Death of an Energy Efficient Spiral Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb

[jecwhiz]

you were lucky here, some people weren't lucky and gets their house on fire!!!!

[KemptonLam]

@jecwhiz Thanks. I've seen reports of those unlucky cases on TV.

[SleestaksRule]

@jecwhiz I was one of the unlucky ones. I posted my fire damage photos. Careful using CFL bulbs!

[BenHutchinson321]

@jecwhiz

I've heard DOZENS of reports of people on the TV news who say they had it burn out like this and were afraid the danger MIGHT exist that it could burn down a house However not a single incident exists in which a house fire damaged or destroyed a house which was started by a fluorescent bulb.

Don't worry, the bulbs are engineered better than you think.

[KemptonLam]

@BenHutchinson321 If you google CBC News with the title "Light bulb faulted in Whitehorse house fire", you will find a report on February 29, 2008

[nerdngong]

The majority of these bulbs just quit, but I've seen this happen in person twice. The first one flickered, I left the room. When I came back, it was out and the bulb was smoking. Carbon Monoxide detector was present in the room, and it was showing "62", so it releases carbon monoxide as well, and yes, there was a smell. The other that failed like this just went "poof" when we turned the lights on, followed by the smell.

[KemptonLam]

@nerdngong Thanks for sharing your different experiences.

[dalvarez724]

hey everyone! watch the video "Mr. Fluorescent Lasts Longer!" it's the funniest thing ever!!

[FlyingAxblade]

i hate laptops...no need to post this. I just had 400 characters of me describing my CFL's activity and stupid laptop mouse (which otta be my cell phone port) cleared my intentions of filming another flickery cfl too late. i hope i didnit get poisoned!

[Mr3wheeledbike]

i never had one die on me ever still waiting i guise

[DarkMan352]

is the center glowing? it looks like the starter failed when it stoped glowing

[poiiihy]

those flower shades should have globe cfls.

[X6800]

Aw, yes the chemical smell. I hate when these burn out.

[electrictroy2010]

WHY do I even want to switch to CFLs? So I can save a measly 1-2 pennies each month? That seems pointless

.

Besides I'll burn up several dollars (and emits lots of CO2) having to drive the CFLs to the landfill after they die. That's doesn't seem very "green" to me

.

[TheGlassDot]

@electrictroy2010 You can take CFL's to Home Depot, or most any hardware store. They will take the dead lamps off your hands.

[excarman]

smc hugger ceiling fan

[MrFandude123]

WOW! thats pretty cool. say,why didnt u just turn the fan on to take some of the smell away?

[KemptonLam]

@MrFandude123 I did. But seeing the burn is still quite unsettling.

[MrFandude123]

@KemptonLam oh ok. what kind of fan is it

[KemptonLam]

@MrFandude123 sorry, no idea. :)

[84randomdude]

CFL's are nice bulbs, you just have to get the good ones. I also favor LED bulbs, but they are VERY expensive.

[KemptonLam]

@84randomdude Yeah, the good ones (some are enclosed in another layer of glass) are more expensive and should work better.

[84randomdude]

@KemptonLam I have actually quit using CFL's after seeing the health hazard they bring, the possible UV radiation, the fire hazards, the smoking, so temporarily I've gone back to incandescents until I can get some nice LED bulbs.

[KemptonLam]

@84randomdude Not buying any CFL bulb for sure. The LED bulbs are bound to come down in price once they mass produce them.

[TheSoxmania]

The reason CFLs fail is not the lamp itself, it is the capacitor, I found this out by taking the lamp off of a burned out CFL and I managed to find a suitable electronic ballast, the lamp worked as bright as the day I bought it!

[KemptonLam]

@TheSoxmania Ummm, in this case, the lamp actually had a burned hole in it. So capacitor was not the problem in this case anyway.

[andycflbulb]

I looked at your blog entry, the CFL is made by globe, which has many complaints about their CFLs failing like this.

[stickedU]

You simply need to purchase better quality CFLs. Cheap ones will do this. I prefer GE or Ecosmart. They are made much better than dollar store quality. I have had some going on 6 years now. None have burned out yet. Proper use is important too.

[KemptonLam]

@stickedU Agree, the more expensive ones won't burn like this. I think a better version is those encased inside another glass bulb.

