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Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
I am looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs.
The more I use them, the more dangerous they seem. It's bad enough they never live up to their normal life expectency, but they also seem dangerous as far as causing fires. A couple years ago I flipped on the bathroom lights (two fixtures) with CF bulbs. I sat down on the toilet when suddenly I heard a loud pop. One of the CF bulbs went black and at that same moment smoke and sparks began blowing out of the base of the CF. I got up and flipped off the switch before any further damage occurred. Yesterday I went into my garage, where I have 4 CF bulbs. When I flipped on the switch I heard a buzz that sounded similar to an arc welder but not as loud. One of the lights flickered and finally lit up. I was a bit puzzled and shut off the lights and turned them on again. This time the same bulb made that same sound and apparently died. It would no longer light up. When I walked near that CF I could smell a burnt odor. I have been lucky that I was able to be nearby when these occurred, and it seems the problems happen when the lights are turned on. However, I am finding these bulbs to be dangerous as far as a fire risk. Because of this, I am going to be eliminating all of them and going back to standard light bulbs. I'd rather spend a few dollars extra per month on my electric bill than risk a fire. Does anyone know of any facts about fires caused by CF bulbs? Alvin |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
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Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
On Sep 19, 12:43 pm, wrote:
Does anyone know of any facts about fires caused by CF bulbs? Alvin I can only offer an anecdote. A few weeks ago I had a 100 watt equiv. compact fluorescent bulb break and start arcing. I shut it off quickly, but it became wickedly hot. It was easily in the fire hazard temperature range. I'm glad I was right there. I searched the net about similar incidents without success. It may have been a fluke, but I look forward to the day when there are cheap LED bulbs that I can use as a replacement. You'd think they'd make a product containing mercury (like CFs) a little more resistant to breaking. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
On Sep 19, 5:43 pm, wrote:
I am looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs. The more I use them, the more dangerous they seem. It's bad enough they never live up to their normal life expectancy, but they also seem dangerous as far as causing fires. A couple years ago I flipped on the bathroom lights (two fixtures) with CF bulbs. I sat down on the toilet when suddenly I heard a loud pop. One of the CF bulbs went black and at that same moment smoke and sparks began blowing out of the base of the CF. I got up and flipped off the switch before any further damage occurred. Yesterday I went into my garage, where I have 4 CF bulbs. When I flipped on the switch I heard a buzz that sounded similar to an arc welder but not as loud. One of the lights flickered and finally lit up. I was a bit puzzled and shut off the lights and turned them on again. This time the same bulb made that same sound and apparently died. It would no longer light up. When I walked near that CF I could smell a burnt odor. I have been lucky that I was able to be nearby when these occurred, and it seems the problems happen when the lights are turned on. However, I am finding these bulbs to be dangerous as far as a fire risk. Because of this, I am going to be eliminating all of them and going back to standard light bulbs. I'd rather spend a few dollars extra per month on my electric bill than risk a fire. Does anyone know of any facts about fires caused by CF bulbs? Alvin Nothing per that experience but I have one CFL Marked SE201 15W 120v 60Hz. on desk in front of me. The reason it was removed from use is because the ceramic (or ceramic looking) base separated and the lighted part with some components attached came loose. This btw is not one of the 'curly' types/ It has four straight tubes (well actually two tubes looped) each tube is about 7/16 in diam. about 4 inches long that project straight up from the base. Overall it's a shade over 6 inches long from tip of the screw in base to far end of the fluorescing tubes. So it's physically about as long as one of those incandescent bulbs that are often mounted horizontally above a picture frame. The ceramic base through which the tubes emerge has also crumbled slightly. On other hand we have a plastic cased fluorescent hand inspection lamp which seems to work well, its fully enclosed bulb flickers once or twice and then comes on. Appears much safer in a garage or workshop environment than an incandescent bulb with a hot filament inside a glass bulb that could be broken. While this was for its time of purchase a 'cheapie' at about $2 not impressed with it. It does use less electrcity and it does not get hot as does an incandescent. But this one definitely does not produce the same amount of light as say a 60 to 75 watter, as claimed. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
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Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
