smoking light bulbs
 

We have two sconce lights on our wall. Each has a single light bulb
(the candleabra) style. I put the bulbs in a few years ago and have
never had an issue (the bulbs were within the wattage range for the
fixtures. The last two times the lights have been on for a few hours
the bulbs begin to emit a burning smell and small pufts of smoke is
coming off the bulbs. The fixture itself is still cool to the touch
(as is the part mounted the the wall). The bulbs have a filmy/sticky
feel to them now...

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though. Any other reason two fixtures
that have worked flawlessly for several years (with the original bulbs
still in them) would suddenly have this issue? I have a TV on the
same circuit and its fine...

smoking light bulbs
 

grodenhiATgmailDOTcom wrote:
We have two sconce lights on our wall. Each has a single light bulb
(the candleabra) style. I put the bulbs in a few years ago and have
never had an issue (the bulbs were within the wattage range for the
fixtures. The last two times the lights have been on for a few hours
the bulbs begin to emit a burning smell and small pufts of smoke is
coming off the bulbs. The fixture itself is still cool to the touch
(as is the part mounted the the wall). The bulbs have a filmy/sticky
feel to them now...

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though. Any other reason two fixtures
that have worked flawlessly for several years (with the original bulbs
still in them) would suddenly have this issue? I have a TV on the
same circuit and its fine...

Take the bulbs out and wash them? That should solve any questions of
gunk on the glass heating up. (Do dry them before putting them back, of
course....) Only other place the Magic Smoke could be escaping from is
the insulation on the wires in the bulb base- it can be scorching and
outgassing even if the metal parts are cool to the touch. Flip the
breaker, take the fixtures down, and eyeball them outside in bright
light, looking where the wires enter fixture from box, and especially
where the wires enter the ceramic or plastic socket and are screwed or
soldered to the screw base. (You may have to partially disassemble them
to see that area.)

But I am not an electrician, so take this advice for what it is worth.
--
aem sends...

smoking light bulbs
 

grodenhiATgmailDOTcom wrote:

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though.

When a woman says she can't recall, she must be ill. Women never forget.

smoking light bulbs
 

On Jun 2, 9:03*pm, grodenhiATgmailDOTcom wrote:
We have two sconce lights on our wall. *Each has a single light bulb
(the candleabra) style. *I put the bulbs in a few years ago and have
never had an issue (the bulbs were within the wattage range for the
fixtures. *The last two times the lights have been on for a few hours
the bulbs begin to emit a burning smell and small pufts of smoke is
coming off the bulbs. *The fixture itself is still cool to the touch
(as is the part mounted the the wall). *The bulbs have a filmy/sticky
feel to them now...

Could that stickyness be nicotine? (Shot in the dark)

smoking light bulbs
 

"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...
grodenhiATgmailDOTcom wrote:

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though.

When a woman says she can't recall, she must be ill. Women never forget.
You've got a major error in your logic. Women never forget mistakes *men* make. Mistakes they make
themselves, they either don't notice in the first place, forget quickly, or rationalize that they're
not mistakes.

;^)

EL

smoking light bulbs
 

Eric wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...
grodenhiATgmailDOTcom wrote:

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though.

When a woman says she can't recall, she must be ill. Women never
forget.
You've got a major error in your logic. Women never forget mistakes
*men* make. Mistakes they make themselves, they either don't notice
in the first place, forget quickly, or rationalize that they're not
mistakes.

I stand corrected.

Which is to be expected inasmuch as women try diligently to keep us from
making mistakes in the first place ("Why don't you stop and ask directions?"
or "You're not going out wearing THAT, are you?")

smoking light bulbs
 

In article , AZ
Nomad wrote:

On Tue, 2 Jun 2009 22:28:57 -0400, RBM wrote:

"grodenhiATgmailDOTcom" wrote in message
...
We have two sconce lights on our wall. Each has a single light bulb
(the candleabra) style. I put the bulbs in a few years ago and have
never had an issue (the bulbs were within the wattage range for the
fixtures. The last two times the lights have been on for a few hours
the bulbs begin to emit a burning smell and small pufts of smoke is
coming off the bulbs. The fixture itself is still cool to the touch
(as is the part mounted the the wall). The bulbs have a filmy/sticky
feel to them now...

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though. Any other reason two fixtures
that have worked flawlessly for several years (with the original bulbs
still in them) would suddenly have this issue? I have a TV on the
same circuit and its fine...

I think your assumption is correct. Sometimes the plastic sleeves that go
over the "candle" of the fixture are too tall and burn against the bulb, but
it seems more likely that something was sprayed on them and is burning off

Unless they are dangerous junk, they shouldn't do a thing even if touching
the bulb while the bulb is in an insulated blanket. The bulb should
blow out before the sleaves do anything.

