home Fix label Kitchen Appliances label_important Electric Cookers category Neff

Re Neff B1422 Oven lamp glass. Keith you're not alone! ?

Neff B1422, fitted Oven. Cannot unscrew the glass cover to the oven light. It only turns 1/2 inch then back again. Do you have to press or pull as you turn? Any help much appreciated.
I'd like to watch the turkey cooking!!!

SmartAlec, December 2008

home Fix label Kitchen Appliances label_important Electric Cookers category Neffdone

whacked it with a bit of wood and hammer on edge - thanks for posting the ideas they're brilliant

the NEFF tool is rubbish

chris, November 2021

after not being able to undo the light glass on our neff u15m52, after putting wd40 around the top with the straw left for about 1 hour then as someone else suggested put a wide flat screwdriver against one of the luggs on the glass gave it a few sharp knocks with a mallet, the glass came undone.dont be afraid to give it a hit as the glass is quite tough

ROY, December 2019

My bosh lamp cover had cross threaded. I sprayed with wd40 left it for half an hour. Tapped it hard about 3/4 Times with my wooden rolling pin. Unscrewed like a dream. Thanks for all suggestions

katherine little, August 2018

The top of the glass cover had sheared off, so the removal tool wouldn't work. I sprayed some WD40 between the glass and the screw fitting, waited a few minutes then positioned a wooden spoon against a projection on left side of the broken glass and gave the spoon handle a couple of whacks with a hammer. Bingo - that did the trick in loosening the glass fitting and I was then able to manually remove the fitting. I then replaced the bulb and screwed in a replacement glass cover, making sure not to over tighten it.

Tom, April 2018

Hi I have had problem getting light cover off an old Zanussi oven - tried all the advice on the internet I could find -like heating the oven up and then turn off the power and gently turn cover anti-clockwise it only worked a little but cover did not come off - until I bought a Boa Wrench £4.50 from local hardware shop - 3 turns of it and hey presto it came off - Brilliant it will
work for any oven light cover I guarantee it.

Kim - non DIY person, December 2017

Tried just about every solution suggested on here. The eventual winner? WD40 and brute force from my (very cross) husband.

Julie, November 2017

Brilliant bluetack solution - I had almost given up to a future of dark cooking and this worked first time!!!!

Chazzer, November 2017

One of those days when I love t'internet. My thanks and appreciation to previous posters.

Neff oven. Same symptom as most - cover turns by a few degrees but seems to be at a hard stop each end.

I used a long large bladed screwdriver, fed in between the grill element and the roof of the oven (a little bit naughty, I know) butted up to the raised notch on the cover on the left hand side, and gave the screwdriver handle some sharp taps with a rubber mallet.

After a small movement from the above, the cover then twisted off easily. It was a screw thread moulded in the glass, no bayonet, push or pull action.

Confirm the undo was anti-clockwise, side on left moving away, side on right moving towards.

Interestingly (well, if you're a geek), when I screwed it back on after changing the bulb, it went back to the starting condition i.e. free movement over a short range against hard end stops.

Mike, November 2017

I was grilling cheese on toast yesterday and found 1/2 the light cover sitting on my lunch. The thing had sheared off and cracked in half. Now stuck with just the thread still in situ. Never known anything like it. Looks like I'll have to smash the glass out with eye and hand protection. We had bought the removal tool previuosly when changing the bulb. Still a struggle to remove.

Mich, August 2017

Had the same problem, numerous people tried and failed. Then I tried the rubber glove method hay presto job done!!

SG, May 2017

We removed the oven door and the right hand rack support and then tried rubber gloves, boa strap, wood with hammer and spraying with CIF. No luck. Then my wife lined the oven with newspaper to protect it and carefully sprayed the fitting with Mr Muscle oven cleaner (avoiding the self-cleaning lining), left it for 30 minutes, wiped it with kitchen paper and easily removed it wearing Marigold gloves. Sitting on a chair makes things easier.

Steve, May 2017

Worked using wd40 applied using straw, and mallet/bit of wood. Didn't leave wd40 on long so may have worked without. Helps if you have one person to hold the bit of wood and one person to bang it with a mallet. In terms of clockwise/anti-clockwise, we disagreed on which was which depending on how you look at it, so what worked was having the bit of wood against the lug on the left, couple of taps and it worked. Have only had oven six months so frustrating to have to replace already. Not very dirty so may have just been factory tightening that caused the problem. Was tempted to buy the LED version of the bulb so never have to change it again, but not sure if that would be ok, so just got the basic type for 95p! Hope this helps.

Katflap, January 2017

My Neff light cover broke in the Mini oven / grill. The glass came away leaving the threaded area and no way of unscrewing it with lots of sharp edges. After reading other peoples solutions to this problem I just gave it a tap with the plyers which broke the glass and it just fell out in three pieces. Replaced bulb and cover job done. A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE POSTED as I would have never had the nerve to do this otherwise. Took five minutes. MAKE SURE MAINS ELECTRIC IS SWITCHED OFF. WEAR GLOVES AND GLASSES IN CASE GLASS SPLINTERS.

Doris Smith, January 2017

Had same problem, but also had a broken cover on other oven. Ordered replacement part and hey presto comes with tool for the job.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-14-UN-18-Light-Cover-Removal-x/dp/B009P5ZCCC/ref=sr_1_8?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1482330316&sr=1-8&keywords=neff++oven+bulb+glass+cover
So frustrating it does not come with it to start with

Stephen, December 2016

Spent ages last night trying to remove the glass on my 3 months old oven (hopefully just unlucky with the bulb) - didn't resort to the hammer! Brainwave tonight to try wrapping some blu-tac round it. Moulded to a sausage shape about 1cm diameter to go all the way round. Slight pressure anti-clockwise and came off dead easy. Cushions the grip, gives extra grip on the glass and the hand, and I think the extra overall diameter gives more torque. Tempted to put some silicone grease on the thread and not overtighten. Hope this might help others.