On Sep 19, 4:52?pm, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote: First I suggest that you take a look at any lamp you have and any CF bulbs. Make sure it has the UL mark. If it does, I would have to suggest that it is safe. Nothing is 100% but the UL mark means it has passed tough testing. Second there seems to be a problem with some of the higher wattage lamps from one or more manufacturers as they are designed to burn only base down and they have not all been properly marked. That has been changed, but there still may be some on the shelves. -- Joseph Meehan Dia 's Muire duit wrote in message ... I am looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs. The more I use them, the more dangerous they seem. It's bad enough they never live up to their normal life expectency, but they also seem dangerous as far as causing fires. A couple years ago I flipped on the bathroom lights (two fixtures) with CF bulbs. I sat down on the toilet when suddenly I heard a loud pop. One of the CF bulbs went black and at that same moment smoke and sparks began blowing out of the base of the CF. I got up and flipped off the switch before any further damage occurred. Yesterday I went into my garage, where I have 4 CF bulbs. When I flipped on the switch I heard a buzz that sounded similar to an arc welder but not as loud. One of the lights flickered and finally lit up. I was a bit puzzled and shut off the lights and turned them on again. This time the same bulb made that same sound and apparently died. It would no longer light up. When I walked near that CF I could smell a burnt odor. I have been lucky that I was able to be nearby when these occurred, and it seems the problems happen when the lights are turned on. However, I am finding these bulbs to be dangerous as far as a fire risk. Because of this, I am going to be eliminating all of them and going back to standard light bulbs. I'd rather spend a few dollars extra per month on my electric bill than risk a fire. Does anyone know of any facts about fires caused by CF bulbs? Alvin- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I have noted the same fire hazard. plus dont use spray wax around a CF, if a little over spray gets into the bulb spark and flames will result. UL is NO guarantee of safety. I fix roll laminating machines in my business. I noted a extreme safety hazard, after getting badly shocked. I just touched a metal switch at the time and happened to be grounded. ended up really grounded, laying on floor across room. the manufacturer appeared dis interested, in this real hazard. the metal part is mounted in a plastic bezel and handles line voltage. yet its not grounded . could be easily grounded called UL NOTHING happened even today. no doubt it will be fixed when someone dies:( I had a UL approved light set catch on fire. UL isnt as safe as it should be. but its no better than the feds. I hapen to know how to easily get a weapon on a plane. TSA caught the risk in one city but never bothered to spread the word. so I called my legislators office arlen spectre. nothing happened and I would know if it did. labels like UL and TSA are just that labels |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin
wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. I can't imagine what I'd have to do to mail the bulb somewhere without getting fined by the EPA or some other agency for who-knows-what. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
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Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
mike wrote:
On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. This apparent issue about mercury! Salt is bad for you. You can also drink yourself to death with drinking water. CFLs do contain mercury and we do need to consider where it will be a major issue if we dispose of many in landfills. Having one smash in the house is not an issue. Think about the number of mercury thermometers we used to use and break without us all going loopy. CFLs are not a health issue to the user; they could possibly be to those involved in the manufacture and could also be to future users of the planet if we do not dispose of sensibly. They are not a hazard to the user! |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"clot" wrote in message
... mike wrote: On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. This apparent issue about mercury! Salt is bad for you. You can also drink yourself to death with drinking water. CFLs do contain mercury and we do need to consider where it will be a major issue if we dispose of many in landfills. Having one smash in the house is not an issue. Think about the number of mercury thermometers we used to use and break without us all going loopy. CFLs are not a health issue to the user; they could possibly be to those involved in the manufacture and could also be to future users of the planet if we do not dispose of sensibly. They are not a hazard to the user! Please don't say these things to children, OK? |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"mike" wrote in message
ups.com... On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. Right. Better to bitch about it here, where it'll be read by what - 20 people? That's enough of a percentage of the population to allow you to feel like a real cool guy. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. I can't imagine what I'd have to do to mail the bulb somewhere without getting fined by the EPA or some other agency for who-knows-what. Right. The EPA is underfunded, but they still have someone at every post office, opening and inspecting packages. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"clot" wrote in message
... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
on 9/19/2007 8:36 PM clot said the following:
