Exploding lightbulbs!

[gidon]

I came in from the garden yesterday - and found that the hall lightbulb (100w bayonet) had exploded and the glass was everywhere! This is pretty scary especially with two little 'uns around (luckily not around at the time).
Does anyone have any idea what could have happened? I've never heard of this before and am weary of switching the lights on again (well the hall one at least)! We did have a new fuse box fitted recently and have had it tripping a few times. Could that be anything to do with it?
Thanks
Gidon

 

[Colin C]

Hi Gidon
I am glad you asked this as I had one go in my sons bedroom so I hope some one on here can tell us.

 

[Paul Chapman]

This happened to me once when changing a bulb :shock: :shock: :shock:

Don't know why they should explode but now when changing bulbs I always wrap a tea towel around the glass bit before inserting it - particularly the double-switched ones in the hall and on the landing as you can never tell whether they are on or off.

Paul

 

[matt]

I've been told (and it sounds plausible) that this type of thing is caused by grease on the glass surface (merely caused by handling the bulb). The grease causes uneven heat across the bulbs surface and can lead to the glass fracturing/exploding.

 

[Anonymous]

I've been told (and it sounds plausible) that this type of thing is caused by grease on the glass surface (merely caused by handling the bulb). The grease causes uneven heat across the bulbs surface and can lead to the glass fracturing/exploding.

Matt, this happens with very high temperature lamps such as Halogen (circa 300 degrees C) which cause the grease to boil, but not likely on 'normal' 60-100W lamps which burn much cooler. Unless there is a fault in manufacture?

I would love to know what does cause the household bulbs to break buthave no ideas.

 

[Alf]

Maybe if you all changed to economy bulbs...?

Coming over all green, Alf

 

[Adam]

Did it explode? Or could it be a simple manufacturing fault and the glass fell away from the metal bayonet fitting, and, upon hitting hte ground, smashed into many pieces?

I'd suggest a manufacturing fault, and, as ALF suggests, which the little'uns running around, why take a risk - switch to low energy ones, and you'll be doing a double good turn - safer and better for the environment they'll grow up in.

Adam

 

[tibbs]

I found this reference while googling around on this subject.

Assuming its to be believed - it says :-

Light bulbs Break or Pop Off Their Bases when they Burn Out:

a) Some off-brand bulbs and a few production runs of "Big Three" bulbs have been known to lack internal fuse wires. The current surge due to a "burnout arc" reaches hundreds of amps and makes the wiring in the bulb explode.


In this US context "Big Three" refers to General Electric, Osram/Sylvania, and Philips - although I guess the same applies to any reputable major brand name manufacturer.


Were these cheapy unbranded bulbs that exploded ? - in which case this might be the problem.

Richard

 

[Paul Chapman]

I've found all brands pretty much alike and many bulbs seems to have manufacturing faults - such as one or both pins on BC bulbs missing or the filament broken. I've also found so called long-life bulbs rather short-life

Paul

 

[gidon]

Thanks all - Alf we did have a low energy one in before but found it too dim . But did consider going back to this - have a stack of them in the cupboard. Is there any reason why they couldn't do the same thing though?
Adam - not sure - the metal bayonet was left intact.
I spoke with our electrician. He said he'd only heard of this happening 3 times and blamed it on cheaper no brand supermarket bulbs. I'm not sure what the bulb was - but it could have been a Tescos one.
Richard - this ties in with your find - I've put some Philips ones in. (The electrician recommended Osram - but the supermarket only had Philips.)
At the minute my wife won't put the light on which sort of avoids the problems - and really saves energy .
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Anonymous]

Gidon

Can't see the low energy bulbs doing the same thing as they are completely different.

'Normal' bulbs (incandescent filament lamps) work by heating an element in a vacuum until it glows white.

Low energy bulbs (compact fluorescent light bulb ) are basically fluorescent fittings and they work by ionising a gas which then glows UV and excites a powder coating (phosphor) on the glass which subsequently glows white (or other colours if desired).

The low energy bulb will remain very cool to the touch whereas the incandescent lamp will burn you if touched

 

[gidon]

Thanks Tony - I understand they are different technologies - but seeing as the chances of normal bulbs exploding is apparently very small, thought they may still be a similiar (albeit small) chance of fluorescent bulbs also exploding - but perhaps for diferent reasons? They are quite sensitive to voltage aren't they?
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

I spoke with our electrician. He said he'd only heard of this happening 3 times and blamed it on cheaper no brand supermarket bulbs.

Does anyone know who makes the supermarket brand bulbs? With some products the cheaper supermarket brands are manufactured by the 'big names' but to a lower quality to keep the price down. Might be the same with light bulbs.

Paul

 

[ike]

I've experienced an exploding lightbulb and it scared the c***out of me -particularly as the pendant and shade were swinging round violently on it's own and I had an unbearable sense of 'something' in the room! :shock: In my parents house which has at least two very well established ghosts - one is my grandfather and the other (light swinger) is 'Mrs Anderson', a victorian lady of the house.

No, seriously - please don't laugh!

Ike