How do I change a light bulb safely?

Changing bulbs safely including the awkward cases — halogen downlights, broken bulbs and fittings that have seized.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 10 min
Read: 2 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Switch the light off at the wall, let the bulb cool, and make sure whatever you are standing on is stable. Match the fitting type and wattage — LEDs are marked with an equivalent wattage, and exceeding a fitting's rating is a genuine fire risk.

Changing a bulb is trivial until it is not: a bulb that has seized in the holder, a broken one, or a downlight in a high ceiling. The safety points are the same throughout — power off, cool, stable footing.

Safety

Always switch off at the wall switch, and at the consumer unit if you are working on the fitting itself rather than just the bulb. Let halogen bulbs cool fully — they run extremely hot. Never exceed the fitting's stated maximum wattage. If a bulb has broken in the holder, switch off at the consumer unit before attempting removal.

What you'll need

Replacement bulb of the correct fitting
Step ladder
Gloves (optional)
Potato or bulb extractor for broken bulbs (optional)

Step by step

Switch the light off at the wall switch and let the bulb cool.Halogen and older incandescent bulbs stay hot enough to burn for several minutes.
Make sure your footing is stable — a step ladder, not a chair.Most bulb-changing injuries are falls, not electrical.
Identify the fitting: bayonet (push and twist), Edison screw, or a two-pin.The cap code is usually printed on the old bulb — B22, E27, GU10 and so on.
Remove the old bulb — push and twist anticlockwise for bayonet, unscrew for Edison.If it resists, do not force it. A seized bulb can shatter in your hand.
Check the fitting's maximum wattage before choosing a replacement.It is usually printed inside the fitting. LEDs draw far less, so this rarely limits you now.
Fit the new bulb without touching the glass on halogen types.Skin oils create a hot spot on halogen glass and shorten its life. Use a cloth or gloves.
For a bulb broken in the holder, switch off at the consumer unit first.Then use long-nose pliers or a purpose-made extractor on the remaining metal. Wear eye protection.
Switch on and check before putting the ladder away.If the new bulb does not work, the fault is the fitting or the circuit, not the bulb.

Tips

LED bulbs state an equivalent wattage on the box — a 9W LED replacing a 60W incandescent, for example. Buy by lumens for actual brightness.
Colour temperature matters more than people expect: around 2700K is warm and domestic, 4000K and above reads as cold and office-like.
If several bulbs fail quickly in one fitting, the fitting or the circuit may be at fault. That is worth an electrician's opinion.

Common mistakes

Standing on a chair — Falls are the main injury from this job, not shocks.
Touching halogen glass with bare fingers — Skin oil creates a hot spot that shortens the bulb's life considerably.
Forcing a seized bulb — It can shatter in your hand. Switch off at the consumer unit and use a proper extractor.

Questions people ask

How do I remove a bulb that has broken in the holder?

Switch off at the consumer unit first — not just the wall switch. Then grip the remaining metal base with long-nose pliers and turn. Wear eye protection and gloves.

Can I put any LED bulb in any fitting?

The cap must match (B22, E27, GU10 and so on), and dimmable fittings need dimmable LEDs. Wattage is rarely a limit with LEDs since they draw so little.