How many STWers does it take to change a lightbulb?

Specifically the one pictured?

This light has been up since we moved years back. I assumed it was a conventional low energy bulb that could be swapped over, but now it’s failed and removing the cover I’ve never seen this type before. What is it called and how do you change it?

Alternative punchlines welcome alongside actual advice. Thanks!

Isolate (properly – via an electrician if you don’t know what you are doing)

Remove fitting

Replace with new fitting of your choice. That one looks pretty non-serviceable

What is it called and how do you change it?

It’s an LED light. You throw it in the bin and install a new one.

Thanks. There was me thinking nobody in their right mind would design something where the whole thing has to be binned when it fails. Seems ridiculously wasteful.

[Alternative answer: Two. They’re efficient but not much of a sense of humour]

At least 7.

1 to change the bulb

1 to tell you you don’t need a new bulb but need an artisan hand crafted Mongolian yak oil lamp

1  to tell you your ceiling needs painting

1 to tell you you’re a planet destroying monster for using electricity

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to politics

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to Israel/Palestine

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to Brexit

😉

And another to point out you have an asbestos artex ceiling, even though in the OP it states it’s been tested…

At least 7.

1 to change the bulb

1 to tell you you don’t need a new bulb but need an artisan hand crafted Mongolian yak oil lamp

1  to tell you your ceiling needs painting

1 to tell you you’re a planet destroying monster for using electricity

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to politics

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to Israel/Palestine

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to Brexit

What about the 100 to complain about all the bulb “standards” and argue the benefits of one “standard” over another ?

How many Germans does it take to change a light bulb?

One, they are uber efficient and have no sense of humour.

1 to tell you you don’t need a new bulb but need an artisan hand crafted Mongolian yak oil lamp

Don’t forget his evil twin, the one to tell you that lightbulbs are a waste of money for those with more money than sense

And let’s not forget the one who, “just doesn’t get it, how could anyone be so lacking in intelligence as to ask a question like this? My toddler has been changing LED bulbs since he was 1 hour old.  And he’s thick. Do people really not know basic life skills like this?  (cont’d p.94)”

Bah! Candles still work for me. This electric light thing is all marketing, so brands can sell us more stuff we don’t need.

And let’s not forget the one who, “just doesn’t get it, how could anyone be so lacking in intelligence as to ask a question like this? My toddler has been changing LED bulbs since he was 1 hour old. And he’s thick. Do people really not know basic life skills like this? (cont’d p.94)”

True! 😆

has the entire fitting failed or just one led within it? if the former it might just be the transformer/inverter that’s failed, and you could possibly replace just that if you feel handy. Otherwise bin the whole thing

The reason they’re like this is because no-one has standardized the thousands of different shaped light fittings that are now possible with LEDs down to a few standard bulb sizes. I doubt they ever will.

There was me thinking nobody in their right mind would design something where the whole thing has to be binned when it fails. Seems ridiculously wasteful.

it probably is fixable, but not quite as simply as swapping a new bulb over. Most likely the LED driver (bit in the middle) has failed, which can be replaced, e.g.

https://slvlightingdirect.com/products/led-power-supply-15w-24v (not saying it’s that exact one, can’t see what’s written on yours!!)

The reason they’re like this is because no-one has standardized the thousands of different shaped light fittings that are now possible with LEDs down to a few standard bulb sizes. I doubt they ever will.

And now there’s the person who’ll post the XKCD sketch about standards.

At least 7.

1 to change the bulb

1 to tell you you don’t need a new bulb but need an artisan hand crafted Mongolian yak oil lamp

1  to tell you your ceiling needs painting

1 to tell you you’re a planet destroying monster for using electricity

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to politics

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to Israel/Palestine

1 to gradually turn the conversation from bulb changing to Brexit

It seems you forgot (at least) 1 to tell you to not replace it, but to repair it instead. Then of course several more are needed to pile in with alternative (or conflicting) methods of how to repair, and anecdotes of past repairs.

We had one of those. They are not meant to be serviceable.

It failed and I replaced it with one that takes a standard E-27 lamp.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/circular-bathroom-ceiling-light-matt-white/43441#product_additional_details_container

Most likely the LED driver (bit in the middle) has failed

This. Mains-fed, sealed enclosure, it’s enough to melt Chinesium solder joints.

The reason they’re like this is because

… they’re cheap crap.

8

All the above plus one to kick the chair away

How many Germans does it take to change a light bulb?

If you get lots of Germans called Hans you’ll not need to change the light bulb cos many hans make light work

We’ve also forgotten one (hello Molgrips) to decide that this probably warrants a rewire of the whole upstairs of the house

@susepic.

Wow, tough audience.  If i were in charge, I’d handing you ‘the internet’ for that line,

“Nah, no worries about tomorrow; see you IN A WEEK”.

And the one who is an electrical engineer who has worked with lighting engineers for most of their life…

It’s not a bulb, it’s a lamp.  Bulbs go in the ground.

It’s not a light, it’s a luminaire. FFS

Don’t worry about it failing.  LEDs last 50,000 hours; that’s probably 50 years of your usage; I’ll get my kid to take your grand kid’s details and schedule a call back.

Yeah, sling it in that hole in the ground marked ‘low energy’ stuff. Don’t cha worry, we got another container ship of crap docking in the morning, we’ll have you sorted soon enough.

Chair you say- Rubbish you should use a stool when changing a light bulb, gets you higher up and allows more freedom of movement

Not enough talk of access, obviously an electric scissor lift will allow more lighting repairs but still burn the same number of calories. Stepladders? Luddites!