danb Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Hello, Silly question. I was wondering how does one get to a light bulb in a Chinese home with 9-10 feet ceilings. A four foot florescent light bulb. The ceiling is too high for me to get to. No ladder available. In the states there are fixture that is mounted on an extension pole that one can use to change an incandescent bulb but there isn't one for fluorescent bulbs as far as I know. There is nothing that I can stack up and that will support my weight. I asked my Lao po if there was a ladder that we could borrow. She said no. I would have thought that the complex that she lives in that they would have one that we could borrow. Perhaps she misunderstands what I am asking her.but I think it is more that she doesn't want me to be bother by such things. But I am. Any ideas? Danb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ExChinaExpat Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Suggest you avoid trying to do it yourself and contact the building manager or maintenance department. They can direct you to someone who can fix it. The do not use incandescent lighting in China, and there are thousands of different types of lights and fixtures. Touching them is a virtual can of worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb Posted December 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 There are little things that I would like to do around the place but I hampered by a lack of tools and knowledge of where to get parts. Replacing the light or the light fixture is a simple thing to do if I could safely get to it. As far as the maintenance department that is a good suggestion if I knew where they are located. I think there are about 20-30 building in this complex. I don't mind doing it but then again if I can pay someone that would probably be simpler.The only maintenance workers that I see sometimes are the people who sweep the streets and the guards. Danb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ExChinaExpat Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 There are little things that I would like to do around the place but I hampered by a lack of tools and knowledge of where to get parts. Replacing the light or the light fixture is a simple thing to do if I could safely get to it. As far as the maintenance department that is a good suggestion if I knew where they are located. I think there are about 20-30 building in this complex. I don't mind doing it but then again if I can pay someone that would probably be simpler.The only maintenance workers that I see sometimes are the people who sweep the streets and the guards. Danb I'm quite handy and did a lot of construction work in the US. I always did my own wiring, plumbing, painting, and remodeling. But, as you say, in China it's difficult to know where to get parts and tools. They are indeed widely available, but I've learned that it's far less of a headache to simply hire an inexpensive repairman to do it for you. Just like in the US, it's best to get a referral. If you feel compelled to do some repairs, you might try using Bing or Google to get photos of what you need. Then, you can print them out to show to the man in the hardware store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb Posted December 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 GDE, Thanks for the replies. I just talked to my wife at breakfast. She said that after Christmas when her work has calmed down we can get someone over to care of the light for us. The end of the year is a busy time for her. Thanks again. Danb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ama537621 Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 It is far easier to just hire someone to replace the bulb. When we had some bulbs blow the electrician came removed. He then went to the store the next day to make sure he bought the correct ones. I would of had him buy some extra bulbs but it his labor was so cheap that it was not worth it. We only have to the middle of April then we can breathe clean air again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy W Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 We have a ladder. We've had too many "handymen" come around and want to use my tools or leave a pile of debris or otherwise be more trouble than they're worth, including one guy who borrowed a coat hanger to clean out a clogged drain. The variety of different bulbs and sockets is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
credzba Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Last trip I put up 2 light fixtures, but I didn't have a hammer drill to do it properly. This next trip there is a hammer drill in my suitcase ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsap seui Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Credz, you can use my hammer drill. I left it in Fushun on my first trip....18 volt DeWalt. Even left the percussion drill bit "guide" and some of those blue tapcon fasteners you screw into the concrete. Tapcons are the bomb for concrete work. tsap seui Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amberjack1234 Posted December 25, 2013 Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 Hello, Silly question. I was wondering how does one get to a light bulb in a Chinese home with 9-10 feet ceilings. A four foot florescent light bulb. The ceiling is too high for me to get to. No ladder available. In the states there are fixture that is mounted on an extension pole that one can use to change an incandescent bulb but there isn't one for fluorescent bulbs as far as I know. There is nothing that I can stack up and that will support my weight. I asked my Lao po if there was a ladder that we could borrow. She said no. I would have thought that the complex that she lives in that they would have one that we could borrow. Perhaps she misunderstands what I am asking her.but I think it is more that she doesn't want me to be bother by such things. But I am. Any ideas? Danb9-10 foot ceilings: I wonder if they realize how much energy they are wasting with those high ceilings. All that cubic feet of unused air space to be heat and cooled in the summer and nothing there but air. As frugal as the Chinese are you would have thought that they would have figured this out by now. I use to work on a Marine Corps base an they had the high ceilings. They figured out what it was costing in energy winter and summer. They hired contractors to come in and lower EVERY ceiling on the base. The energy savings was more than enough to pay for the lowering of the ceiling and for many years to come. Every new building now built has the low ceilings and they have built several billion dollars worth of buildings just in the last few years. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb Posted February 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Once again you guys were right. Just hire someone. My wife did. I think it only cost 10-15 yuan and that include the price of the bulb. Perhaps I should have asked the question. How much will the rich foreigner have to pay for changing a light bulb? Labor is much cheaper over in China. Danb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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