Exploding Light Bulbs

The elderly couple whose house I look after have recently reported that three light bulbs have "exploded" when turned on, and dropped the 6A circuit mcb each time.

They didn't mean that glass was everywhere, but they obviously went with a real bang. This is a 5-branch ceiling fitting, with 40W clear golf-ball incandescent lamps in close-fitting open ended glass shades, cap up at about 45 degrees. The problem has only started since I started using Supalite branded bulbs instead of Tesco branded ones.

Here's the latest failed lamp, with a hole blown in the cap:

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'm concerned because of possible damage to the fitting, and because one of the elderly couple will stumble around in the dark sooner than reset the trip or ask for immediate help. I really, really don't want to go through choosing a new fitting with them, so what should I do?

Carry on and work through the remaining stock of 10 Supalite bulbs, in the hope that the rest will die more quietly?

Throw the Supalites away (the ebay seller is now NARU, though several other sellers still sell this brand) and buy a better brand? If so, which brand?

Report these lamps to Trading Standards as potentially dangerous?

Find an alternative technology lamp that will replace 45mm globe lamps? Which? The overall room light level must not drop - they both have incipient cataracts and other visual problems.

Reply to
Kevin
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It's not unusual for certain types of lamps to fail in this way. The support mechanics for the filament collapse and short circuit. There is usually an internal fuse - but that often can't blow quick enough to prevent an RCD tripping.

All you can do is try a different make. As regards trading standards it's no more of a safety hazard than a single bulb failing and plunging the room into darkness. It's up to the individual to provide a backup system in this event if it is so important.

Or you could try CFLs. They don't normally trip a breaker when they fail. LED types often do.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote

I've had a couple go bang, with a lot of magic smoke

Reply to
Alan

In article , Kevin writes

I certainly wouldn't use the remainder after a failure like that. They may be genuine or they may be fakes.

I'd expect Supa to be concerned about such a failure, ask to see the failed one(s) and offer to send you a wodge of replacements (even though your relationship is with the seller[1])

If they don't sound concerned then drop them in it with Trading Standards or if you're feeling annoyed about it, do it the other way round.

Contact details here:

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clear pic btw.

On alternatives, you can get energy saving golfballs at reasonable powers, here's one at 10W which using the realistic 4:1 ratio for these things gives 40W equivalence:

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, no connection, first hit on search.

I tried some no name 8W ones in office desk lamps and the users didn't like them (might have been the colour, might have been flicker) but I have a GE branded one in use here and it is fine.

They will take a couple of minutes to reach full brightness though.

SES fitting mini spirals can look quite good too but these are a bit pricey and maybe a bit big:

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just the first hit followed.

[1] If you point out that you are aware of this but thought you would bring such a dramatic failure to their attention etc, etc.
Reply to
fred

Trading standards, if they are dangerous they need to find out and get rid of them.

Trading standards will need some to test so you may be able to sell them yours.

Reply to
dennis

Wonder what C3 and C8 are for?

Reply to
Tim Watts

The two end supports and the two intermediate filament supports are intact. All three spans of the filament are broken, and the majority of one of them has disappeared.

Even when it blows a hole in the cap? I haven't looked inside the lampholder, as I don't want to worry the occupier unnecessarily. She only goes out of the house when I take her.

Well, yes: it's a bungalow, and the lights are on two circuits, and there are battery-powered lights in the hall and bathroom which we've advised them to leave on during hours of darkness, but some old people can be stubborn.

Not easy to find within the same overall dimensions as incandescents. See also my reply to fred.

Reply to
Kevin

Yes. One going bad could be by chance but three looks like it is a potentially serious hazard due to manufacturing defect or lousy QC.

There is no way they should be failing like that! Looks like either a defective batch or crap that should be withdrawn from the market.

Tricky. You may be able to find a few at smaller electrical retailers.

Regards, Martin Brown

Reply to
Martin Brown

say. Trading Standards seem to hide behind the firewall of Consumer Direct, which, last time I spoke to them, was staffed by droids who could only read from their scripts.

Thanks.

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Thanks for the suggestions: I can probably talk them round to accepting the slow warm up, and even the change in colour rendering. I'll struggle to persuade them to accept the amount by which these lamps will protrude from the shade and perhaps the effect that the large base will have on light thrown at, and reflected by, the white ceiling. I also see that the spiral lamps warn against enclosed fittings, and I'd guess that a glass shade, in which the lamps are a close diametric fit, and which are mounted open-end down, will not be good for the life of the control gear.

Reply to
Kevin

no bloody internal fuses. All my candle bulbs tend to do that.

Kinaida.

Never seen one that bad.

So am I...

take em back

I buy IIRC osram and philips on line from somewhere.THEY seem to be OK.

Good idea if I knew what was better..]

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

RF Suppression? Get it tested and then "forget" to fit them as they don't effect performance?? Cynical? Yes...........

Reply to
Bill

:-)

to be fair Ive seen a lot of that in my time..stuff the designer put in so 100 out of 100 radios worked, not just 85%..but then they took em out and decided 15% reject was cheaper than the extra components.

Or sold em anyway and hoped they didn't get too warm...

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

They look very similar to the CFL golf ball bulbs that I have frequently bought from IKEA. There are other suppliers but the IKEA ones a re a good price and seem to last.

Jonathan

Reply to
Jonathan

If the lamps are blowing frequently. you could increase their life dramatically by fitting a diode in series with the switch. Will reduce the light output and the efficency, though.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Seasonal message: That's what I do with mains powered xmas light strings; I put a diode in the plug in series. I have strings approaching their 20th year!

Reply to
Graham.

They do look wide enough to be taking some sort of plastic moderately high value capacitor that might be good for noise suppression.

Yes, I think you're ever so cynical *cough* ;->

Reply to
Tim Watts

Golf balls are not rated for cap-up operation, although the problem you normally get where this is a problem is the lampholder overheats.

I'm guessing the lead-in fuse wires are bare, and when fusing, have managed to establish an arc inside the lamp base, which has diverged into a straight live-neutral short. Better lamps use ballotini fuses in the lead-in wires, which contain and extinguish the arc. They look like glass tubes filled with very small glass balls or powder (ballotini).

If you try a CFL, it will need to be 9-10W.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Our 60 yr old Snow White lights had 12x20v bulbs, but eventually they had to be replaced so I ended up with 10x37v bulbs that show a really nice warm glow and will probably last forever. Pete

Reply to
Pete Shew

Somewhere in the loft, I too have a set from the same era. I've got a feeling they might also be the 'Snow White' brand. In the end, I ran out of spare bulbs. To keep the set working, I used to put some silver paper in the sockets of the dead bulbs (to short the contacts out), screw the dead bulb back in, and run them from a variac at reduced voltage. When several bulbs had gone, I too changed to using a series diode. Surprisingly, you could see the 25Hz flicker.

Reply to
Ian Jackson

Just trying to get my head round how a diode is only letting through every fourth half cycle?

Surely the normal lamp has 100 Hz flicker, which the diode halves?

Chris

Reply to
Chris J Dixon

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