mike wrote: On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. This apparent issue about mercury! Salt is bad for you. You can also drink yourself to death with drinking water. CFLs do contain mercury and we do need to consider where it will be a major issue if we dispose of many in landfills. Having one smash in the house is not an issue. Think about the number of mercury thermometers we used to use and break without us all going loopy. CFLs are not a health issue to the user; they could possibly be to those involved in the manufacture and could also be to future users of the planet if we do not dispose of sensibly. They are not a hazard to the user! ould there be millions of fluorescent tubes going to the landfill every year? If not millions, many hundreds of thousands? How many fluorescent tubes are there in major buildings?.What should be done with them? Should we have hazardous waste companies that deal with fluorescent lamps? How much would you pay extra for new lamps to offset this extra cost? If you go to a large hotel chain like the Hilton, you will find that all the sconce lamps in the hallways have been replaced with CFLs. They said it saves them millions of $ a year. -- Bill In Hamptonburgh, NY To email, remove the double zeroes after @ |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
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Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"Don Klipstein" wrote in message
... Does anyone know of any facts about fires caused by CF bulbs? I hear more about actual fires from lamps other than CFLs than I do about ones from CFLs. I hear a lot about CFLs failing more spectacularly than one would like, with a main blame being filter capacitors rupturing. The major manufacturers have made improvents in that area, and I hear less about this than I did a few years ago. As for reports of actual fires caused by CDFs or ones actually catching fire - I don't hear of amny of those, and I suspect those are mostly due to non-UL-listed ones available mainly at dollar stores, and from the few with safety recalls (which includes one of what I would call a "dollar store brand"). Where do you "hear" these things? Might be interesting to share the source(s) in the newsgroup. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
In . com, terry wrote:
SNIP Nothing per that experience but I have one CFL Marked SE201 15W 120v 60Hz. on desk in front of me. The reason it was removed from use is because the ceramic (or ceramic looking) base separated and the lighted part with some components attached came loose. This btw is not one of the 'curly' types/ It has four straight tubes (well actually two tubes looped) each tube is about 7/16 in diam. about 4 inches long that project straight up from the base. Overall it's a shade over 6 inches long from tip of the screw in base to far end of the fluorescing tubes. So it's physically about as long as one of those incandescent bulbs that are often mounted horizontally above a picture frame. The ceramic base through which the tubes emerge has also crumbled slightly. I suspect it is what I call a "dollar store junker", especially if it has an icy daylight color. I have had a couple come apart that way on me, one of them doing so even right out of the package. On other hand we have a plastic cased fluorescent hand inspection lamp which seems to work well, its fully enclosed bulb flickers once or twice and then comes on. Appears much safer in a garage or workshop environment than an incandescent bulb with a hot filament inside a glass bulb that could be broken. While this was for its time of purchase a 'cheapie' at about $2 not impressed with it. It does use less electrcity and it does not get hot as does an incandescent. But this one definitely does not produce the same amount of light as say a 60 to 75 watter, as claimed. In my experience, dollar store junkers produce anywhere from moderately less light than claimed to less than 1/3 claimed light output, with none outshining a better 40 watt "standard incandescent" by much or at all; most claiming 40-125 watts incandescent replacement in my experience underperformed a better 40 watt incandescent. - Don Klipstein ) |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
on 9/19/2007 9:01 PM JoeSpareBedroom said the following:
"clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. Every fluorescent bulb and every neon tube has mercury in them. They have been like that for decades. Let's close Times Square and Las Vegas. -- Bill In Hamptonburgh, NY To email, remove the double zeroes after @ |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
In . com, mike wrote:
On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. I can't imagine what I'd have to do to mail the bulb somewhere without getting fined by the EPA or some other agency for who-knows-what. Bulbs.com ships CFLs UPS Ground, or did so for me in the past, in packages without any indication of hazardous cargo. I have declared them at my post office when mailing to a friend across the country for testing - no problems, no special labels. In most jurisdictions in the USA, residences can throw out burnt-out CFLs in regular trash, though it is preferred to take suggestions from www.lamprecycle.org - Don Klipstein ) |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
