Anyone know of a tool for changing these bulbs? 25′ up. They hang from a chain, so you can’t push up on them or twist them without the fixture doing the same. Right now they rent a scissors lift and move carpet, foam, springs, plywood, etc to change them once a year or so, but it’s a big pain. A tool would be much better, if one existed…
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Replies
Back in the 50's my grade school had lights like that.
One tool was a spring loaded bulb grabber shaped like a circular hand, the other a 3 prong tool to grab the rim of the fixture. About 20 feet up. 2 guys could change a bulb easily. The men holding the poles crossed them so the torque could be applied to the bulb.
I'm too lazy right now to look thru Grainger catalog for the parts, assume the tools are still made.
Asked a maintenance guy at the Denver airport once how they got to all the high light fixture - they all pulled up to mostly hidden catwalks.
Skyhook.
Jet pack.
small boom...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
That's my usual response, but I don't see how shaped explosives will help in this case.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
the lights would then be on the floor and the bulb changing would be a breeze..Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Gymnast human pyramid?
"Gymnast human pyramid?"
Now THAT was funny.
It would be a hell of a pyramid, though....
Don't ask me no questions, and I won't tell you no lies. [Lynyrd Skynyrd]
What ya figgure about 12 high? I'd hate to be on the bottom layer...LOL
Spidey man.
start a contest for the kids to design and build the tool?
One man lift is the best I can come up with, it would work with a lot less moving things around. A tool that would reach 25ft. would be impossible to control from the ground. Luck.
"If all else fails, read the directions"
Yeah, the one-man lift is probably the best you're gonna do. Might be able to come up with a scheme of using plywood panels on legs (or possibly legs on the man lift) to span the stuff on the floor and avoid having to move it out of the way. But would have to be rigid -- you don't want to be 25 feet up in a shaky man lift.One might get a pole to work if it were designed with some sort of gizmo to latch onto the fixture, so the tool end and fixture were steadied together. But it would take some design work -- you would want a turret to remove the old bulb then rotate the new one into place without having to lower the pole, all driven by rotating shafts in the pole or some such.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
helo.. put the rotors on the bottom of the helo and stand on the top...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Makes landing a bit tricky.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
when yur done park it onto yur sky hook...
take the elevator to 1st floor...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Good idea, but it has a flaw, how do you change the rotational direction, lol.
Just speed up/slow down the tail rotor.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Actually, it might almost be practical to use some sort of RC aircraft -- maybe half blimp/half helicopter. You'd want something that could latch on to the fixture to do the actual change.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Next time they are in there with the sissors lift, take some time to make some attachment points for climbing gear. Some sort of snap in set up.
Then you only need to change the bulbs as they burn out. Burnt bulb. Get under it with long pole. Clip the pully to the attachment point. Put on the harness and up you go.
Might want to check with a local climbing club.
Stilts!
ask the designer
ask the designer
LOL -- no kidding! There has to be a simple solution that the gym owners are overlooking. I can't believe anyone would design a building like this (or that someone would manufacture such lights) without a simple maintenance procedure.
But I guess stranger things have happened.
The building was originally a roller hockey rink. It was easy to run a scissors lift from light to light on that smooth surface. They went belly up. Current owner has made it a gymnastics place, with foam pits, spring floors, and equipment bolted to the floor. Scissors lift is a lot less convenient than it used to be.Catwalks to reach lights would be awfully expensive, as would rewiring each light.Checked with Grainger, and they don't have anything.Surely we can come up with some contraption to hold the fixture while we turn a light bulb...and we can probably cut the 25' to 15' by standing on blocks and reaching...
How about one of those life saving hooks found at swimming pools. Cut the round end off of the "hook" end leaving two curved fingers on the end. Attach this to a pole long enough to hook over the top of the light and hold it in position. Then you could use one of those suction cup bulb changers to spin out the bulb.
http://www.poolclick.com/web/catalog/product_detail.aspx?pid=59975
In stead of using a scissor there are small articulated arm lifts that I think are samll enough to get in the door.With those you only need to clean maybe one or two places and have it sit in place.The other question is what kind of bulbs are in those.Many lights for those kind of operation are metal halide and others that have never long life.But then you need to look at the cost of replacing all of the fixtures..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Maybe you should contact the manufacturer of the lights and see if they have any suggestions.