[KemptonLam]

@MALI1185 Some cheap brand. I think 60W.

[MALI1185]

That's a nice ceiling fan! How many watts are those cfls, and what brand are they?

[KemptonLam]

@airplaneengine Wow scary stuff. I think the new generation CFL bulb is encased inside another bulb to prevent problem like the one depicted here. Although I still see this old style being sold but I will NEVER buy it again.

[airplaneengine]

I've had 3 CFLs catch fire in my house. I mean on fire with flames, not just smoke or a burning smell. Thankfully I was in the rooms when they went. All 3 lamps were different watts and different brands. Most of the other CFLs in the house burn out like the one in this video. I'm not buying anymore of them, I stocked up on the incandescent bulbs. My cousin is a firefighter and he just hates CFLs, they always have to go out to someones house because of a reported burning smell.

[liteboy2004]

Ghost

[ShadowOniShinobi]

Mine just died a few minutes ago. It was scary cause it had started to catch fire. Turned off the light and got that thing outta there...still stinks in here.

[10cmsub]

cheap ones blow fast because the heat builds up in the bowl

[gchenley]

Interesting event

[BenHutchinson1]

I have NEVER had a burn out like this, and I'm sure they make smoke but NOT fire when it happens. What happens is when they get old is the mercury arc is always hotter near the base, which then causes the glass to get microscopic cracks in the seal after the rated life. The low presure gas fill is displaced by the outside air at air pressure and the plasma stops. Then the bulb balast circuit detects the lack of current flow and enters the startup routine.

[form109]

@BenHutchinson1 the ends are always the hottest part of any Discharge lamp...however the overheating comes from lack of electron emitter material which gradually wears off everytime the lamp is used....at the end of the lamps useful light the emitter is typically almost gone,causing the electrode to overheat greatly,this causes a crack which lets air in...as far as Fire,there is a possiblilty these can catch on fire,ive seen some examples.

[HybridPineapple]

It's the melted plastic that stinks, caused by the mercury igniter getting really hot as it dies.

[form109]

look like what's happening here is the Tube is loosing emitter,causing Overheating and Erosion of the Electrode,the Electrode gets eaten away by the arc,then it Attacks the glass (when it turns orange) and the Glass tube Cracks and the lamp looses Vaccum and the Inert Gas Filling...it's a common falliure mode in fluorescent lamps where there is no Protection to shut the lamp off before this happens.

the CFL's are of course more efficent,but these things can and will start fires.

[KemptonLam]

@form109 Thanks for the observations. This is one scary failure mode.

[vikingscool]

@form109 same here about there is no protection to shut the lamp off unless I unplugged the lampstand after it get glowing with a bit smoky.

[Linuxmint8]

Cool Lol

[P42STUFF]

That's something you'll have to get used to, if you don't switch them off as soon as they start to die then you should expect burning, smoke and sometimes crackling.

[KemptonLam]

Next time I know what to look for. :)

Hmmm, thinking about it, this is a design flaw that regular light bulb doesn't have.

[P42STUFF]

So were they on dimmers then? 'cause that will be the problem, some of the packets don't even say though or they have a silly symbol that wouldn't mean anything to the average person

[KemptonLam]

Nope, they weren't on a dimmer. Just an on/off switch.

The design flaw is when a bulb is failing, it shouldn't cause excess heat enough to burn a hole in the spiral tube. i have seen different design where the spiral is put inside the shape of a "regular" light bulb.

[P42STUFF]

Then they are officially pieces of crap, the best you can do it to stick with incandescent bulbs for now

[KemptonLam]

ha ha. Yeap, I won't be buying any Globe brand SCFL bulb any time soon. Too dangerous.

[MrGerbilBrain]

@P42STUFF This is what I call the three C's:

CHEAP

CHINA

CRAP

[noreaga12326]

@P42STUFF couldnt agree with u more. Incandescents have much better lighting and even if BY SLIM CHANCE they do improve on CFLs, i'l always prefer the old skool lighting from edison bulbs

[xxl606]

How long did it last?

[KemptonLam]

Can't remember exactly. May be a few years. I probably won't buy the same type of bulbs again for I don't like the way this latest one seemed to have burned out. Too smelly, probably slightly toxic, and if you looked at the photo of the burned bulb, it looks like possible fire hazard.