Germicidal Lamp

Got this from Youtube/Lighting Gallery Friend, Dieselnut. It's a pretty decent bulb. It's a vintage GE one, so it's a treasure!

All UV-C radiation is dangerous to humans. I am being careful with this lamp. I covered it up with an unused glass aquarium. I heard that window glass blocks all UV light. It's my only protection from frying my eyes out with this bulb.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• g15t8
• GE
• germicidal
• sanitation
• lamp
• UV-C
• radiation

[IAmNotAFunguy]

The thing that makes UV-C Radiation dangerous is probably the fact that it destroys DNA molecules.

[BowlingMania14]

@IAmNotAFunguy That's what I heard, too. It's especially dangerous to the eyes. The UV-C radiation damages the retina, and can cause blindness.

[bamaslamma1003]

It felt like a sunburn, just in the eyes. I imagine you could go blind if you stared at them for any prolonged period of time. I think tanning bed lamps put out some UV-B light but I'm not sure.

[BowlingMania14]

@bamaslamma1003 That must suck to get the burn in the eyes like that. You can go blind if you stare at these things, only if they're not protected. Tanning beds do have UV-B lights, but not as strong as the ones you see in reptile cages/aquariums. They must limit the amount of UV radiation a person gets while tanning, so there isn't as big of a risk for skin cancer. This Germicidal lamp can cause skin problems if you're exposed to the UV-C radiation too long.

[bamaslamma1003]

Glass blocks UV-C (shortwave) UV. But it allows UV-A and UV-B to pass. Blacklights' emissions are in the UV-A range (long wave). I accidentally burned my eyes with one of those lamps once. They stung for about a day. Not fun. The tube is actually made of quartz, just like a tungsten-halogen incandescent lamp. Quartz is transparent to UV-C radiation.

[BowlingMania14]

@bamaslamma1003 That's a good thing. Interesting how glass only blocks a certain UV light. I've used blacklights behind a window, and white things have glowed before. I don't have any UV-B tubes, though.

If you stare at these things while they're unexposed for too long, can you go blind? Obviously for you, the eye pain must've been a warning? And did it feel just like an ache or a sharp pain? When I got it yesterday, I turned it on a few times and looked into it unprotected for a while.

[paul9511]

@dieselducy It is also very dangerous for the skin and the eyes.

[dieselducy]

HEY I am getting one for my 4 watt light.. THAT is one blink happy bulb!!

[GFVagent007]

Cool lamp! Glass will block the dangerous UV wavelengths, just like the outer glass of a metal halide bulb. The arc tube in metal halide and mercury vapor bulbs emit alot of UV-C, which is why they must be replaced immediately if the outer bulb is broken. That lamp is pretty much a low pressure mercury lamp. Being that it is vintage, I would try not to start it so many times, as starting is very hard on the lamp electrodes.