Changing a 17' high light bulb?

[Wade Lippman]

My family room ceiling is 17' high and has two recessed light fixtures. How the heck do I change light bulbs. We rarely use them because I don't know how to change them if they burn out.
The biggest stepladder I can find to rent is 14', which doesn't seem high enough.
I bought a 15' pole that has a suction cup on the end. I tried it on a same, but lower fixtures, and it works; but the idea of a bulb falling 17' is horrible. We would be cleaning up glass shards for the next 20 years.
I thought of having a few people with pillows in trash cans to catch the bulb if it falls, but that seems chancy.

Any ideas?

[Howard Garner]

14 foot ladder places the top within 3 feet on the ceiling.
Standing on the third rung down should place you within reaching distance of the light fixture.
(unless you are extremely short )

[Dan Friedrichs]

I needed a tall ladder, once (to install a ceiling fan on a tall, vaulted ceiling). The cost of such a tall ladder (even to rent) was quite a bit. I bought 3, 16' 2x4s and built a tripod-like structure, then nailed short 2x4 "steps" up one side (also obviously had some other horizontal members to hold the tripod pieces in place). Worked really surprisingly well, and when I was done, just unscrewed it and reused the lumber for some other thing...

You could also install LED bulbs that would not burn out and would not contain shatter-able glass...

[Van Huskey]

I change bulbs that high up on a 12' ladder, never had an issue. A 14' ladder would be a luxury.

I just measured and the bulbs in the chandelier are at 17' 3" (the ceiling is 24' IIRC).

[Mike Henderson]

When I had a house with a ceiling like that I bought a "tool" that was an extension pole with a thing that would grab the bulb (not a suction cup). From there, I could unscrew the bulb. Replacement was the opposite - put a new bulb in the fixture and push and screw it into the socket.

Mike

[Lee Schierer]

These basket type of bulb grabbers work better than the suction cups.
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[Wade Lippman]

I tried the basket thing; the fixture it pretty tight to the bulb and I couldn't get it through.

I tried a 9' ceiling with a 6' ladder and it worked; so 17' with a 14' should be okay also, though I would be much more comfortable down a step.
I surely wouldn't have the nerve to try it on a 12' ladder!

Thanks

[Rick Moyer]

the bigger question is: How many woodworkers does it take to change a light bulb?

[Lee Schierer]

I don't know we haven't got it changed yet...

[Von Bickley]

You can easily do it with the 14 ft. ladder and 4 kitchen chairs......

[Stan Calow]

I tried to use a 14' step ladder once. Not only was it a challenge to get it home in my pick-up, but it was too large to open the legs and fit in the room in which I was working. I used a 12' instead, with a short extension stick. I'd take chances on dropping the bulb - put a sheet or something down.

[Wade Lippman]

The 14' ladder weighs 86 pounds. Shouldn't be any harder to cartop than an aluminum canoe, should it?
And it wouldn't be much over 15' collapsed, so I can't see opening it would be a problem.

Putting a sheet down would catch 90% of the debris, but I can see a fountain of glass shooting up everywhere.

[Shawn Pixley]

I have about 20 or so fixtures in our 16' ceilings. I use the pole with the suction cup. They all got switched to compact fluorescents. Now I need to switch to LED's.

The pole is daunting at first, but it gets easier.

[Ole Anderson]

When you change them, do it once, go with LED's. Did that with a chandelier in my stairwell that was always burning out bulbs.

[Barry McFadden]

Can't resist .......... I've never seen a 17' high light bulb ...... usually seem to be around 5" to 6" high!!!!!!!!