the home depot globe could be a slotted twist, like maybe a 10 degree turn and pull down, it would be 3 or 4 L grooves with one leg open to the top, a pin or dimple rides in the groove. it could release at anytime so keep a hand on it. make sure to give it a slight right (probably) twist before you take your hangs off it if you don’t get it down (you don’t want to have it unlock and decide to let loose later).
a very good suggestion is going to the store and see a new one.
I voting for twist-lock. Hold the bottom globe, twist counter-clockwise 10-20 degrees (make sure the brass collar doesn’t also turn). It should come off.
My guess would be that the white globe part is spring loaded with some slotted tabs holding it in place - you push up on it and twist with the palm of your hand, simply by friction. Not unlike the arrangement on a child-proof pill bottle. But, yeah, take a trip to the store and look at one.
I have either this exact model or a close relative.
This (G-rated) light just, uh, unscrews (so to speak). The glass globe twists counter-clockwise (lefty-loosey) which lets it drop out from the plastic base. No springs or anything, it’s just friction/gravity keeping it in place.
If it doesn’t twist, I’d grab it with a cloth (to get a better grip and protect my hands in case it broke) and try twisting a little bit harder, with some jiggling and/or pushing straight up to try and break whatever seal is going on.
I think it would be difficult to get any oil in to the threads; if you can’t turn it at all, I think the only option is carefully breaking the glass globe and getting a new one.
I have the same fixture in my bedroom. It is extremely hard to remove. I had to actually bang on it with a rubber hammer at the highest point to break it loose.
A bit of advice: when you get it off and replace the bulb, do not tighten it all the way. I did this and had to beat it again with the old rubber hammer. Now I just have it barely sitting in the grooves. A large gust of wind could knock it down I presume. Hope its not while im sleeping.
You can google “twist lock globe” and see that there are many of these types of globes. Gently twisting back and forth to start it and then counter clockwise turn should remove it. There should be a slight detent in the glass or the fixutre that keeps it from walking itself out of the fixture and you need to apply enough force to overcome this.
If your light fixture looks like the first one illustrated and if the little nipple thingie is there, twist the little devil with all your might or even a pair of pliers. It it doesn’t move, keep twisting it and eventually the threaded rod to which it is attached will come out. Keep one hand on the glass part in any case. Otherwise, call an electrician and let him be baffled instead of just you.
I looked at a light at Sam’s Warehouse today with a twist on globe similar to what was posted. It did not turn easily. I would use rubber dish-washing gloves to get a good grip on it. It was definitely a counter clockwise turn and once started was easy to remove.
This thread is going to be the perfect way to determine how many Straight Dopers it takes to change a lightbulb. One to start the thread, N-2 to make suggestions, and one to make the lightbulb joke. Let us know when you get the bulb changed, Plan B, so we’ll be able to say what N is.
The house I moved into had these boob lights in all the rooms, only without the nipple. I had to go to a lighting store to figure out how to change the lamps since there were no screws holding the glass in place.
On mine, the glass itself has the screw threads that screw into the bezel. I had to stand on a stepstool and hook a belt around the glass in order to get enough grip to twist it off.
I had this one in my last house, and changing the light bulb was a total trainwreck. It literally took two adults and as many teenagers as were available.
It was easy enough to get the disk at the bottom off, but getting it back on was really hard because the element spun around, and there was no way to hold it. We tried tape, magnets–it was a bitch. So finally I put in one of those long-lasting fluorescents that last years. Of course, then we moved.
I loved that light fixture because it was retractable, but I left it there, and I’m not looking for another one. It’s embarrassing when it takes your whole family to change the light bulb.
easy enough if you have teeth to hold on to the reflector with.
if the retracting mechanism still works well you can extend it and be able to invert the lamp housing which makes it easier, could then maybe rest it on ladder.