In article , JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don Klipstein" wrote in message ... Does anyone know of any facts about fires caused by CF bulbs? I hear more about actual fires from lamps other than CFLs than I do about ones from CFLs. I hear a lot about CFLs failing more spectacularly than one would like, with a main blame being filter capacitors rupturing. The major manufacturers have made improvents in that area, and I hear less about this than I did a few years ago. As for reports of actual fires caused by CDFs or ones actually catching fire - I don't hear of amny of those, and I suspect those are mostly due to non-UL-listed ones available mainly at dollar stores, and from the few with safety recalls (which includes one of what I would call a "dollar store brand"). Where do you "hear" these things? Might be interesting to share the source(s) in the newsgroup. Mostly private e-mails drawn to me by my website, what gets posted in sci.engr.lighting and here and misc.consumers and misc.consumers.frugal-living, a couple websites easy enough to find by googling CFL scorched flame, experience of entire apartment complexes that I have lived in... - Don Klipstein ) |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
on 9/19/2007 9:15 PM Don Klipstein said the following:
In . com, mike wrote: On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. I can't imagine what I'd have to do to mail the bulb somewhere without getting fined by the EPA or some other agency for who-knows-what. Bulbs.com ships CFLs UPS Ground, or did so for me in the past, in packages without any indication of hazardous cargo. I have declared them at my post office when mailing to a friend across the country for testing - no problems, no special labels. In most jurisdictions in the USA, residences can throw out burnt-out CFLs in regular trash, though it is preferred to take suggestions from www.lamprecycle.org - Don Klipstein ) I put my shop's 4' fluorescent tube bulbs in a trash can lined with a trash bag. I then break them with a hammer or other hard object so they fit in the can. :-) -- Bill In Hamptonburgh, NY To email, remove the double zeroes after @ |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"willshak" wrote in message
... on 9/19/2007 9:01 PM JoeSpareBedroom said the following: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. Every fluorescent bulb and every neon tube has mercury in them. They have been like that for decades. Let's close Times Square and Las Vegas. Bill I guess if we were to multiply by ten the number of bulbs being tossed in landfills, the mercury levels around those landfills won't rise. Right? |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
mike wrote in
ups.com: On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. I can't imagine what I'd have to do to mail the bulb somewhere without getting fined by the EPA or some other agency for who-knows-what. once the CF bulb breaks,the mercury is released. It vaporizes at room temp. So,handling the remains is not going to contaminate you any further. the threat then is from the phosphors on the broken glass pieces getting in a cut. If you want to ship the CF bulb,put it in a Ziploc bag,then box it for shipping. -- Jim Yanik jyanik at kua.net |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
: "clot" wrote in message ... mike wrote: On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. This apparent issue about mercury! Salt is bad for you. You can also drink yourself to death with drinking water. CFLs do contain mercury and we do need to consider where it will be a major issue if we dispose of many in landfills. Having one smash in the house is not an issue. Think about the number of mercury thermometers we used to use and break without us all going loopy. CFLs are not a health issue to the user; they could possibly be to those involved in the manufacture and could also be to future users of the planet if we do not dispose of sensibly. They are not a hazard to the user! Please don't say these things to children, OK? Yes,actually,the amount of mercury in a thermometer IS a health hazard if released inside one's home.Particularly to children. -- Jim Yanik jyanik at kua.net |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
: "willshak" wrote in message ... on 9/19/2007 9:01 PM JoeSpareBedroom said the following: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. Every fluorescent bulb and every neon tube has mercury in them. They have been like that for decades. Let's close Times Square and Las Vegas. Bill I guess if we were to multiply by ten the number of bulbs being tossed in landfills, the mercury levels around those landfills won't rise. Right? Compared to your average coal-fired electric generating plant,it's trivial. -- Jim Yanik jyanik at kua.net |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"Jim Yanik" wrote in message
... "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in : "willshak" wrote in message ... on 9/19/2007 9:01 PM JoeSpareBedroom said the following: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. Every fluorescent bulb and every neon tube has mercury in them. They have been like that for decades. Let's close Times Square and Las Vegas. Bill I guess if we were to multiply by ten the number of bulbs being tossed in landfills, the mercury levels around those landfills won't rise. Right? Compared to your average coal-fired electric generating plant,it's trivial. -- Jim Yanik Uh oh. Now I need more information from you. For every water supply affected by every landfill in America, what are the current mercury levels, and how far are they from causing this, especially if the intake of mercury-laden bulbs increases by factors of 2, 5 and 10? http://www1.umn.edu/ships/ethics/minamata.htm You have one year to complete this project. Good luck. |
Looking for facts about cfl fires , hg content, you do make adiff!
