Re: Spiral Flourescent Failure - Fire

Has anyone come across this?

> > A spiral flourescent bulb is mounted with the spirals down (base up) in an > enclosed light fixture (the type designed for 60 watt bulbs with a > translucent 8" globe). > > After likely 2 years of use - it suddenly gives off a Chlorine like smell, > appears to melt on one side of the ballast, emits black soot and burns out. > > I have attached a 28 kb jpg photo of it & am wondering if this is an > abnormal condition. > > > > begin 666 bulb base.jpg

Yup, same thing happened to me. Except mine flickered a lot so I took it out before it burned through the base. I diassembled it and found the PCB to be burned. Nobody seemed to care. Wait till somebody dies from a fire, then somebody will care.

al

Reply to
Al
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Oh, that's great! I just installed about eight of them in my house this past week.

Reply to
..::Daemon::..

Well, yeah, that is abnormal, it is supposed to be emitting light, not smoke. *grins* having this happen once, I wouldn't worry about it. If it happens again, then time to start worrying. Sending the thing into the manufacturer along with all the information about it's use and circumstances might be useful in helping them improve their products.

--Dale

Reply to
Dale Farmer

I still use them, but don't leave them unattended. The one that failed on me was in the basement and it was on 8 hrs at a time as it was in the staircase.

They don't seems to have overcurrent or overheat protection built into them. A simple thermal fuse in series with the input should do it for pennies. Maybe the newer ones have been modified.

Al

Reply to
Al

No worries. The plastic the base is made from has a fire retardant. Break open a dead one and try to ignite the plastic. As soon as you pull the flame away, it goes out. I was concerned also and tried that. I can't say all manufacturers are using fire retardant plastic.

The Sylvania CFLs I used lasted four years and die. They usually melted the output series capacitors and shut down. The oder was like burned epoxy.

The melting point of most plastics is WAY below their ignition temperature as well as many other flammables such as paper. John

Reply to
JohnR

Sending binary files to a text group is abnormal, retard.

Ted Rubberford. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, "The Man In The Rubber Suit" '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Reply to
Ted Rubberford

Check your packaging, every CF bulb that I have ever seen says "burn base down"

Too much heat generated for the electr>Has anyone come across this?

Reply to
dummy

Never seen that on any one supplied in the UK, although it's difficult to find ones rated more than around 25W here.

I use lots, and (except for the GE Genura which can only fail due to control gear), I've only had one fail in the control gear, and that was an early failure within 100 hours, probably due to a manufacturing defect. All other failures have been within the tube, and due to the electron emitting coating having worn away from the electrodes (normal failure mode for fluorescent lamps).

I've taken a number apart -- I sometimes reuse the control gear

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ours all seem to have thermal fuses in them, possibly due to different safety standards.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

cucumber demon??

:-)

Reply to
operator jay

Mine have ceramic bases.\

Reply to
bushbadee

Not so. I have a jpg of a brochure where they advertise "pendant" bulbs. And they show a picture of it over a dining room table "upside down."

I would post it, but it's a no-no in a non-binary group. BTW, where could I post it anyway so that users of this group could get to see it?

Al

Reply to
Al

alt.binaries.schematics.electronic

Louis--

********************************************* Remove the two fish in address to respond
Reply to
Louis Bybee

OK, but it's not exactly a schematic. Look for Pendant Flourescent Brochure

Al

Al

Reply to
Al

Interesting, not the lamp, the posting of pictures A couple of days ago some one did post a picture to this group of the bulb. I am told you use the Attach button to do this

Reply to
bushbadee

I think you CAN post, it's just etiquette that one generally doesn't post binaries to groups unless they are a binary group (i.e. alt.binaries.schematics.electronic).

j
Reply to
operator jay

I would point out that the post I was answering had a picture in it.

Reply to
bushbadee

See the attached CPSC recall notice!

#######################

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2004

Release # 05-005

Firm's Hotline: (718) 888-7000

CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

CPSC, Teng Fei Trading Inc. Announce Recall of Energy Saving Light Bulbs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Teng Fei Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Units: About 81,000

Importer: Teng Fei Trading Inc., of Flushing, N.Y.

Hazard: The base of the bulb is not flame-retardant, as required in the voluntary standard for this type of bulb. Electrical components in the bulb can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: These Teng Fei Energy Saving light bulbs are white, compact fluorescent bulbs. The recall includes model numbers T6112, T6113, T6114, and T6115. The model number is written on the packaging only. "Teng Fei

110-127V 50/60Hz" is written on the bulb.

Sold at: Various 99¢ stores in the state of New York from November 2003 to March 2004 for about $0.99.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these light bulbs and return them to the store where purchased for a refund.

Consumer Contact: Consumers should call Teng Fei Trading Inc. collect at (718) 888-7000 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

To view this recall online, use this link:

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Reply to
Ben Miller

Here is a recall issued recently for the same bulb that was displayed in that attachment -

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These were Globe brand bulbs - sold by Wal-Mart in Canada

Some Chinese 13-watt mini-spiral bulbs pose shock and fire peril, UL warns Oct. 26, 2004 Provided by: Canadian Press TORONTO (CP) - Energy-conscious Canadians who are using 13-watt spiral mini-fluorescent light bulbs from China are being warned that the product may pose a shock and fire hazard.

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. said Tuesday that Globe Mini-Spiral

13-watt self-ballasted lamps bear an unauthorized UL mark. The U.S. testing laboratory said the bulbs were sold at retailers in the United States and Canada.

A UL spokesman said he could not identify the sales channels, but confirmed there have been problems in Canada.

"I do know that's where all of our complaints came from," UL's Paul Baker said from the non-profit testing organization's headquarters in Northbrook, Ill.

The suspect products were made between January 2002 and April 2003 by Fujian Joinluck Electronic Enterprise Co.

"The lamps were manufactured with parts that UL did not investigate," Underwriters Laboratories stated.

"These parts can fail and melt a hole in the enclosure, posing a fire hazard and exposing the user to hazardous voltage. These lamps are not authorized to bear the UL mark."

The possibly hazardous bulbs carry date codes BH0102 through BH1203.

The units are marked "Globe Mini-Spiral, 13W, 120V, 60Hz, 225mA," and carry the pirated Underwriters Laboratories mark with UL file number E197131.

"UL recommends that users stop using the lamp immediately and return it to the place of purchase."

Reply to
A

On 29 Oct 2004 07:16:10 -0700, A put forth the notion that...

[...]

I never understood why UL went to the trouble of creating those holographic labels. Did they really think the Chinese wouldn't copy them just like they counterfeit everything else?

Reply to
Checkmate

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