On Jul 11, 2:45*pm, willshak wrote:
Mike C wrote the following:

The builder installed a cheap standard (found in many closets) light
in my pantry that has a glass globe that attaches with 3 screws. It is
mounted on the wall, not the ceiling.

After 9 years, I came home and the globe had broken off and shattered
everywhere. *It was not loose as the neck that the screws attach to
was intact still in the fixture.

My question is are these lights meant to be mounted on a wall or do I
need a new fixture? It could have just been a fluke that it broke off
after all this time, but I could see how hanging sideways would put
stress on the glass.

The screws could have been too tightly turned and expansion of the glass
from the light heat caused it to break off at the neck.
Solutions?
1. Do not screw the new globe on too tightly, let it float a little for
expansion.
2. Use a CFL instead of an incandescent bulb.CFLs stay much cooler than
incands.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

Judging where it broke, I doubt it was over tightening. The neck was
entirely intact still attached to the fixture.

The globe is around 6" with a 4"neck (I'm guessing).

I wondered if heat was a factor. I had a 60 watt bulb in there. A CFL
probably won't work as this is a pantry with a motion sensing switch
so it goes on and off many many times a day and the lag for the CFL
would also be an issue. Maybe I'll try a incandescent 40 watt bulb
and see what happens.