so easy, because you need to take into account several features. If you do not take them into account, the lamp may burst and scratch a person. Therefore, in this article we decided to tell you how to disassemble a lamp at home using a minimum amount of materials.

How to disassemble an incandescent lamp

Note! Only incandescent lamps can be disassembled. Other lighting cannot be touched, because their body contains mercury and other harmful substances which can cause irreparable harm to the human body.

What we need for parsing:

1. Ordinary pliers. You can also use pliers, since they are smaller in size, so it will be easy for you to disassemble everything.
2. The lamp that we are going to disassemble.
3. Gloves to protect your hands from accidental cuts. Use only high-quality ones; rubber and ordinary fabric ones will not work in this case, they will not be able to stop the glass.
4. Screwdriver.

Step-by-step instructions for analysis

As you may have noticed, disassembling the lamp is not at all difficult. You just need to stay calm and remember not to use force. We will remind you again that you can only disassemble an incandescent lamp, do not even approach others.

What can you do with a disassembled lamp?

We found several videos on the Internet that will help you find optimal application for a disassembled lamp. Such homemade products will add something special and unusual to your home.
This is how you can make a kerosene lamp:

Here are some great ideas:

After watching this video you can make a vase:

Why does the LED lamp flicker?

Content:

Non-working incandescent lamps can be used for large quantity crafts, decorations and science projects. Disassembling a light bulb can be a little challenging at first, but everything will fall into place once you know what to expect and how to do it.

Steps

1 Open the light bulb

1. 1 Grab the soldering area with pliers. Look at bottom part light bulbs and find a small metal joint. Grab this joint firmly with needle cutters.
   • You will break the glass during this step and during other processes, so it's best to work on top of the box or under several sheets of paper. You should also wear gloves and safety glasses.
2. 2 Twist and pull out the metal. Rotate the joint with pliers until you feel the copper piece break one or two of the wires leading to the filament inside. When the metal base is free, remove it.
   • Hold the light bulb firmly with your other hand as you remove the metal bottom.
   • You may need to wiggle the sides of the plinth slightly back and forth if twisting doesn't work.
   • Sides metal part should be sufficiently prominent so that you can get a good grip with the pliers while lifting the plinth.
3. 3 Break the glass insulator. Hold one side of the black glass insulator at the bottom of the light bulb with pliers. Twist it to break the glass.
   • The glass in this area is thick, so you will have to work hard to break it. Make sure you hold the light bulb firmly with your other hand.
   • The insulator will break into many pieces during this step, so be sure to be safe.
   • You may need to break the insulator underneath different angles around the perimeter, if it does not break completely the first time.
4. 4 Remove all fragments of the broken insulator. Using tweezers, clean the light bulb base from shards of black insulator glass.
   • These shards will be very sharp, so you shouldn't handle them with your bare hands.
   • After removing the insulator glass, you will be able to see the internal components of the light bulb from below.
5. 5 Remove the inner fill tube. Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the bottom of the light bulb, near one side of the outer fill tube. Use a screwdriver to press down on the side of the tube to pull it out.
   • The lamp will be filled with argon or a similar inert safe gas. When you pull out the tube, you will hear a sound indicating the release of argon gas.
6. 6 Pull out the tube. Insert a screwdriver between the tube and the lamp to completely free the tube, then pull it out with pliers or tongs.
   • If you can successfully free the tube without breaking it, you can use it for something else.
   • If you can't pull the tube out by prying on the sides with a screwdriver, you may need to apply more force and break the tube. Remove any shards with tweezers when finished.
   • You'll have to put in a lot of effort, so make sure you're confident in holding the light bulb with your other hand.
7. 7 Pull out the tungsten filament. Gently shake out the remaining filament parts from the light bulb onto your work surface.
   • If the thread remains intact and intact, you can use it again.
   • Don't forget that you need to pull the thread out with pliers or tongs.
8. 8 Break and remove the remaining glass. If there are small shards of glass along the inside edge of the light bulb, use a screwdriver to carefully break them.
   • Remove the fragments with tongs.
   • At this point the bulb will be open and empty. You can stop at this step, but keep reading to see if you need it or not.

