24-03-2005, 10:51
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#1
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R.I.P.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Near Sandy Heath transmitter
Services: BT
Posts: 19,325
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EXPLODING lightbulbs
I'm not sure if this is in the right place.....
The missus bought a load of cheap lightbulbs last year before we started getting the energy saving ones.
I had one of these in the computer room and at one end of the living room.
Now each time one of these bulbs has blown it has blown with some force. In fact usually seperating the bulb from the metal part you fit into the socket.
Last night the one in the computer room went - and spread little bits of glass mostly in the uplighter - but also over the computer room floor.
What I'd like to know is why do they go with such force? What is the best way to remove the metal part. (I turned of the lights at the mains and did it).
Anyway also if this is a general trend - I'd steer clear of cheapo bulbs people.
p.s. when a bulb goes now I replace it with an energy one.
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24-03-2005, 10:57
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#2
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Selly Oak, Birmingham
Age: 39
Services: BT Broadband Option 3, BT Landline, Freeview
Posts: 3,214
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
can't really explain why it pop, but we have the same problem with cheapy bulbs here (mainly the candle shape ones from sainsburys -- my "discount" homebase ones have no problem ). the filament burns out, and for some reason the glass pops out of the bayonet fitting (poor adhesive, maybe?)
so, this entails digging around in the cupboard to turn off the RCD for the lighting ring, and then using a pair of pliers to get the metal bit out... most inconvenient
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24-03-2005, 11:01
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#3
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R.I.P.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Near Sandy Heath transmitter
Services: BT
Posts: 19,325
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
I just found it a bit worrying that it exploded. We don't have RCD by the way - still on fuse wire.
I may try some homebase ones.
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24-03-2005, 11:05
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#4
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cf.mega poser
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 16,687
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
I'd ditch them. I wouldn't want to be faffing about with pliers to remove a light bulb.
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24-03-2005, 11:07
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#5
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Selly Oak, Birmingham
Age: 39
Services: BT Broadband Option 3, BT Landline, Freeview
Posts: 3,214
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
1000v insulated pliers and the juice isolated of course, just in case
makes it faffy changing them though. if you get homebase ones, make sure you get the "premier" bulbs in the red packaging, the bog-standard ones in the purple/puce packages are pretty much as crap as the sainsbury's ones...
feels that he knows all too much about light bulbs
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24-03-2005, 11:08
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#6
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R.I.P.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Near Sandy Heath transmitter
Services: BT
Posts: 19,325
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
Well thanks guys
I'm glad we have a forum member know really knows his 'bulbs
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24-03-2005, 11:10
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#7
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Selly Oak, Birmingham
Age: 39
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Posts: 3,214
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilligaf1701
Well thanks guys
I'm glad we have a forum member know really knows his 'bulbs
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ever spent the entire 8 hours of your working day tidying and stacking the lightbulbs at work? thought not...
its amzing the rubbish information you pick up, and the ridiculous preconceptions people have abuot light fittings
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24-03-2005, 11:11
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#8
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: St Neots
Posts: 872
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
Finally a difinitive answer as to how many forum memebers it takes to change a light bulb!
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24-03-2005, 11:15
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#9
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Age: 43
Posts: 14,750
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
Best way to change is to switch off the ring main at the junction box and use pliars.
I think they explode, when oxygen builds up in the bulb. The bulb is supposed to be vacuum sealed with the filament inside. The filament is a piece of metal that glows white hot when you run current through it.When a bulb goesit is because the filament has become so weak, the surge of current has broken it. When a filament breaks, the electricity tries to arc between the two closest broken points, which produces sparks (and those lines you see on TV ) A spark needs oxygen to cause an explosion, but in a vacuum seal bulb, there is none. In a cheap bulb, there might be if it isn't sealed proper, so it could explode a little.
Thats what I thinks happening anyway.
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24-03-2005, 11:16
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#10
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R.I.P.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Near Sandy Heath transmitter
Services: BT
Posts: 19,325
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
Best way to change is to switch off the ring main at the junction box and use pliars.
I think they explode, when oxygen builds up in the bulb. The bulb is supposed to be vacuum sealed with the filament inside. The filament is a piece of metal that glows white hot when you run current through it.When a bulb goesit is because the filament has become so weak, the surge of current has broken it. When a filament breaks, the electricity tries to arc between the two closest broken points, which produces sparks (and those lines you see on TV ) A spark needs oxygen to cause an explosion, but in a vacuum seal bulb, there is none. In a cheap bulb, there might be if it isn't sealed proper, so it could explode a little.
Thats what I thinks happening anyway.
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Thanks for that
p.s. I just removed one of these from my boy's room and replaced it with an energy saving bulb - just in case.
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24-03-2005, 11:19
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#11
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Oh Lanky Lanky.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Shaw, Oldham, Lancashire.
Services: 2 TV 360 boxes. 500mb BB, Phone line.
Posts: 7,960
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
I had a 60 watt candle bulb 'explode' a few months ago, it didn't blow a fuse but blew the dimmer switch which I had to replace.
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24-03-2005, 11:23
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#12
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Age: 43
Posts: 14,750
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
I've just spoken to my mate who works with me. Well smart and an ex-fireman... He said I was right, oxygen leaking in the bulb.
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24-03-2005, 11:23
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#13
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 45
Posts: 6,343
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
IIRC the technology exists to make bulbs which never fail but it would obviously put them out of business so they don't sell 'em.
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24-03-2005, 11:23
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#14
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Inactive
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Minas Tirith, Gondor
Age: 58
Posts: 3,458
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
Every time a bulb goes in my house it trips the fuse for that circuit ! Probably should get a sparky to check it out, but never got round to it yet.
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24-03-2005, 11:29
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#15
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Teesside
Posts: 8,315
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Re: EXPLODING lightbulbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by dilligaf1701
I had one of these in the computer room and at one end of the living room.
Now each time one of these bulbs has blown it has blown with some force. In fact usually seperating the bulb from the metal part you fit into the socket.
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It's typically the bulb, not the fixture. Poor quality, off-brand bulbs are prone to failing in a spectacular fashion. It has something to do with the way they handle the surge of power that occurs at the moment of filament failure.
Though having overly high voltage in your home (you can find this out from your power company) can cause premature burnouts in bulbs, if the problem is localized to a specific type of bulb in a specific fixture it's even more likely to be the bulb HTH
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aragorn
Every time a bulb goes in my house it trips the fuse for that circuit ! Probably should get a sparky to check it out, but never got round to it yet.
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Caused by the way the filament breaks, sometimes arcing out the line and neautral poles and therefore creating a dead short and / or overloading the circuit
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