Tony, December 2016

Unbelievable (apologies to Victor Meldrew ) first thread 2008, here we are 2016 and I've just had the usual wrestle with the main oven lamp holder, bit of wood and hammer working as per many other contributors.........Neff clearly don't listen to customers....or don't care what they think.....let's try and influence them with retail purchasing power......don't buy Neff !!!

fisherman 444, December 2016

I tried using a silicone poached egg mould to get a grip and it worked well, coming off anti-clockwise.
A bulb I bought for £2 on line did not work. Searched again and found either a Neff bulb + tool costs £10 or a new bulb from John Lewis costs £2.50 - and works fine. Go figure.

Wladyslaw Mejka, November 2016

Yay, putting the tool inside a disposable latex worked for me - still need a firm grip though! And it does need to be turned anti-clockwise

Omniman, November 2016

Had a stuck light cover on my Neff that would not budge. The bespoke tool would just pop off and no other tool could fit into the corner of the oven. Eventually, I resorted to the WD40 solution, spraying a tiny amount right into the joint (using the straw attached to the head of the can) and left it to penetrate for about 15 minutes - the cover came right off with hardly any force needed. Scrubbed everything clean to remove any oil residue and reassembled.

Andy, October 2016

Like other posters, this glass cover is a blighter to move, purchased the removal tool, but please don't waste your money, it is pretty useless and far too flexible, wood and hammer didn't work, so I resorted to water pump pliers, they opened up enough to secure a grip on glass cover, little bit of pressure, but not too much, and it finally came loose, very, very badly designed and positioned oven light

Dibs44, August 2016

Like many other who have posted on here, I used the screwdriver and hammer. A large (minus) screwdriver tucked just behind the most appropriate node in an anticlockwise direction if you were looking up at it. Then, being very careful not to catch the grill element with the hammer, gave the end of the screwdriver a few good taps with a fairly large metal claw type hammer didn't budge it so tried a few more sharp taps, then using a thin rubber glove for grip it unscrewed. The glass was very dirty, couldn't even tell it was glass. The cooking residues must have built up in the threads and they just shatter when the screwdriver/hammer is used, allowing it to then unscrew. Will give it a really good clean up and, as others have said, screw it up a little less tightly. This reveals the small screw,small round bulb which I will now get. Don't forget to switch off the electric source though like I did. Luckily, I'm still here to write this unharmed.

WonderWoman, August 2016

I also followed the instructions and tried every possibility solution. I then turned it clockwise and it came off reasonably easily!! NEFF should get the instructions right!!!

SJW, July 2016

Used a flat wooden spatula and a hammer to loosen the cover like I read on this multiple times and low and behold it worked. It was a bit fiddly and would work better with two people but once it was up against one if the knobs it moved within a few taps. Thanks for your help everyone. After 11 months we finally have a light in our oven again!

NJ, April 2016

I tried a rubber glove, the removed tool, a hammer and wood, WD 40 and a lot of brute force and still couldn't remove it. I couldn't even remove the door to help access to the light! In the end I put the tool inside a rubber glove and tried anti clockwise as per instruction book and still no good .....so I tried clockwise and it undid easily!

Maggot, December 2015

Neff b45E42
Mine unscrewed clockwise, instead of anti-clockwise as stated in the instructions. I now have very strong arm muscles from trying to turn it as per the instructions for half an hour!!!

tired teddington housewife, September 2015

Neff U15E52.3GB. We used a 'Boa Constrictor Jar Opener'. It has a contoured plastic handle and a long rubber strap attachment. The rubber strip is fitted around the device to be opened. It is adjusted in size by moving the end of the rubber strip to tighten it around the lid and securing it in the Boa handle. It can be used on household jars, medicine bottle caps and taps etc.

Peter Robinson, June 2015

A wooden mallet to cover directly and side on fixed it. Extraordinary. Cover was fine, but bulb got mashed. Thanks for the tips.

David D, May 2015

Husband, son and strong neighbour couldn't remove the glass. While they were having a cup of tea and discussing the next move ie
hammer, wrench etc. I sprayed the area with CIF kitchen spray waited 5 mins and,using a little mesh cloth I use for undoing lids, pressed upwards and turned - it came away easily!
PS I'm 70 with weak wrists !!!!!!

Jan, March 2015

Had same problem with my Bosch HBN43M551B top oven light. Couldn't do wooden spoon trick - kept slipping off lug. In despair, I finally hit the lamp cover 3 times quite hard (in a temper) with nylon-ended hammer while uttering some choice swear words and lo, cover unscrewed with ease. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

Lezl, March 2015

Finally figured it out.Press the lens/cover inward then turn!!!Felt so stupid

Cisha, December 2014

Cut a strip of gaffer tape about 1 inch wide. Attach tape starting on Rhs and wrapping tape initially towards you then around back of glass fitting. With tape existing on rhs and towards you. Once attached pull tape on rhs with right hand and use left hand to twist unit.
Good luck....

Vicky, October 2014

Had upper oven lamp working but cover broken. Lower oven cover intact but lamp gone.
Small block of wood ( approx 25mm square) then up against a lug on the glass cover..2 or 3 sharp taps with hammer (ANTI CLOCKWISE...ie tap left hand side AWAY from you) dead easy.
Replace lamp straight forward.
BROKEN glass cover...did not have convienient lug left on mine to tap against....so get pliers and break a small piece off in approx 9 oclock position as you look up at it from front of oven. NOW you have a corner to wedge wood aginst...and as above...easy.good luck

ex CL & co Fitter, October 2014

Success - put the plastic removal tool inside a rubber glove and it will work! Better traction I guess.

Apuleius, October 2014

I spent three hours yesterday trying to get the lamp bulb off. The neff plastic tool is hopeless and have tripped the hammer and wood method without success. Any other tips?