Step one: cut the breaker, and clean the sockets (make sure the lights
go out w/ the breaker before removing the bulbs), then start with
all new bulbs. A q-tip with rubbing alcohol should be sufficient.
Use contact cleaner if you have it.

There are incandescent bulbs that normally get hot enough to char stuff.

For example, the top of a 100 watt incandescent in free air can achieve
about 420-445 degrees F. A 60 watt one can achieve about 390 F at the top
of the bulb - in free air. In enclosures, lightbulbs get evn hotter.

- Don Klipstein )

smoking light bulbs
 

HeyBub wrote:
Eric wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...
grodenhiATgmailDOTcom wrote:
My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though.
When a woman says she can't recall, she must be ill. Women never
forget.
You've got a major error in your logic. Women never forget mistakes
*men* make. Mistakes they make themselves, they either don't notice
in the first place, forget quickly, or rationalize that they're not
mistakes.

I stand corrected.

Which is to be expected inasmuch as women try diligently to keep us from
making mistakes in the first place ("Why don't you stop and ask directions?"
or "You're not going out wearing THAT, are you?")



Easy way to avoid the second... fill your entire closet with jeans,
khakis, and black t-shirts.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

smoking light bulbs
 

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 22:08:23 +0000 (UTC), Don Klipstein wrote:
In article , AZ
Nomad wrote:

On Tue, 2 Jun 2009 22:28:57 -0400, RBM wrote:

"grodenhiATgmailDOTcom" wrote in message
...
We have two sconce lights on our wall. Each has a single light bulb
(the candleabra) style. I put the bulbs in a few years ago and have
never had an issue (the bulbs were within the wattage range for the
fixtures. The last two times the lights have been on for a few hours
the bulbs begin to emit a burning smell and small pufts of smoke is
coming off the bulbs. The fixture itself is still cool to the touch
(as is the part mounted the the wall). The bulbs have a filmy/sticky
feel to them now...

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? She can't recall though. Any other reason two fixtures
that have worked flawlessly for several years (with the original bulbs
still in them) would suddenly have this issue? I have a TV on the
same circuit and its fine...

I think your assumption is correct. Sometimes the plastic sleeves that go
over the "candle" of the fixture are too tall and burn against the bulb, but
it seems more likely that something was sprayed on them and is burning off

Unless they are dangerous junk, they shouldn't do a thing even if touching
the bulb while the bulb is in an insulated blanket. The bulb should
blow out before the sleaves do anything.

Step one: cut the breaker, and clean the sockets (make sure the lights
go out w/ the breaker before removing the bulbs), then start with
all new bulbs. A q-tip with rubbing alcohol should be sufficient.
Use contact cleaner if you have it.

There are incandescent bulbs that normally get hot enough to char stuff.

For example, the top of a 100 watt incandescent in free air can achieve
about 420-445 degrees F. A 60 watt one can achieve about 390 F at the top
of the bulb - in free air. In enclosures, lightbulbs get evn hotter.

Yes, but fixture materials can take the heat unless they are absolute
rubbish.

smoking light bulbs
 

In , AZ Nomad wrote:
On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 22:08:23 +0000 (UTC), Don Klipstein wrote:
In article , AZ
Nomad wrote:

SNIP to here

Unless they are dangerous junk, they shouldn't do a thing even if touching
the bulb while the bulb is in an insulated blanket. The bulb should
blow out before the sleaves do anything.

SNIP

There are incandescent bulbs that normally get hot enough to char stuff.

For example, the top of a 100 watt incandescent in free air can achieve
about 420-445 degrees F. A 60 watt one can achieve about 390 F at the top
of the bulb - in free air. In enclosures, lightbulbs get evn hotter.

Yes, but fixture materials can take the heat unless they are absolute
rubbish.

There is rubbish out there where things out of alignment due to being
loose can make things too hot.

I see all too much rubbish in general sold for home lighting. I have
even seen a banker's lamp style desk lamp produce a burning odor from
charring wiring while being used as directed with nothing out of place.
(Apparently tested where line voltage is 230V and 60W version of that
shape/size/style bulb usually has a vacuum, while in USA the 60 watt
version of that bulb is usually gas-filled.)

- Don Klipstein )

smoking light bulbs
 

Nate Nagel wrote:
You've got a major error in your logic. Women never forget mistakes
*men* make. Mistakes they make themselves, they either don't notice
in the first place, forget quickly, or rationalize that they're not
mistakes.

I stand corrected.

Which is to be expected inasmuch as women try diligently to keep us
from making mistakes in the first place ("Why don't you stop and ask
directions?" or "You're not going out wearing THAT, are you?")



Easy way to avoid the second... fill your entire closet with jeans,
khakis, and black t-shirts.


In his book, "Dress for success," Malloy had a short section on how to dress
to please women.

