It’s time to remove the double-ended halogen light bulb from its fixture. Maybe it’s burned out, or you just want to replace it with a new one. But the thing is, sometimes you might get confused about how to exactly remove it from the fixture, right? Don’t worry, though, since you are in the right place. Let’s see how to remove a double-ended halogen light bulb.
Here’s how you can remove the double-ended halogen light bulb:
- Unplug the light fixture.
- Allow the light bulb to cool down.
- Detach the protective covering from the fixture.
- Use a screwdriver to tap on the gap on one side of the bulb.
- Gently press the spring load to push out that side of the bulb.
- Repeat the exact procedure on the other side of the bulb.
- Finally, remove the bulb out of the socket.
Note if you are in a hurry and want a visual explanation of how to remove the double-ended halogen light bulb, then I highly recommend you to watch this video:
If you have watched the video, then I’m very sure that your problem is already solved. But continue reading to learn about double-ended halogen, steps of removing the double-ended halogen light bulb, and other related information in more detail.
Table of Contents
Double-Ended Halogen Light Bulb: A Brief Overview
Before removing the halogen light bulbs, it is important to understand a bit about halogen light bulbs and how they fit in the fixture.
The double-ended halogen light bulbs usually come in T3 size and are of high wattage. However, they can also come in other sizes and are used for indoor and outdoor purposes.
Now the thing is, with many of the double-ended halogen light bulbs, the ends of the bulb fit into a spring-loaded socket.
If you have used the light bulb for quite a long time, then it is likely that the springs have turned stiff. Also, the springs are usually tough enough to keep solid contact with the bulb.
So now, if you are thinking of removing the double-ended halogen bulb from the socket using your finger, then please note that you won’t get enough leverage to remove the bulb from the socket.
As a result, you would have to use something like a screwdriver head to push the ends back while removing the bulb from the socket.
To remove the double-ended halogen light bulb, the trick is to identify the spring mechanism on both ends and push these springs such that you can push back the bulb from the socket and thus remove it.
And if you are about to install a new double halogen light bulb by removing an old one, then make sure to consider the length and the measurement of both ends so that you can ensure the best fitting in the fixture.
3 Easy Steps To Remove A Double-Ended Halogen Light Bulb:
1. Unplug The Light Fixture And Allow It Cool Down
You should always unplug the light fixture from the electrical connection before you decide to deal with the socket. I know you might think it is general advice, but we should never compromise with safety, so keeping that in mind is a must.
And as I highlighted in my article about touching halogen light bulbs, the halogen bulbs can be very hot. If you touch them with bare hands, then you can even end up burning your skin. So it is highly recommended to allow the bulb to cool down for some time at first.
As a general rule, you can wait for at least 10 minutes and then start the process of removing the bulb so that you can ensure the bulb becomes sufficiently cool for removal.
As a precautionary measure, it would be best to use safety gloves in this complete process of removing the halogen light bulb.
2. Remove The Protective Covering From The Fixture
Now, after you have allowed the double-ended halogen light bulb to cool down, it’s time to work on the fixture. Most likely, your fixture will have some kind of glass covering, heat guards, or any other protective covering. Therefore, you should safely as well as carefully remove them aside.
Make sure to keep these protective covers in a safe place because you would want to reattach them later after you have installed the new bulb.
3. Use Screwdriver To Gently Push And Remove The Bulb
Now here comes the actual action step to remove the double-ended halogen light bulb from the socket.
As highlighted earlier, there is a spring-loaded mechanism. So you need to push the double-ended halogen light bulb from one end first.
The gap might be too small for you to use the fingers, so you will most likely have to use a tool like a flathead screwdriver.
You can use the screwdriver to gently press the spring load and remove the light bulb from one end. Then on the other side, you can repeat the same process, and that’s how you will be able to remove the double-ended halogen light bulb.
What To Do After Removing The Double-Ended Halogen Light Bulb?
After removing your old halogen light bulb, if you are not planning to install any light bulb on that socket and thinking of leaving that socket empty, you can complete all the safety measures. And after that, reattach all the protective coverings you removed in the previous step.
And if you are about to install a new halogen light bulb, the process will be almost the same. But, again, you will have to keep in mind the spring load mechanism and install the light bulb accordingly.
First, attach one side of the light bulb and then install the other side of the double-ended halogen light bulb.
Once you have successfully installed the light bulb, then you can reattach all the covering and switch on the light to test if it is working or not. If it works, then congrats, you have completed the process of light bulb installation.
And remember, you should make sure to select the right bulb size depending on the socket. The double-ended halogen bulbs are available in various sizes, so among them, you should carefully select the one that goes well with your socket.
Conclusion
In short, the key thing to consider while removing the halogen light bulbs is to understand the spring mechanism and push the light bulbs accordingly in a gentle way.
If you have read this post up to here and read all the steps, then I hope you have already got a helpful guide to remove the double-ended halogen.
But after you have removed your old halogen bulb, now what? Have you thought about how you would dispose of it? If interested, I highly recommend you check out my complete guide on halogen bulb disposal here.