Apuleius, October 2014

Where the lamp moves a bit this is just the fitting moving in the oven so don't be fooled that the lens moves and then gets stuck. I could not use the wood or rubber strap method but quite simply used a pair of big waterpump pliers opened right up to just fit the bowl and the jaws touching the lugs - simple (do not squeeze the pliers on the glass) and used them like a key ( you could just cut a U out of a piece of ply and do the same or even use two sticks shaped like a V held with a screw at one end ).
The glass lens seems to grip on the fitting probably to stop it unscrewing in fan ovens with the vibration. Done a few of these now and it works everytime.

Christofar, October 2014

Worked for me. piece of wood and hammer. was a bit of a fiddle as it kept slipping off but after 5 mins was off :)

Richard Clark, September 2014

Borrowed a neff tool but slips right off. Wife chased me out kitchen when i produced a hammer. Will try again when she has gone to bed

Paul, August 2014

I used the tool that auto mechanics have for removal of an oil filter on a car engine. It has a rubber strap that can be pulled through the tool to accommodate any diameter. Worked a treat!

Wigmoreman, August 2014

Tried rubber glove, no use...

Another vote for the wooden spoon and hammer from me! - It's a bit of a struggle negotiating around the element in the top oven, but a small spoon will get there...also, it's easier if there's two people, one to hold the spoon against the ridge on the glass,the other to wield the hammer!!

Good luck all!

Merseygull, July 2014

Thank you all.

A very, ahem, edu-taining thread........rubber glove here.

Dave M, July 2014

I have the Neff tool and still had a problem. Tried rubber mallet & wood but afraid of breaking glass/grill element. In the end attached mole grips to end of Neff tool. Heated oven for two minutes placed tool over glass cover and twisted mole grips! It turned easily, success!!

Tim, June 2014

Glad I found this website. Ordered a removal tool from Espares that turned out to be too small for my bulb cover. I luckily found the comments about the wooden spoon here - Hey presto problem fixed in 2 minutes-- Thanks a lot.

Barry, April 2014

Fantastic, forum. Having cut my hands to pieces on the broken cover, found this forum and got it off in seconds with the wooden spoon and hammer method.

gibbylinks, March 2014

Our glass bulb cover sheared off, so we couldnt use the tool as the indentations broke off the bulb cover. Nighmare. We has to get the oven out and go in from the top. In the end we had to brake the remains of the glass out anyway. Not an easy job.When we put the new one in we tried not to overtighten it.

Robi, January 2014

Thanks to everyone for all your tips. Yes wooden spoon and sharp tap with hammer works brilliantly and cover came off straight away. As mentioned previously, it's worth putting a tea towel or something similar underneath to cushion the fall.

Irene G, December 2013

It was impossible to remove glass cover to replace using rubber glove and brute force. tried everything. then was at first a bit worried about using the hammer and a block of wood.Having run out of ideas and not wanting to call an engineer gave it a go.
I held the the wood against the left side and gave it a few whacks, it actually took about 10 times .eureka came off easy. I've left it a bit loose so its easier next time.Neff I am really disappointed that I had to resort to such methods in2013 such poor design.Thanks to all for advice .

Patricia aged 60, December 2013

Wooden flat spoon /spatula and mallet rules.Quite difficult as spoon edge tends to slip away from glass lug. Persevere and I agree with an earlier opininion that Neff should provide the 'special' tool with the purchase of an expensive piece of kit.

Mikeinwimbledon, December 2013

Couldn't get wooden spoon in, angle too great. Oven - Neff B16E74, but used rubber strap "boa-constrictor" jar opener after warming oven. Worked well once I worked out which was anti-clockwise (rhs towards you!)

Yorkshire John, November 2013

Used the square edge wooden spoon and hammer. Managed to split the spoon but hit it quite a few times ; eventually enough force applied then turned with a bit more force than you expect to use and it unscrewed.

Patrick Wray, November 2013

Had the same problem as everyone. Def a hammer and a small bolster to hit the glass casing on one of its notches anti clockwise. Took 1 min to remove after a few hours using vinegar and trying to turn it by hand. All sorted and very easy if you use hammer and bolster as suggested.

Jonathan, November 2013

I love the internet. Used a combination of the above - vinegar, wait a bit, tap with wooden spoon/mallet combo, then twist wearing Marigolds. Bingo. Thanks for great tips.

Liz, November 2013

lol Absolutely Crazy ...Own a Bosch HBA43B2 Built in Oven. Just over 12 months old...bulb gone. Could I shift the glass no way. I am 6'3" and 14stone solid grip. My son 23 keen kayaker and strong no way. Cleaned it with vinegar, tried a rubber glove, whole cooker moving and yes turning anti clockwise as you look at it. About to give up and order a new one resorting to breaking with a pipe wrench. Online banking was down so a quick google and out with a square ended wooden spoon and rubber mallet (Good job I had them) Placed flat end against one of the lugs and a tentative tap to soft. A more solid blow to end of handle and the fitting just spun. Off with ease and glass was spotless so hard to fathom why so stuck. Cleane with barkeepers friend and then white vinegar, wash and dry and back on with new bulb which I already had. BUT Mr Bosch/Neff designer you should be sacked its a very poor piece of engineering thats been around since 1980s at least. THANKS to those that had been daft enough to try it.

NickF, October 2013

Heated the oven up a little, then switched off power to oven. Then using oven gloves twisted the glass cover with a firm grip anti-clockwise. Did this few times with abrupt motion, which loosened the glass cover. My oven wasn't heated up too much - just few minutes of heating up. Make sure your oven isn't too hot before doing this, to avoid burning. Great forum for the many tips given here. Saved a fortune. So it can be done without the tool. Made my day !!

A Joal, September 2013

What would we do without the Internet? Have just tried the woodenspoon and hammer routine- worked like a dream. Thank you.