2 Remove the metal cartridge

1. 1 Decide if this is necessary. For most projects, you can leave the chuck untouched. If you only need the glass part of the light bulb for a project, you will need to remove the metal socket before continuing.
   • You may want to remove this detail for visual aesthetics. Another reason to remove it would be to create as much open space at the base of the bulb as possible.
   • If you want to reattach the metal socket after removing it, you can do this by simply applying a little glue to the top edge and pressing it against the bottom edge of the glass part of the light bulb.
2. 2 Soak the cartridge in hydrochloric acid. Pour some hydrochloric acid into a glass bowl. Place the cartridge in the acid and leave it there for 24 hours.
   • Hydrochloric acid is a powerful cleaning agent that is often used to clean toilets and other dirty plumbing surfaces.
   • Use enough acid to cover metal part light bulbs
3. 3 Remove any remaining acid. After soaking the cartridge in acid, rinse it well under running water.
   • Use a little soapy water or an alkaline solution such as soda to neutralize any acid remaining on the metal socket.
   • Don't forget gloves to protect your hands from chemicals.
4. 4 Carefully twist the metal cartridge. Hold the light bulb with one hand and gently twist the socket with the other hand.
   • The acid should neutralize the powerful adhesive that held the cartridge in place, making the cartridge pliable when removed.
   • If you do everything correctly, you can avoid chipping the glass at the bottom of the light bulb.

3 Clean the exposed light bulb

1. 1 Find out if this is necessary. If you get a clear light bulb, you don't need to clean it. However, if you have a light bulb coated with white kaolin coating, you may want to clean it off before continuing.
   • Kaolin is considered safe substance, but still avoid getting it inside or in your eyes. Wear safety glasses and gloves.
2. 2 Insert paper towels into the light bulb. Fill the bulb with enough paper towels, leaving a loose end so you can pull them out.
   • Check to see if there are any glass shards left.
3. 3 Scrape off the dust. Using the remaining end of the paper towels, roll them inside the light bulb, wiping off the coating.
   • Dry paper towels usually work well, but if you have difficulty cleaning the light bulb with dry towels, wet the towels a little and try again.
4. 4 Fill the light bulb with salt. If some of the kaolin does not wash off, fill the bulb a quarter to half full with salt.
   • The abrasiveness of the salt will help clean the kaolin from the corners of the light bulb.
5. 5 Shake the light bulb. Gently cover the bottom of the bulb and shake it well. The salt should clear the light bulb of any remaining kaolin.
   • Press down on the bottom of the bulb with a gloved finger to prevent the salt from flying around. You can also cover the bottom of the light bulb with a paper towel for the same purpose.
   • Remove the salt when finished. Throw away the salt and do not reuse it.
6. 6 Return to paper towels. If there is salt or kaolin in the middle of the bulb, wipe it off with paper towels.
   • The substance inside the bulb should clean out fairly easily.
   • When you're done with this process, the bulb will be completely open, clean, and ready to use for whatever project you come up with.

• Blank light bulbs can be used for countless projects. For example, you can use it for miniature models, terrarium, ornament, oil lamp, water glass, vase or sculpture.

Warnings

• Never attempt to open a fluorescent light bulb. Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. This mercury is safe when inside the light bulb, but it may pose a moderate or high degree gravity if the light bulb is open.
• Protect your hands and eyes while working. Always wear safety glasses and gloves.

What you will need

• Incandescent lamp
• Long nose pliers
• Simple scissors or metal cutting shears
• Long forceps
• Flat head screwdriver
• Gloves (rubber, plastic or gardening fabric)
• Protective glasses
• Soap and/or baking soda
• Paper towels
• Newspaper or boxes
• Hydrochloric acid (optional)