when I was a kid, I remember seeing a TV commercial about laser beam incandescent lightbulb filament repair, but it was for very large, very sports stadium bulbs. It may have been a General Electric commercial, like the kind they air for their jet engines, MRI machines -- you know, things that average families buy every day.
In the 1960s or 1970s, Westinghouse started to sell incandescent bulbs that were sort of cylindrical rather than spherical, and they were filled with krypton to make them last longer than more common argon filled bulbs:
My parents bought tons of them because the light was whiter than that from other bulbs. I think they still have some, and I do mean the ones actually made by Westinghouse in the USA, not the bulbs currently made by a Chinese manufacturer that bought rights to the brand. Those bulbs did last longer but not nearly as long as fluorescent tubes.
The solution would be to install a very small remote controlled welder inside each incandescent light bulb. Then when the bulb burns out, the owner could use his remote, turn on the welder, and weld the filament back together, without ever having to open the glass enclosure. The remote would need a joystick control, so the operator could position the welding rods precisely at the filament break.
Robotic welding with a very small incision in the glass. You could blow a fan over the opening, like they do at supermarket doors, so the vacuum wouldn't leak out.
Or refill after welding with ArNe, which is a better gas than vacuum gas anyhow.
the above are reproduction of the so-called Marconi bulbs.
I have them in one of my antique light fixtures.
In the old days when the filament broke ...with the bulb energized one could tap on it and the loose elements would weld together and the bulb would work again.
And don't forget to check that the vacuum cylinder from which you refill the bulbs has the EPA mark showing that the contents are compliant with the latest regulations. I've read that some unscrupulous vendors are selling expired vacuum as still usable.
Perce
Oddly enough I have several times had a dead (common) bulb in a trouble light, suddenly flash, then keep working again. Juat a freak occurrance, I guess, that the filament welded itself. I dont remember the details, but I do recall one bulb that lasted a very long time afterwards.
Those "Marconi bulbs" remind me of toaster coils inside of a glass envelope. They're cool looking though. The filaments in them must be rated for a much higher voltage than 120V, because they burn rather dim, yet they do put out a fair amount of light. Kind of like wiring two standard bulbs in series. They do light, but are dim. They would probably last forever at half voltage.
Geeezzzzz, I thought you just needed to hold a vacuum cleaner hose by the incision on the glass to get the vaccuum back in the bulb.... :)
Yep, it's happened to me too.
That, and some vendors don't put any thing in the bottle. Shows up empty, and you have no recourse to gt the vacuum you paid for.
- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .
Worse still:
Those cans of vacuum you get on eBay and when they arrive...are empty!
Wouldn't that suck the vacuum out? Then it would have no vacuum.
I've fitted four metal bodied table lamps in our home with "touch dimmers". They make it much easier to control the lamps than having to reach up under the lampshade to twist the socket switch when using a "3-way" bulb. And, a single 150 watt incandescent is much cheaper than a
50/100/150 watt 3-way bulb.But, as I learned early on, when a bulb filament finally blows the "tungsten arc" which accompanies the "final flash" can draw a current surge great enough to blow out the dimmer.
I solved the problem by installing fuse holders with 2 amp quick blow fuses in each lamp. Now, when a bulb blows with an arc it takes out an easy to replace 15 cent fuse rather than a $10 wired in dimmer.
Another interesting "effect" of having those touch dimmers in the lamps is that during the part of the fall season when a few lady bugs move into our home, occasionally one of them will crawl up to the top edge of the brass bulb socket and walk around it. The tiny creature is probably seeking the heat from the lit bulb. If its legs touch both the socket and the bulb base the dimmer gets tripped. and the lamp changes intensity or turns off. I know I could put some sort of an insulator around the top of the bulb socket to prevent that but it happens so seldom I haven't bothered.
Jeff
Your ladybug comments are right on. We have a couple of my wife's dresser lamps on the touch sensitive circuits that you can buy at a hardware store. I put them in her lights for exactly the reason that it was MUCH easier t o turn on by touching rather than reaching up under the shade and turning t he switch. Her lights started going on at seemingly random times, we disco vered it was ladybugs...
Thanks for the warning.
I was in fact going to do that but failed in my attempt and I was going to try later. My system suffered a multiple chain reaction:
Seems the metal case on my vacuum cleaner shorted to ground which in turn shorted the fuse out.
I have no idea how I stumbled onto this site in my late night wanderings, but id like to thank you and others for the non stop laughs. Reading some of these ridiculous questions and reading your responses is more fun than watching SNL and bill Mayers "new rules" combined.
Thanks for all the heating and lighting tips, you really seem to know your stuff. Quick Question, the nag switch on my wife seems to be stuck in the "on" position, can I fix it simply by reversing the polarity, so I can get a few compliments every now and then?Please don't tell me im going to have to get a whole new wife, I hear that can be very expensive.
lol "end is better than mending, ?, the more stitches, the less riches", thanks
lol "ending is better than mending ? the more stitches, the less riches", thanks
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.