GB Berlin, September 2013

You have got to love google!!!! Following advise on here with wooden spoon and hammer, hey presto it worked a treat.

Woud now like to try same technique with hammer on neff oven designers head.

Joe Mc, September 2013

re Neff double oven U15E42.0GB
same problem cannot remove the glass from the light in main oven.
Although reading the reviews made us laugh out loud it is appalling that this problem has been an issue for so many years and nothing has changed
will not purchase another Neff Oven.
Tried rubber gloves, hammer & wooden spoon to no avail. Will have to resort to smashing it I guess

Angela, August 2013

double stick scotch foam tape and water pump pliers.............piece of cake!

kevin nelms, August 2013

Brilliant! Used the wooden spoon but couldn't line it up with the notches as the grill element was in the way, so in frustration I covered the lamp with the spoon and whacked it with the hammer twice - hey presto the lamp screwed off easy peasy! So easy after hours of twisting and turning with cloths and grips to no avail.

Angie, August 2013

After months of trying to remove cover and spending 8.95 on the neff or should I say NAFF tool, and endless burnt cakes I finally found this forum and used the wooden spoon and hammer trick!! 3 taps and hallelujah it's come off changed bulb and put cover on not so tight. Thank you :)

Tracey, August 2013

Well I'll be blowed! Wooden spoon, hammer, a few sharp taps (Quite a few actually!) and out it comes! Been trying to twist it out for months without any success and I have a grip that can crack almonds! Well done to all on this forum for the excellent suggestion.

Tim W, June 2013

Same problems as everyone. Warmed the oven up, used the spoon and hammer method. Lamp cover practically fell off with no damage.

Sue, June 2013

Wooden spoon and a hammer, worked a trick!!

Eskie81, May 2013

After hours of frustration I found this forum - so glad it's not just me!!! I used hammer and screwdriver approach and a couple good taps did the job.

Aussie Neff Owner (another Keith), May 2013

Thanks a lot. The wooden spoon and the hammer worked, but you have to hit hard. At first I was afraid to break it and it didn't work. A little frustration helped to hit it harder and then it got loose.

the causal handyman, April 2013

Thanks all for the ideas... I had one of these in my tool kit . Slightly awkward to get on , but glass off in 5 seconds! No hammers required http://www.powertoolsdirect.com/boa-constrictor-strap-wrench

Simon Ramskill, April 2013

All looked to good to be true. But sure enough a wooden spoon and a hammer loosened the glass cover as claimed by numerous contributors below.
Didn't need the rubber glove. And anyway I only had green ones rather than the recommended pink variety!!
And if I had broken the glass cover (which I didn't) it would have cost less than a tenner to replace. Compare that with the €40 call out fee Lele had to pay to get someone to appear at the front door!

nidostar, March 2013

I tried a lot of time to remove glass, but it's impossible. I called customer's service e they asked me € 40,00 only to arrive to me and plus time to remove glass and bulb. I don't know how is possible to remove this glass. It'll will remanin a mistery.

Lele, March 2013

I did it ! Hammer, screwdriver, few gently hits on the glass and then unscrewdred with the hand. 30 seconds !
Thank you so much for your advice.

Frederick, March 2013

I'm sorry that I didn't read this "forum" before my wife called a local Neff repair company (M.A.Wash Vac-Edgware)who charged £49.00 + VAT to use the Neff tool to remove the glass, it took 2 minutes. They knew of the problem before calling and should have suggested buying a new cover and tool for £13. So we got ripped off twice... once by Neff's poor design and secondly by M.A.(Edgware). Neff should give you the removal tool when you spend nearly £1000 + on their oven.

Neffed Off, February 2013

Same answer. A few sharp anti-clockwise taps with a hammer and long screwdriver, then a contortionist position to get best grip with PINK rubber glove. Seemed like the strength of the grip was critical, so position critical, if uncomfortable.

Tryhard, February 2013

1. hitting hard with hammer gives shock effect which helps in most cases. The glass is very strong, so don't worry too much. If it breaks, send a mail to Neff, in their shaming situation they will provide a replacement ( free??)

2. if you succeeded in removing the glass, put some vaseline on it before remounting and leave the glass a little bit loose. It will help you next time.

bobo jansen, February 2013

Neff sent us a free plastic removal tool but it is made of too flexible plastic and slips off the already too small ridges on the glass cover. Like many we struggled, and struggled.....neff- redesign this thing or we won't buy again!

I have changed a bulb twice now.. Put an elastic band around the glass then use the tool, this gives enough of a grip for the plastic tool that it doesn't slip... Came off first time both times with this method. but a redesign would be better- are you listening Neff?

Robin the D, January 2013

we also had a lot of trouble removing the cover
finally we gave it a few blows with a hammer in order to break it
to our surprise
The cover came off in one piece when we gave it a last turn counterclockwise !!!!
the solution is hit it with a hammer
Neff should locate the lamp elsewhere and make it much easier to replace !!

Monique, January 2013

Geeeez!! I can't believe how difficult that was.....tried the rubber glove but still wouldn't shift so went for the BIG rubber mallet and block of wood idea. The glass unscrews anticlockwise if you were lying on your back looking up at it. Not easy in an oven! Put the block of wood on one of the nodules on the left (facing it as if looking in the oven this time!) and bang.......bang....BANG finally shifted it and then it was easy to unscrew by hand. Thanks Neff for the challenge and thanks Britain for making us all persevere!

Paul Holden, December 2012

Fought with this issue for an hour and brilliant the rubber glove worked. I worked anticlockise with nothing doing,heaved once the other way then back anticlockwise and it shifted! Had a panic on the main oven bulb cover as had switched the power off and replaced the bulb and cover. Then when powering on the oven did not work! You have to reset the clock to make the oven work!!