"Let one woman dress you and you will be outfitted to please all women."

As to your suggestion regarding black T-shirts, I refer you to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/nyregion/25towns.html

Which the author says will re-grow hair and land you a starring role in a
kung-fu romantic comedy movie.

smoking light bulbs
 

In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

"Let one woman dress you and you will be outfitted to please all women."

About 10 years ago I thought it was time to move beyond the blue jeans
and t-shirt phase, since I was approaching middle age.

So, I asked three women friends (all of whom I had dated at one time or
another) for fashion advice. I'll call them Julie, Becky, and Rachel.

In the span of a week, I talked to each of them in turn, and I swear the
comments I got started out like this in each case:

Julie: "Whatever you do, don't ask Becky for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

Becky: "Whatever you do, don't ask Rachel for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

Rachel: "Whatever you do, don't ask Julie for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

smoking light bulbs
 

On Jun 2, 9:03*pm, grodenhiATgmailDOTcom wrote:
We have two sconce lights on our wall. *Each has a single light bulb
(the candleabra) style. *I put the bulbs in a few years ago and have
never had an issue (the bulbs were within the wattage range for the
fixtures. *The last two times the lights have been on for a few hours
the bulbs begin to emit a burning smell and small pufts of smoke is
coming off the bulbs. *The fixture itself is still cool to the touch
(as is the part mounted the the wall). *The bulbs have a filmy/sticky
feel to them now...

My assumption is my wife must have sprayed something near them and
whatever it is coated the bulbs and is burning off.... Sound
reasonable? *She can't recall though. *Any other reason two fixtures
that have worked flawlessly for several years (with the original bulbs
still in them) would suddenly have this issue? *I have a TV on the
same circuit and its fine...

Close your windows. I'm not kidding.

It's spring, right?

You've got windows and doors open more often, right?

Bugs are attracted to lights, right?

Sizzle, fry, smoke and smell.

Happens quite often at my house.

smoking light bulbs
 

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

"Let one woman dress you and you will be outfitted to please all
women."

About 10 years ago I thought it was time to move beyond the blue jeans
and t-shirt phase, since I was approaching middle age.

So, I asked three women friends (all of whom I had dated at one time
or another) for fashion advice. I'll call them Julie, Becky, and
Rachel.

In the span of a week, I talked to each of them in turn, and I swear
the comments I got started out like this in each case:

Julie: "Whatever you do, don't ask Becky for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

Becky: "Whatever you do, don't ask Rachel for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

Rachel: "Whatever you do, don't ask Julie for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

But I'll bet you got the exact same advice from each on how to dress YOU.

smoking light bulbs
 

In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

"Let one woman dress you and you will be outfitted to please all
women."

About 10 years ago I thought it was time to move beyond the blue jeans
and t-shirt phase, since I was approaching middle age.

So, I asked three women friends (all of whom I had dated at one time
or another) for fashion advice. I'll call them Julie, Becky, and
Rachel.

In the span of a week, I talked to each of them in turn, and I swear
the comments I got started out like this in each case:

Julie: "Whatever you do, don't ask Becky for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

Becky: "Whatever you do, don't ask Rachel for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

Rachel: "Whatever you do, don't ask Julie for advice. She doesn't know
how to dress herself."

But I'll bet you got the exact same advice from each on how to dress YOU.

That's a good point, as far as the fallacy of my logic in response to
Malloy's claim. However, in my case, you lose the bet. Interestingly,
the one of the three whose own clothing style least appealed to me is
the one who advocated clothes for me that I didn't like. To the limited
extent that I tried her suggestions, I found that other women didn't
agree with her choices for me, either.

smoking light bulbs
 

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

"Let one woman dress you and you will be outfitted to please all
women."

About 10 years ago I thought it was time to move beyond the blue
jeans and t-shirt phase, since I was approaching middle age.

So, I asked three women friends (all of whom I had dated at one time
or another) for fashion advice. I'll call them Julie, Becky, and
Rachel.

In the span of a week, I talked to each of them in turn, and I swear
the comments I got started out like this in each case:

Julie: "Whatever you do, don't ask Becky for advice. She doesn't
know how to dress herself."

Becky: "Whatever you do, don't ask Rachel for advice. She doesn't
know how to dress herself."

Rachel: "Whatever you do, don't ask Julie for advice. She doesn't
know how to dress herself."

But I'll bet you got the exact same advice from each on how to dress
YOU.

That's a good point, as far as the fallacy of my logic in response to
Malloy's claim. However, in my case, you lose the bet. Interestingly,
the one of the three whose own clothing style least appealed to me is
the one who advocated clothes for me that I didn't like. To the
limited extent that I tried her suggestions, I found that other women
didn't agree with her choices for me, either.

There's always an outlier.

Remember, for this project, it's irrelevant whether YOU like the clothes.