I think they could be changed with a pole and bulb adaptor. The lights are probably heavy enough that a quick twist would loosen the bulb without spinning the fixture.
I think that's been tried. But it shouldn't take much beyond that. I'm picturing a pole with a 270 degree hoop attached at a right angle. The hoop could slip over the fixture and past the chain, and if its base is rubber, that friction could maybe hold the fixture sufficient to turn the bulb changer.Yes?
What's above them? Since they hang on chains, perhaps they were designed for places that have some overhead space and catwalks, so what you do is hook them and pull them up to work on them.
If the catwalk idea won't work, another thing to consider is chandelier winches -- you lower them to where you can reach them from the floor.
-- J.S.
another thing to consider is chandelier winches -- you lower them to where you can reach them from the floor.
That was my first thought. But I wasn't sure if they made chandelier winches with a 20-foot-plus drop.
Good idea about a possible catwalk, too.
> But I wasn't sure if they made chandelier winches with a 20-foot-plus drop.
Certainly they used to. The ones at the Warner Grand Theater must have been a good 40 - 50 ft. The proscenium is 30 ft. high. I know they don't have them at Home Depot, though. ;-)
-- J.S.
<chandelier winches >
I like that - chicks that do the work?
Forrest
What type of bulb is used? Do you have a fixture to look at "on the ground" ?
Back when I was in gymnastics, we had a rope handing from one of the beams that we used to climb in a few seconds. So all you have to do is figure a way to position the rope close enough to the light fixture and then once you do a hand over hand up the rope, you just hang on with one hand and unscrew the light bulb and then put in the new one. Might want some kind of basket to keep the bulbs in - although they do make a delightful kerplop when they hit the floor... It would do wonders for your lats and biceps. Maybe the owners could make that part of the strength training program and get paid for people changing the light bulbs for them...
Here you go - http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/bfs/399201253.html
and its about the cost of ONE chandelier lift!
Jeff
Rent a giraffe and hire a dwarf.
small kid on the end of a 20' stick.
I'm thinking bamboo pole?
... no one ever takes us seriously anyways ...
Yer idea ... circus/carnival gonna come thru town at least once a year?
But Hey ... what does Mike know?
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
The smaller the kid, the less duct tape you'll have to use, too.Circus once a year. Exactly what I was thinking. Lights need changed once a year, circus is in town once a year... A simple solution.
Yeh... That'll work.
No pole needed -- just a juggler and a midget.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
How about some reeeeealy long stilts?
Or a really tall person.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
trampoline
Just lower the ceiling when you need to change the bulbs.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
use bigger bulbs.
I've sheetrocked ceilings higher than that using mason's scaffold on wheels. Twenty feet would only take eight 5' frames with braces, four wheels, a set of safety rails with posts and about a dozen planks.
It wouldn't take much space to store the scaffolding, could even be outside. Of course the scaffold could be rented too.
A couple of guys could have it set up in an hour, taking it easy. Oh, you'd need a length of good rope, preferably hemp.
BTW, one of the high ceiling jobs was at a Consolidated Edison Plant on the west bank of the Hudson River, about five miles north of Newburgh, NY. That was the highest at about thirty feet.
I've also rocked cathedral ceilings which peaked at over twenty feet, using the same scaffold. Anyway it's common practice on large commercial jobs. It was the way it was always done, before the big lifts became available.
Edited 8/24/2007 12:30 pm ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
But the scaffolding would require removing many of the mats too. And, in the process of being set up and taken down so many times, be more apt to damage the floor, et al.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Dan,
It was stated that they go through and change the bulbs, once a year. They could use the mats to lay the frames on, if that was a problem. The wheels are covered with a rubber tire which won't scratch the floor.