Malcolm Walker, December 2012

This forum is a lifesaver but it still took me an hour to do it. The mistake I was making was turning it the wrong way. I think when they say anticlockwise they mean when lying down and looking up at it! To get it right in my own head I tried unscrewing the top oven light cover, it came away no problem, clockwise as you stand up looking at it. I then went back to the problem lower oven light cover and gave it a few hard smacks with a rubber mallet and away it came!

Matt, December 2012

I have a double Neff Oven (ER Code U14M62N0GB/01. I purchased the so called tool (White toughtened platic glass holder) in order to remove the Oven Glass holders.... it does not work at all... wasted my money.

Best result is still rubber gloves. wooden spoon plus hammer to budge the glass.

This is my 4th Neff Oven and to date, everything works well. The Neff Engineers should re-design the location of the "Bulb" and a simpler way for normal glass holder removal.

T.C, November 2012

My husband has finally pulled the oven out from the wall, taken the back off and pushed the whole light fitting through the casing and into the oven cavity. He then had enough grip by being able to hold the glass and the mounting and it finally came off!! We tried the rubber glove and wood and hammer methods to no avail. What a totally rubbish design, but the great British spirit lives on in this thread and isn't beaten by anything!!

Sue H, October 2012

Hey presto!!!!! The PINK rubber gloves worked first time.
Thank you :)

Ems, October 2012

Just had the exact problem, but also it was slightly cross threaded.

So tightened it as though I was putting it back on, then hit it about 4 or 5 times with the hammer as suggested and bingo. It worked!!

JB, October 2012

Tried everything. Rubber gloves, wooden spoon and hammer, even the special Neff tool. The glass would turn about 15 degrees and no more. In desperation went back to the hammer and piece of wood, this time tried to hit it so that the glass moved in the clockwise direction (this keeps the piece of wood away from the heating element) - and hey presto after one big hit it came loose.

Graham, September 2012

At last got around to that low priority job of putting new bulbs in the Neff double oven cooker. Thought it would take about ten minutes, and after doing the top oven in two, thought I was on target. Then like all those above, I hit the sticking lamp glass problem. But help and humour was at hand and I spent an enjoyable ten minutes reading all the tales of those, who like me, could not reconcile German Enginering with good old British brute force of a hammer and woodern spoon! Of course it worked, unexplicably, in seconds, so apart from the twenty minutes battling unsuccessfully in the back of the cooker and finding a solution on the internet my ten minute estimate was achieved.

Perhaps Neff should add the comments of the stoic and resourceful Brits whose humour and unwillingness to be beaten by technological setbacks, as an annex to their manuals.

Nimbus, August 2012

Found your rubber glove advice and managed to impress my husband with my ingenuity! After he'd spent whole afternoon trying to loosen it, it came off almost immediately with rubber glove.

shawsey, June 2012

What a rubbish design, I have a vice like grip, and it took me an hour to undo with an old pair of rubber gloves.
My over is a year old and clean, the thread was clean its just a poor design

William, June 2012

I don't know about the pink gloves, but yellow ones worked for me! After trying all sorts of things - and positions - it finally budged. Thanks for the tip.

Abe, May 2012

My glass was really dirty so i thought i would unscrew glass to clean it. I was already wearing rubber gloves so tried to unscrew it. It came away in my hand how easy was that as i don't have a lot of strenth in my hands. Well that was until i went to wash it and realised it had sheared off, how lucky that i had gloves on. I am now left with the screw part left in place. Look out sledge hammer here i come! Glad i found this site no doubt will be using it more

Janice, May 2012

rubber glove ...worked like a magic trick !... THANK YOU THANK YOU

Darren M, April 2012

Had to resort to violence and smashed it out! (It was broken anyway after breaking and falling into my bacon!)

Tried the rubber gloves, heating up and then using WD40 but to no avail.

Good `Ol hammer treatment resolved it.

Bazzer, April 2012

Had same problem with a Neff U1644 double oven. Instructions book was useless as it didn't say how far the glass cover should twist before coming off (I could only twist it half an inch) so I emailed Neff to ask. Their answer was to try and sell me the removal tool and bulb for £12.95 incl post. Thanks to this forum I knew the glass cover required full twists and achieved this with ease with a rubber glove. Thank you everyone!

Wilko, March 2012

Re Neff B1322.1 oven

Could not get oven lamp glass undone. Was not prepared to buy removal tool or get engineer out at vast expense. Tried all options - finally the pink rubber glove worked.

L Weller, March 2012

in typical male fashion I went for the spoon hammer option with no joy. In 10 seconds the rubber glove got it off which I thought there was no chance!

michael carter, February 2012

Rubber gloves worked! Ta!

Larry Brown, February 2012

Rubber glove did it for me but it had to be inside out !! What kind of an idiot designed such an arrangement.

PJ, December 2011

Tired all suggestions, gloves etc - still too stiff. Couldn't get oil filter removal tool around glass - too slippy. Same with wooden spoon, slid off glass too easy - risk of damaging oven. Plastic removal tool from manufacturer was about £7 inc vat and del and still no guarantee of success according to others.

I used the biggest flat head screwdriver I could find. Covered blade with masking take to take away the sharpness of the edge, but if glass broke then would just order new shade. Used hair drier to soften grease on glass, a few gentle taps with screwdriver placed on glass lug - twisted glass cover back and forth a few times, and repeated process, each time using slightly more force with the hammer. At third attempt you could see the glass move. Forth time lucky and glass simply loosened enough to remove by hand.

Worth a try. Thanks for all suggestions below, would have called an engineer if I didn't know any better.

By the way this was on a Bosch double oven. Not sure if same as Neff but grill made for very awkward access to lamp. Screwdriver or bulb removal tool would have been only practical solutions to be honest.