I hate guesses, so I googled- http://www.informinc.org/fact_P3fluorescentlamps.php It's a green group, but I doubt they could get away with mis-information for long ;-) I have a hundred cfl's in use from the original LOA 22w circlines to the latest 4w mini cfl's. I've had maybe eight failures and two "catastrophic", a bright flash and that was all. I marker the year installed, the backdoor 12w U tube is still running on a 1987 tube, but the 4w mini died in a year. I'm not including three 13w spirals and two 22w circs I flat out dropped (broken) over time. I agree with Don, there are a lot of poorly built counterfeit cfl's from China at the "junk" dollar stores. (not the Dolgen and Family Dollar like chains) Even the UL, ETL, etc marks are counterfeit. I do return bad products, even the "no returns" junk stores at least gave store credit for something else. Manufacturers are very sensitive about bad/poor products. Usually they already became aware of the problem and have generous coupon programs to buy redesigned or other products they make. They really do want happy customers. Dad had a "lifetime guarantee" pocket lighter he bought during WWII, the manufacturer replaced it 3 times when it "wore out" during his lifetime. It pays, he also faithfully bought their other products. Unfortunately, the high tech products / services companies haven't seen the light yet... But if we are willing to accept some of their crap, shame on us! -larry / dallas |
Looking for facts about cfl fires , hg content, you do make adiff!
on 9/19/2007 11:19 PM larry said the following:
I hate guesses, so I googled- http://www.informinc.org/fact_P3fluorescentlamps.php It's a green group, but I doubt they could get away with mis-information for long ;-) I have a hundred cfl's in use from the original LOA 22w circlines to the latest 4w mini cfl's. I've had maybe eight failures and two "catastrophic", a bright flash and that was all. I marker the year installed, the backdoor 12w U tube is still running on a 1987 tube, but the 4w mini died in a year. I'm not including three 13w spirals and two 22w circs I flat out dropped (broken) over time. I agree with Don, there are a lot of poorly built counterfeit cfl's from China at the "junk" dollar stores. (not the Dolgen and Family Dollar like chains) Even the UL, ETL, etc marks are counterfeit. I do return bad products, even the "no returns" junk stores at least gave store credit for something else. Manufacturers are very sensitive about bad/poor products. Usually they already became aware of the problem and have generous coupon programs to buy redesigned or other products they make. They really do want happy customers. Dad had a "lifetime guarantee" pocket lighter he bought during WWII, the manufacturer replaced it 3 times when it "wore out" during his lifetime. It pays, he also faithfully bought their other products. Unfortunately, the high tech products / services companies haven't seen the light yet... But if we are willing to accept some of their crap, shame on us! -larry / dallas I have been using CFLs for years. They are all GEs. Looking at the bulb, I see no GE logo, but I see Made in China on all of them. None have failed so far. -- Bill In Hamptonburgh, NY To email, remove the double zeroes after @ |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
On Sep 19, 2:43 pm, wrote:
I am looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs. The more I use them, the more dangerous they seem. It's bad enough they never live up to their normal life expectency, but they also seem dangerous as far as causing fires. A couple years ago I flipped on the bathroom lights (two fixtures) with CF bulbs. I sat down on the toilet when suddenly I heard a loud pop. One of the CF bulbs went black and at that same moment smoke and sparks began blowing out of the base of the CF. I got up and flipped off the switch before any further damage occurred. Yesterday I went into my garage, where I have 4 CF bulbs. When I flipped on the switch I heard a buzz that sounded similar to an arc welder but not as loud. One of the lights flickered and finally lit up. I was a bit puzzled and shut off the lights and turned them on again. This time the same bulb made that same sound and apparently died. It would no longer light up. When I walked near that CF I could smell a burnt odor. I have been lucky that I was able to be nearby when these occurred, and it seems the problems happen when the lights are turned on. However, I am finding these bulbs to be dangerous as far as a fire risk. Because of this, I am going to be eliminating all of them and going back to standard light bulbs. I'd rather spend a few dollars extra per month on my electric bill than risk a fire. Does anyone know of any facts about fires caused by CF bulbs? Alvin I hate em, to the core of my being I hate em, except in the outside fixtures where they last long. They make a bad humming sound, put interference on the power line, and generally give off ugly light, contain mercury, etc. Now with your fire post I hate em even more, I never really thought of that. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
