Since January 2023, my family (my career-driven wife and our 3-year-old daughter) has relocated to Singapore, and we are currently residing in a condo.
After living here for two and a half months, the ceiling light in our kitchen burnt out. When we opened the cover, we discovered that it was an LED light.
It wasn't that the electricity had run out, but rather we suspected that there was a problem with the wiring. So, we contacted the condo management, but they informed us that the LED light itself only costs about 2000 yen and that we should fix it ourselves since it was something we had been using for a while.
Although LED lights typically last around 10 years, we were doubtful that it was really at the end of its lifespan. Nevertheless, we had no choice but to replace it.
I see. When you tried to replace the LED light, you found that there were two wires, one of which was easy to remove, but the other was stuck and wouldn't come out.
When you contacted the management again, what did they say?
I understand now. The management's solution was to insert a screwdriver and twist it to remove the stuck wire.
However, I'm concerned about the safety risks involved, given that the kitchen ceiling is so high at 265cm (which is higher than the typical 220cm in Japan), and we don't have a step ladder. I had to stand on the kitchen counter with one foot and a chair with the other, which was quite unsafe.
When I contacted the management again and expressed my concerns, they informed me that it was the responsibility of the tenant to fix it themselves. They also mentioned that if we were to hire a professional to fix it, it would cost around 20,000 yen.
I completely understand your frustration! It's outrageous that it would cost 20,000 yen just to replace one ceiling light!
Since we had no other choice, we decided to do it ourselves. We managed to remove the old light eventually and purchased a new one for 1690 yen at a nearby electrical shop.
After a few attempts, we successfully installed the new LED light, and it's been working fine ever since. Despite the frustrating experience, I'm glad that we were able to fix it ourselves and didn't have to spend a fortune on a professional.
I replaced it with a new one.
At first, it seemed like the issue was resolved. However, I wondered if other tenants were also replacing their own lights themselves. To be honest, it was quite challenging, and I broke out in a sweat while working on it. Maybe I should start a business of replacing ceiling lights for 15,000 yen per unit (laughs). It made me feel like there might be new business opportunities in Singapore. That's how I felt at the time.