Ron, December 2011

Did the hammer-wooden tool trick and i was thrilled to find out that it really works. many thanks

athena K, greece, December 2011

We've been trying to remove the cover for weeks, and were pleased to come across constructive advice. We read the comments, had a good laugh, and then set to removing the offending lamp glass. After having removed the door, armed with rubber gloves, wooden spoon and hammer, and much debate about which way was anticlockwise .......... we couldn't get quite enough leverage to give it a good enough whack to make it move - whose silly idea was it to position a light in the upper right hand corner? Eventually my husband used a screwdriver and hammer, it came off straight away, though in several pieces! :o) New cover on order!! Oven in process of being cleaned, now that I can see it properly! Though not by bulb! ha, ha!

Alison, December 2011

Go to espares .com thay have have an oven lamp glass removel tool . Lamp Cover Remover Tool
If you're finding it tricky to remove the cover on your oven light, this tool Done it in second

mike, September 2011

Well, after taking the oven out of the base unit to try and get some extra leverage with both hands and still not being able to get it to budge, I tried my wife's (nice pink) rubber gloves after reading the tips on this site.

One handed and with only gentle pressure, the cover came off straight away.

Charlie (wearing pink rubber gloves !), August 2011

Thank you all so much! Tried the rubber glove but it was a good whack with a hammer on a wooden spoon that did it, along with the confidence from all your comments and the comfort of not being alone. Neff and fixya expensive helpline eat your heart out. Thought Nick's dad's comment was the best LOL.

Margaret & Steve, June 2011

Brilliant thank you so much! Rubber glove worked for me.

Patrick, June 2011

Tried all the tips here - glove, hammer and wooden spoon all without success on my Neff B1422 oven. The lamp cover was well and truly stuck. Resorted to the Neff "dismounting tool" (code 613655) which worked perfectly. Link here
http://www.neff-eshop.com/eshop/neff/gb/article613655.htm

Ashley, May 2011

Great tip about using a rubber glove - I gave it a try and it worked a treat.

Colin, April 2011

fabulous thread. can't thank you enough. wooden spoon and hammer on a knobbly bit and it's done.

Lynette Hunter, April 2011

Thanks everyone - great thread. Lots of white vinegar applied with a small brush and leaving it for an hour witha few more applications eventually did the trick, along with a rubber glove. Bulb had disintegrated and needed pliers to remove, though.

Gordon D, April 2011

Thanks a million yellow rubber glove worked a treat :-)

Bobby Poll, March 2011

Spot on. After struggling manfully with bare hand for 1/2 an hour this morning (no sign of the original handbook of course and fearful, expensive sounding, mentions of a 'special tool' on the NEFF website) I finally came here.
2 minutes later, trip to my garage , 1 rubber glove, soft grip on cover, it came off miraculously easily. Thanks

Bob Etherington, February 2011

Same problem not a budge out of light cover, checked web site, got rubber glove, a strong son and one twist twas off,thanks, what a site.

Freda, Cork, February 2011

try but be careful an adjustable plumbing wrench

ste7e, February 2011

Thank you.....after lots of brute force trying to undo the glass bulb cover in the oven with no sucess and using a torch to see inside the oven....I read this forum and put a yellow rubber glove on!
I took all the racks out of the oven, had a wooden spoon and hammer to hand in just case. I then gripped the glass cover and turned it, hey presto!
It came off easily with no force at all and we now have an oven light!
Very happy thanks for the advice.
The oven is a NEFF B14M42

Ian, February 2011

We have a Neff U15E42 double oven - one year old, still under warranty (2 years standard + extra 3 years paid for). Spoke to Neff Customer Services in an attempt to see if this was covered and get a Neff Service Engineer in to do the job. Was told that this is not a warranty issue. The Neff lady told me to try white vinegar, warm the oven etc. but will not budge. We had a earlier model Neff oven and never had any problems with glass cover and changing bulbs - something clearly wrong with design and it should be a warranty issue. Might try some of the other techniques offered in this forum - somehow hammer and wooden spoon (as chisel) do not seem to be the answer for an expensive piece of German engineering. But will try it!

John Bibby, February 2011

Excellant advice! Old rubber glove did the trick first time! I did take oven door off first to get better view/purchase tho. Been putting up with it for years! cheers! :)

Dave Streeter, February 2011

Use a rubber strap wrench , works a treat.

Lee morfitt, January 2011

Why are we all putting up with what is basically an inherent design fault. Neff should be made accountable for something that is nothting to do with warranty - their product is flawed and we are being asked to solve it. I have the misfortune to own two of these Neff B1442 ovens and the light has gone on one of them - however now we come to remove the bulb cover we find we cannot remove it from either over so when the other bulb goes we will have the same problem. We are currenlty waiting for the Specila tool form Neff but having read this forum I do not have much faith in it working. If the toll is useless I will be taking the matter to a higher level than Neff's alleged customer care. Premium rate number to ring on - this is not the first product I have had where a design fault has been rleased on the unsuspecting consumer and then you are left hung out to dry in terms of any responsibility by the supplier.

Tom Jones, January 2011

Seems I've been relatively fortunate - wearing an old rubber glove, which is slightly "stickier" than a brand new one, gave me good enough purchase to remove one lamp cover in the bottom oven. I then followed the tip and put some graphite shavings on the thread before replacing it so, I hope, the next time should be easier. Then I tried to remove another lamp cover, in the top oven, but that is stuck fast. I think I'll face that one when the bulb blows. No point trying to fix something which isn't broke...

Hamfisted, January 2011

I tried rubber glove, warming the oven, tapping with length of wood & hammer,and car oil filter wrench of the black webbing type all to NO AVAIL! My saviour was in the form of car CHAIN TYPE filter wrench, the links of the chain engaged with the lugs cast into the glass and leverage came from my ratchet handle and 6" extension (again car repair tools) and hey presto,reasonable force got the glass turning to enable me to unscrew by hand. WHAT A CARRY-ON!