BTW, I've set up gymnastics equipment and taken it down. It's not a real big deal.
Edited 8/24/2007 7:19 am ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
The OP stated that it WAS a big deal -- that's the problem.And I've never seen a rubber-tired industrial caster yet that couldn't scratch a wood floor.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I respectfully disagree. The owners of the place may not like to have to move some of the equipment but it's not a big deal if you have a couple of fairly strong people.
I used to do it annually for a gymnastics summer camp which was held at a private school. I got called to install the anchor plates in the hardwood floor and they asked me to set up the equipment too.
It's going to take a couple of guys to erect the scaffold so why can't they move some of the gym equipment? The scaffold will actually fit over most of the pieces, the horses for example, which are the heaviest. It'll fit over the balance beams too. From the photo, that looks like what they have the most of.
That leaves only the bars, which are a fifteen minute job to take apart or set up. Or...you might be able to work around them with the scaffold too.
And I'll have to ask you to believe me that the solid rubber tire wheels I used will not scratch any flooring. They're made specifically for that purpose.
Edited 8/24/2007 12:32 pm ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
Thank you for comprehending, Dan. Pulling up 20,000 sf of equipment, spring floors, etc gets old fast. If he wanted to continue to do this once a year, then the current scissors lift would continue to work just fine. The entire point of this thread is to find an alternative solution that can avoid that, and allows bulb changing whenever a bulb needs changing. A suction bulb changer with extensions should be < $100 and if we can fashion a hook to hold down the light, that, too should be cheap and effective.
Edited 8/24/2007 8:41 am ET by CloudHidden
Thank you for comprehending, Dan.
Looks like you haven't comprehended my suggested method very well. The scaffold frames are tall enough, when on wheels, to fit over and around all the equipment visible in the photo, as installed. It will also fit over all other gymnastic apparatus except the various types of bars; high bar, parallel bars and uneven parallel bars.
If you're not going to accept an answer based on experience, why do you ask the question?
Are you pissed at me because of what I said about architects, a few days ago? So that makes anything I have to offer suspect?
Edited 8/24/2007 12:04 pm ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
I recall talking to Dan. I don't recall commenting to you. It's not always about you.Scaffold in our gym would suffer from most of the same problems as the lift, plus some others. I know it's pointless to explain why that is, since you've already reached your conclusion and will just dig in more with each exchange. I don't have the energy for that. If you want to make everything contentious, find someone else with whom to do it. Not pissed at all, just weary of your style.
It's not always about you.
No it's not about me. It's about you not responding to someone who's making a sincere effort to be helpful, offering pertinent experience with specifics.
After writing several posts over an eight hour period, explaining what's behind the advice, without a response from you, and then having that advice pointedly ignored(post #47), you bet I'll say something to provoke you.
Edited 8/24/2007 11:09 pm ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
not cheap ... but an articulated boom is more useful than a scissors lift . although some equipment would still need to be moved out of the way two rows could probably be relamped without too much trouble.
.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
on second thought, since it is a gym, why not park a trampoline under each fixture.
.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
I don't know how big the links to the chain are, or whether someone could access them to do this from the floor, but a long rod with an L-shaped bend on the end that you could stick through a link might be able to keep enough force to counter the suction cup changer twisting the bulb. Takes 2 people, but might work.
You have two separate issues to address.
The first is access; perhaps a boom lift (propane powered) will allow you to access the lights, with less need to move equipment. A small 'Genie" lift can work, but you need to position it directly under each fixture. A boom has a fair amount of swing to the side.
The second issue is the type of light fixture. I suspect that those are obsolete metal halide fixtures. The newer ones are either enclosed, or require a special type of bulb. Older type MH bulbs can either crack - giving everyone a bad case of sunburn - or actually explode.