Jim Yanik wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in : "clot" wrote in message ... mike wrote: On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. This apparent issue about mercury! Salt is bad for you. You can also drink yourself to death with drinking water. CFLs do contain mercury and we do need to consider where it will be a major issue if we dispose of many in landfills. Having one smash in the house is not an issue. Think about the number of mercury thermometers we used to use and break without us all going loopy. CFLs are not a health issue to the user; they could possibly be to those involved in the manufacture and could also be to future users of the planet if we do not dispose of sensibly. They are not a hazard to the user! Please don't say these things to children, OK? Yes,actually,the amount of mercury in a thermometer IS a health hazard if released inside one's home.Particularly to children. The sale of mercury thermometers has now been banned in the EU. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
willshak wrote:
on 9/19/2007 8:36 PM clot said the following: mike wrote: On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. 3. I wasn't too fond of dealing with the broken bulb at all, considering the mercury content. This apparent issue about mercury! Salt is bad for you. You can also drink yourself to death with drinking water. CFLs do contain mercury and we do need to consider where it will be a major issue if we dispose of many in landfills. Having one smash in the house is not an issue. Think about the number of mercury thermometers we used to use and break without us all going loopy. CFLs are not a health issue to the user; they could possibly be to those involved in the manufacture and could also be to future users of the planet if we do not dispose of sensibly. They are not a hazard to the user! ould there be millions of fluorescent tubes going to the landfill every year? If not millions, many hundreds of thousands? How many fluorescent tubes are there in major buildings?.What should be done with them? Should we have hazardous waste companies that deal with fluorescent lamps? How much would you pay extra for new lamps to offset this extra cost? If you go to a large hotel chain like the Hilton, you will find that all the sconce lamps in the hallways have been replaced with CFLs. They said it saves them millions of $ a year. Some waste companies in the UK now collect fluorescent lights separately from other wastes and apparently recover the mercury. http://www.biffa.co.uk/content.php?n...uorotubes.html |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. I'm saying that the concern about mercury has been grossly over-hyped. Read earlier post! |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"clot" wrote in message
... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. I'm saying that the concern about mercury has been grossly over-hyped. Read earlier post! The problem with what you're saying is that by the time a landfill is leaching too much mercury into local groundwater, it will be too late to do much about it, except perhaps to inform nearby residents that from now on, they can forget using tap water for cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth. Remember, too, that this is America, where 54% of the population thinks environmentalists are communist homosexuals, so nothing gets done about pollution problems until it literally hits home. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
Actually for the last few years ( in the US) all fluorescent tubes and
other discharge bulbs ( unless they are the newer low mercury type, with GREEN markings), are supposed to be recycled. At my job we use many thousand a year, and yes, we do recycle all the non low mercury ones, we put them in special containers and then they are picked up for mercury recovery..the hazardous waste company we use for this is Safety clean. I don't pay the bill but I understand it's actually quite expensive though, unfortunately. -- Mike S. "willshak" wrote in message ... How many fluorescent tubes are there in major buildings?.What should be done with them? Should we have hazardous waste companies that deal with fluorescent lamps? How much would you pay extra for new lamps to offset this extra cost? If you go to a large hotel chain like the Hilton, you will find that all the sconce lamps in the hallways have been replaced with CFLs. They said it saves them millions of $ a year. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"Mike S." wrote in message