John, January 2011

What a wonderful forum this is. First of all we fell about laughing at some of the replies - wonderful for de-stressing after half an hour's bulb wrestling - then half a dozen whacks with a wooden mallet and the cover came off with ease. Thanks to all who contributed. A year in the dark is over at last.

Dave'n Jean, January 2011

Rubber Glove trick worked for me... might I suggest rubbing a lead pencil on the threads before reassembly, graphite will lubricate it for future removal and is not affected by heat in the meantime. Just a thought.

Peter H - Midhurst, December 2010

Small yellow boa constrictor. Similar to http://www.tools4trade.com/d-3584002-Baby-Boa-Constrictor-Strap-Wrench--.aspx
Perfect after rubber gloves method failed - too worried to use a hammer.

Took two attempts though but 100 seconds later, the oven has light!!!

Steve B, December 2010

Unscrewed the lamp glass from Neff U1442 oven using a chain wrench and strips of rubber to protect the glass from the chain. Had to slide the chain in between roof of the oven and top heating element to get adequate purchase. Quite a tricky manoeuvre but then unscrewed easily. Thanks a lot- our lamp has been out of action for 3 years or more.

CJ, December 2010

Had the same problem today, could not budge the lamp cover. Tried the rubber glove method, still no luck......but then came upon the idea of using an oil filter wrench or I am sure one of those rubber grippers for getting the tops of jam jars would do just as well. Hey presto one turn and it came out easy peezee. Hope this helps!
Happy Cooking!

Glowworm, November 2010

Really glad I found this thread! Had been without light in the oven for over a year as couldn't get the cover off to replace the bulb. Finally succeeded today using brute force and a rubber glove!

MoJo, November 2010

My wife could not remove the cover and it eventually broke leaving the threaded part stuck in position. I took a small chisel and hammer, hit the threaded part twice and the whole threaded section broke in two and fell out. Had to buy a new lamp cover. This is an obvious design fault.

John, October 2010

Thank You!! wooden spoon etc worked Yeah Light!!!!!!

Chrissie & Ray B, October 2010

Followed all Neff instructions - wouldn't budge more than half an inch either way. Tried rubber gloves for grip - nothing doing. Took the oven out of housing for better angle - nothing. Finally tried some gentle taps with wooden mallet - JOY - the glass cover unscrewed easily. BUT be careful because when I tried to unscrew the old bulb, it snapped at the neck and left quarter of an inch of thread in the holder. More fiddling with long-nose pliers for an hour until eventually got out remains. New bulb screwed in smoothly and we now have LIGHT!!!

Alan & Glenys, October 2010

Tried all the suggestions and bulb simply will not budge.

anne, October 2010

Wooden spoon and hammer finally worked!! Think he hit it a bit to hard managed to break the cover and the wooden spoon!!!!!!!! Never mind LOL

Sue, September 2010

Have been without a light for months. Husband is now trying the wooden spoon and hammer!!!! Don't hold out a lot of hope tho

Sue, September 2010

Well thank you all. Having lived without a light for a few years my my dad mentioned he had same issue & got a part from Neff (613634) which cost a few pounds plus P+P. Before borrowing it from him thought I would try a mixture of above. Rubber gloves moved it a bit further than bare hands had managed over the years, & then the wooden spoon & hammer trick & hey presto!!

Another job ticked off (finally), September 2010

And I thought I was an incompetent fool not being able to change and oven light. Not so. Tried the wooden spoon and hammer. Hurrah. Now to buy a light. (Oh, and get the door back on.)

Marian, August 2010

I've just replaced the lamp cover on my Bosch oven for 3rd time in 4 years (the last cover lasted less than 3 months). The Bosch tool is completely useless because the cover always shears off near the thread.

Andy B, July 2010

Another method - worked for us, place a bunch of rubber bands round the glass enclosure and twist, not hard when you can get a decent grip on it. Worked in 2 mins :)

zeena bedawi., June 2010

Ours sheared off while grilling sausages, leaving most of the screw thread inside and a razor sharp edge and a few stalactite-like protruberances outside. Nothing to get hold of, not without slicing your fingers off. It was therefore impossible to use the plastic tool that comes with the new glass fitting. Tried all the wooden spoon/rubber mallett stuff (see below) to no avail. In the end I hit it a few times with a proper hammer and it loosened enough to take out. Recommend that you wear a pair of gardening gloves if you're going to try this one.

The Mighty Thor, May 2010

hitting a wooden spoon with a hammer so simple and effective cant belive it worked thanks.Its been a year without a light in the oven, the wife will be so pleased when she gets in.lol

nick horn, April 2010

Same problem with NEFF B1664. After an afternoon of fruitless grunting, tried 1) warming oven slightly 2) wedging end of wooden spoon against one of lugs on glass (tucked into top heating element to keep it steady), then several taps with hammmer, and it came. What a palaver!

Robert, April 2010

Our Bosch oven light cover has been replaced 4 times in 4 years. It sheers off and falls onto the food. Once had to discard food as covered with broken glass. Contact with Bosch by 'phone useless. Told to send it to them for testing. Said never had this complaint before. Really !!!!

Disenchanted Bosch oven users, March 2010

Thanks to the answers here, I've solved this in minutes. I didn't want to hit the cover with a hammer, so found a small block of wood which I then hit with the hammer. It does take some force but you should see movement pretty quickly

LPC, March 2010

I'm Nick's father and taught him all he knows except for taking a hammer to a piece of German engineering. Mine is till stuck and Neff didn't bother to answer my e-mail.

Nick done in a jiffy's dad, March 2010

had same problem -- didn't need to take the door off, just needed to jam a wooden spoon handle into the side of the knobbly bit on the cover and strike smartly several times with a hammer, whilst my father (who has the same problem with his naff oven) stood at a safe distance and made discouraging (i wouldn't do that if I were you) noises. All done in a jiffy.