I doubt that any type of 'bulb grabber' would work very well. First of all, 25 ft. is a LONG reach for a pole. Second, the bulbs often become very difficult to remove from the sockets (and ... because of the cracks mentioned above, often break). Finally, the new bulbs get hot FAST ... probably damaging any rubber parts of the tool.
come to think of it...
wasn't there several threads in the Tav on how to change bulbs...
or was that lamps???Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Cloud hidden,
it's called a push around.. much cheaper to rent than a scissor lift and you can get them that go up to 40 feet in the air.. plus they are much smaller and can easily be carried in a pick up. .. since they are small and light you can pull them up several flights of stairs or put them in elevators without overloading the elevator..
basically they are battery powered lifts that has a basket you get in, push a button and go up to the light. when the bulb is switched you can either push the button and go down or pull yourself along by the joists etc. to the next one..
I still like an earlier posters suggestion of climbing a rope up to them. Let a rock climber work off some community service hours, ha ha.
How about stringing some aircraft cable alongside the lamps in as long of a amount as possible,ie the cable is tight to the ceiling. You will have to stop at the ducts obviously and what ever else is in the way. Therfor you could hook up in one location (off of a ladder) and the slide your point of attachment over to where you need to be.
Would be a lot of work and expense to install the cables initially. But the benefits could possibly be worth it.
1. Can change most if not all lamps with out moving equipment.
2. Change bulbs only when needed.
3. Hang banners or whatnot off of cables. (couldn't tell from pic if the building is sprinklered, if so be careful.
4. Somebody might have a little fun doing it
Thanks, Frenchy. I used that keyword to find this: http://www.premierplatforms.com/push-around.htmSee next post...
cloud hidden,
that's exactly what should be used.. not terribly expensive either if you want to buy one..last for decades with no more maintinace than replaceing the battery every few years and a little bit of grease..
What springs to my mind, and is probably totally impractical, and likely too expensive, would be to mount the lights on industrial retractable tool hangers, the ones that reel up the cord....then a long hook could be used to pull each light down to the floor. Instead of going up to the lights, bring the lights down to you.
I'm just brainstorming, with a nice chilled glass of Argentinian white wine. And no, I won't be offended if you don't instantly jump on my idea as the one and only great solution, nor will I beat it to death by repeating it and insisting that you aren't paying me due respect.
Sip. AAAAAHH. Mmmm. That's better.
Raising a Red Hook to you for making me laugh! Your phraseology was great.I had the chance to check the situation out more today. The lights are a dozen or more years old. Probably metal halide, as some suggested. Many haven't been changed in years. Often they are stuck in the base and need lubricant to be set free without breaking. A bulb changer is ruled out.The fixtures are hung from ~18" chains with a cord reaching up to a receptacle. Lowering fixtures won't work without a complete reconfiguration. Goal is to be able to change one or two as needed without throwing the gym into major upheaval, i.e., without dismantling the spring floors or other equipment.To do that, need something with a smallish footprint, be/c the floor is "littered" with obstacles, from 6" raised spring floors to 8" rod floors to 24" tumble traks to 8' deep foam pits. There is no clear path around these, and up and over (some of them have soft edges) is also problematic for anything that is not compact.From my perspective, the push around lift Frenchy described is an awesome fit. The stabilizers adapt to different surface heights. It would also be easier than the current solution for changing the A/C filters, and a variety of other tasks. I'll pass that on to the owner, and he can decide how much money he wants to spend to solve this problem.Thanks to all for their thoughts (except that giraffe dude! <g>). Dog bones to Frenchy.
Yeah, that's the chandelier winch. Several variations:-- Mount fixtures on bars so there are only 4-5 bars to raise/lower, and only one power cable that needs to extend.-- Individual cable for each fixture, with extending power cable.-- Individual cable for each fixture, with fixture auto-connecting to power socket when winched all the way up and in place.Note that one winch can be used for several fixtures, by ganging together the hoist cables.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Reminds me of the old story - ''how many Harvard students does it take to change a lightbulb?''
answer One - he just holds it in the air and knows the whole world revolves round him.
In the UK we have bayonette fit bulbs which have to be pushed in and twisted at the same time, makes it a bit trickier.