Posted on 01/28/2008 6:37:43 AM PST by Dick Bachert
Picked this up from an email forward from an old friend.
We, too, switched over to CF lamps over 5 years ago and did have one of the early ones overheat and melt down but caught it before it flashed up.
Just passing along the disturbing photos found at the listed link FYI to keep Algore from roasting any fellow Freepers.
http://www.execulink.com/~impact/pur-lite_pro-9000X.htm
From what I’ve read, CFL’s are supposed to do that when they burn out. They don’t catch fire.
I’m going to stock pile a life time of incandescent bulbs.
I have 3 of them as a test to see if I will like them and ever once in a while I smell what to me smells like rubber burning, I can’t pin it to the light bulbs yet and it doesn’t set off any smoke alarms but I’m wondering if that’s where the odor is coming from.
Remind me again in 20 years when the bugs get worked out.
Wouldn’t be surprised if some of that small can’t be attributed to the mercury vapor some how being released and enhancing our environment somehow.
They don't work like that. If the mercury vapor were to be able to be released, the bulb would no longer work. More likely there is some sort of coating that was not removed in the manufacturing process that is firing off.
I had an early one in a ceiling fan light.
It kept blinking and the other lights on that line kept blinking.
I pulled it out, replaced it and was fine.
I came to find out that some of these CFL’s are not suppose to be encased.
I had an early one in a ceiling fan light.
It kept blinking and the other lights on that line kept blinking.
I pulled it out, replaced it and was fine.
I came to find out that some of these CFL’s are not suppose to be encased.
Given that they are using mercury vapor in a bulb that’s supposed to save the environment, they coating will no doubt by carcinogenic. I’m being a bit sarcastic, actually.
I suspect the country of manufacture is a bigger factor than any technologies, metals or anything else here:
Never buy the off brand for a critical need.
I had some cheap CFL’s in one fixture do almost the same thing. Strong burning smell but no flash. Just scorch marks on the bulb.
I have been replacing the cheap ones with slightly more expensive GE’s or Sylvania’s.
You get what you pay for.
YES, some CFL's are NOT supposed to be encased, that language needs to be made in LARGE print on packaging. There are "cool" CFL's but I'd wager most people don't realize there are differences.
Are the bulbs in the pictures UL listed?
Another reason to outlaw CFL’s.
Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority will issue a warning later this week to notify users of the unexpected way compact fluorescent light bulbs expire at the end of their long lifespan.
Advisory aims to allay fluorescent bulb fears
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/03/21/florescent-bulbs.html
THE ELECTRICAL SAFETY AUTHORITY RESPONDS TO CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS
http://www.esasafe.com/pdf/Safety_Alerts/07-03-AL.pdf
Take a look your self. I did not take any of the pictures.
BLOAT & BLOB
I heard the same thing on a guitar forum I frequent. The guy thought his amp was burning and discovered the source when the light went out. It happened to him twice.
Sure! the Chinese long ago mastered the duplication of bogus “UL Approved” stickers.
/sarc
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