Nick, March 2010

Crazy light cover, we have slightly different problem, light cover has broken when we were cooking some sausages, sheared, light still working but cover half off.
Bosch cover, can not get a grip at all.
Appliance only a couple of years old.
will try WD40 and extreme force,

Argie, February 2010

Tried for months- heating oven, gloves, vinegar etc. Finally succeeded as follows:

Remove oven door, shelves etc.Place tea towel or similar on oven floor.
Isolate electric supply.
Use handle of wooden spoon (vertical)- hold against the raised "grip" on lamp cover.
Hit the spoon handle REALLY HARD with a hammer!!
Lamp cover moves after 3 or 4 hits and can then be easily unscrewed by hand!

No more sunken Yorkshire Puds!!!

John P- Pudsey,Leeds., December 2009

I thought that it was just me and I was simply not doing it right but having read all of the other suggestions I tried using a rubber glove ( I didn't fancy smacking it with a hammer) and bingo it unscrewed immediately. What had worried me was feeling that I was actually forcing it and that there was a simple way of doing it that I was missing. The answer is just brute force believe me.

Peter, November 2009

After many months (YES MONTHS) of trying to remove this darned thing with boa grips, rubber gloves , screwdrivers - eventually managed it with the handle end of an old wooden spood and striking the ladle end with a rubber mallet very forcibly !!! Took four or five attempts and after each attempt it turned ever so minutely manually and on the last one the thing just fell off!
What a joke.( on us unfortunately)

Steve, November 2009

I have same problem, spoke to customer care who say use a rubber strap to grip glass cover and turn anti-clockwise, tapping around edge with rubber mallet helps.
Tried everything except explosives on the blessed thing but it wont budge more than quarter of an inch.
Suggested to customer care I use my mallet on the designer and although it wont fix bulb it will give me great satisfaction. Why use a screw thread!!!in an oven??
Any further remedies welcome.
Regards
Tony.

Tony B, November 2009

Wonderful
I'm a landlord and one of my tenants has got one of these ovens and the light has just died. Do I really go round there with a hammer ???
thanks anyway, at least I know what to expect

Electricbrian, November 2009

Have just spent some hours, a thumb and a finger, a quantity of vinegar (to try and dissolve residue), electricity and about £6 on 'phone calls in a vain attempt to remove the light cover.
There is patently a design fault and I am writing to Bosch to state my case and ask what remedy they wish to apply.
Meantime I await the special tool, a spare cover and light bulb from Customer Services.

SAB, October 2009

This is totally IMPOSSIBLE. I've tried all these tips with NO LUCK. Why do they make it so difficult?

Hilary, September 2009

Hi all. Thought it was just us with this problem. The wife has done without with use of the lamp for months. It was only due to the fact that we had to also change the Thermostat (another job that I looked of how to do it off the internet ) that I saw that using a wooden hamer would do the trick. AND IT DID "FIRST TIME"
As they say if it wont work "Hit it with a hammer"
Thanks. Rob + Very happy wife Ann.

diy rob, August 2009

The answer from Neff Support that Keith posted below worked for me. Took the oven door off to get better leverage / access (see Neff website to download your manual if you don't have it to hand, or try here: http://kundendienst.consultens.de/gb/BSH_Appliance_Care.htm)

With the oven door removed & rubber gloves to aid grip, rotated it quarter of a turn, gave it a few gentle taps, then with both hands and maximum force it finally unscrewed. I should add I'm over 6ft & 14+ stone, and I only just managed to do it!

Good luck!

Andy B, May 2009

I had this problem just before the warranty expired but was told it was not part of warranty (not manufacturer`s fault). Customer services sent me a tool with which I was able to unscrew the cover although it still took a bit of effort. They also sent me a spare cover in case I broke the original. I found that the new cover was easier to fit and remove than the original.

tez, March 2009

I had the same problem - twice. First time it was under warranty. Second time I searched the internet for help and found someone who had been offered a special tool free of charge. I called customer services and quoted the number (613634). It arrived within a few days. Still had to remove the oven door to access the cover properly but it did the trick. Hope this helps.

Wendy, Chiswick, February 2009

I had this problem and if all else fails get a hammer and tap the glass quite hard to break it - a replacement glass was about £4.

Mike Egan, January 2009

did you solve this problem? I have the same 1/2 inch movement then a solid barrier either way

andrew, December 2008

I could not remove mine either. In the end I heated the oven up a bit and used a oil filter strap. This is a device for removing oil filters from cars. Just make sure that you do not use a metal one. It’s a bit tricky but it works.

Mark B, December 2008

Smartalec. I contacted Neff customer service and received this reply.

Dear Mr Smith,
Thank you for your email.
Disconnect the appliance from the mains. The lamp cover should be turned anti-clockwise as you look at it from the bottom.
If you are having difficulty removing the cover you could try warming the oven up slightly, then isolate the power and allow to cool enough to be comfortable to handle, then wearing a rubber washing-up glove to aid your grip try to remove the cover again.

Another method to try would be to first remove the oven door (as this will enable you to access the cover more easily), place a tea-towel onto the floor of the oven and then with a small hammer ( yes, we know it sounds drastic) very gently tap the glass cover around the edge. Give it a turn, tap again a little harder, give it another turn. Repeat this process until the cover unscrews. It is quite normal to experience an initial resistance when removing the glass cover for the first time. Once achieved, you will find subsequent removals easier.
Alternatively, use something like the Boa Constrictor strap wrench, usually used for removing stiff jam jar lids and the like.
I havent tried anything yet but I will this weekend ( I'm not so sure if I will try the hammer though ). Hope this helps.

Keith

Keith Smith, December 2008

they usually just unscrew could just be the thread on the glass bunged up with all the usuall splashes of fat and stuff from cooking try turning on your oven to heat it up and soften it then try unscrewing it while hot but remember and use an oven glove or similar so as not to burn your hands

aga man, December 2008

link Click here to see other fixes for Neff.