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A fixture using this type of bulb burned out of me. All of my searching seems to indicate that these are often spring-loaded but I applied significant force to both sides with no give. I feel so ashamed being defeated by a lightbulb.... how to I replace this?

I am able to jiggle the bulb around in the socket so I know it's not corroded into place but I feel that I'm applying far to much force than should be required.

I suppose it's possible that it is spring loaded but that I don't know where to apply the pressure.

Bulb

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  • If it's really not spring loaded, a wrench, but that seems an unlikely intended method.
    – Ecnerwal
    Apr 6, 2015 at 2:25
  • If it's spring loaded it requires more force than I would do without leather gloves. I was thinking there might be a hidden catch I'm supposed to push somewhere but I don't see one. A wrench won't help because the ends appear to only come out when the bulb is removed.
    – Matthew
    Apr 6, 2015 at 2:27
  • Try the wrench. I'm wondering if the nuts are not simple nuts, and might be providing the push-in to hold the bulb in place. i.e., you may find that it's not as it appears - and if it is, it's only a few minutes wasted trying.
    – Ecnerwal
    Apr 6, 2015 at 2:29
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    @Ecnerwal no luck with the wrench, those nuts seem to just hold the terminals into the bracket.
    – Matthew
    Apr 6, 2015 at 2:35
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    These can take considerable force sometimes. From the vantage point of the picture, it looks like the spring load is on the left. The cut-out on the bottom of the right terminal is to tilt it out. Leather glove time.
    – Comintern
    Apr 6, 2015 at 2:50

4 Answers 4

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I ran into the same problem - everyone said it was spring loaded but even with considerable force the bulb barely moved. But as one person says above, you only need the bulb to move slight to be able to remove it. You will note that on one side there is a gap in the white plastic holding the bulb in place - in the photo above, you can see the gap on the right side. That is where you slide the bulb out of the holder. Put on leather gloves, push the bulb towards the other end and then slide the bulb out through that gap.

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It's an extraordinarily stupid design. Neither side is spring loaded. It relies on the flexibility of the metal bracket to separate enough to get the bulb in. Requires very substantial force, to the point that you are convinced you'll break the bulb.

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  • To make it even harder, in the flat I'm renting the light bulb is inside of a glass cylinder (protects touching the heat, although the entire enclosure gets unbearably hot anyway..) which you push a bit to the side making one of the side unaccessible by hand and needed to push it with a bulb. Broke one bulb and cut my self a bit. R7S is the worst bulb mounting design ever!
    – Renārs Vilnis
    Oct 18, 2019 at 13:49
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Even after applying pressure no spring seemed to give sufficiently. It turns out that this fixture is setup so there isn't as much clearance as I would have expected. A little pulling and the bulb came out.

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Actually, if you push one end to the right, and the other end down, you can then pull the right end out.

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