... Actually for the last few years ( in the US) all fluorescent tubes and other discharge bulbs ( unless they are the newer low mercury type, with GREEN markings), are supposed to be recycled. Supposed to be, but if my locale is any indication, those bulbs won't be recycled for a very long time. The county's solid waste facility will accept them if residents drop them off, but none of the trash haulers have a program in place to handle them separately. According to a radio interview a few months back, pretty much nobody drives across the county to drop off light bulbs. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"clot" wrote in message ... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. I'm saying that the concern about mercury has been grossly over-hyped. Read earlier post! The problem with what you're saying is that by the time a landfill is leaching too much mercury into local groundwater, it will be too late to do much about it, except perhaps to inform nearby residents that from now on, they can forget using tap water for cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth. Remember, too, that this is America, where 54% of the population thinks environmentalists are communist homosexuals, so nothing gets done about pollution problems until it literally hits home. I appreciate what you are saying. I'm all for minimising materials going into landfills - it's part of my professional life. I'm familiar with the problems that old landfills have caused, am aware of the Superfund program and also the costs! I have visited one such east of LA. Modern landfills are designed to avoid groundwater problems and the leachates are collected and treated prior to being discharged to watercourses. However, I do believe we should reduce our dependence upon them and find better solutions - one such is incineration of organic fractions utilising the heat and power, but just watch the NIMBYs come out to play if one is proposed in the neighbourhood! |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "clot" wrote in message ... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. I'm saying that the concern about mercury has been grossly over-hyped. Read earlier post! The problem with what you're saying is that by the time a landfill is leaching too much mercury into local groundwater, it will be too late to do much about it, except perhaps to inform nearby residents that from now on, they can forget using tap water for cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth. Remember, too, that this is America, where 54% of the population thinks environmentalists are communist homosexuals, so nothing gets done about pollution problems until it literally hits home. 54%? Don't you mean 94%? |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"Smitty Two" wrote in message
... In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "clot" wrote in message ... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. I'm saying that the concern about mercury has been grossly over-hyped. Read earlier post! The problem with what you're saying is that by the time a landfill is leaching too much mercury into local groundwater, it will be too late to do much about it, except perhaps to inform nearby residents that from now on, they can forget using tap water for cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth. Remember, too, that this is America, where 54% of the population thinks environmentalists are communist homosexuals, so nothing gets done about pollution problems until it literally hits home. 54%? Don't you mean 94%? Could be. I was playing it safe by using the percentage that voted for Bush. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
On Sep 19, 6:00 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"mike" wrote in message ups.com... On Sep 19, 3:43 pm, jJim McLaughlin wrote: Those in the US who have anecdotes, or more importantly, actual failed bulbs, should contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and submit failed bulbs for inspection. 1. It's been several weeks. The bulb is long gone. 2. Even if I had it, I can't see going through the hassle of submitting a bulb. Right. Better to bitch about it here, where it'll be read by what - 20 people? That's enough of a percentage of the population to allow you to feel like a real cool guy. Someone asked. I told my story. Go troll elsewhere. |
Looking for facts about fires caused by compact florescent bulbs
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
: "clot" wrote in message ... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "clot" wrote in message ... This nonsense about mercury is just that! You're an idiot. I'm saying that the concern about mercury has been grossly over-hyped. Read earlier post! The problem with what you're saying is that by the time a landfill is leaching too much mercury into local groundwater, How does mercury leach -into groundwater? (and what form does it take?) Doesn't it combine with other elements in the soil? ISTR that fish pick up mercury from eating bottom stuff,not from water intake. it will be too late to do much about it, except perhaps to inform nearby residents that from now on, they can forget using tap water for cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth. Remember, too, that this is America, where 54% of the population thinks environmentalists are communist homosexuals, so nothing gets done about pollution problems until it literally hits home. -- Jim Yanik jyanik at kua.net |
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