New low energy lights fitted recently, lower power demand etc., good.
But my daughter discovered that even when switched off they emit light.
Spooky to have glowing lights on the bedroom wall at 3 am. Anyone know
the cause and a solution other than reverting to tungsten filament
bulbs?

Michalos wrote:
New low energy lights fitted recently, lower power demand etc., good.
But my daughter discovered that even when switched off they emit light.

All fluorescents do this, to greater or lesser degrees.

The reason is that fluorescent lamps aren't strictly fluorescent,
they're actually phosporescent too. A gas discharge produces an
invisble UV light and phosphor powders coated inside the tube turn this
into visible light. To get white light, a mixture of phosphors is used.
The red-producers are mainly fluorescent (they produce light from
higher energy light instantly), the green producers are coincidentally
(not deliberately) also phosphorescent -- the light they produce is
delayed slightly from when they absorb it.

When you switch off the light you switch off the discharge instantly.
You also stop any fluorescent processes and most of the visible light
output. However any phosphorescent chemicals in there too will still be
storing enerby and releasing it more slowly. They decay over time, but
they may be visible to a dark-adapted eye for an hour or two. You'll
notice that this residual glow is distinctly greenish too.

Michalos wrote:

New low energy lights fitted recently, lower power demand etc., good.
But my daughter discovered that even when switched off they emit light.
Spooky to have glowing lights on the bedroom wall at 3 am. Anyone know
the cause and a solution other than reverting to tungsten filament
bulbs?

a solution to a non problem?


NT

wrote in message
ps.com...
Michalos wrote:

New low energy lights fitted recently, lower power demand etc., good.
But my daughter discovered that even when switched off they emit light.
Spooky to have glowing lights on the bedroom wall at 3 am. Anyone know
the cause and a solution other than reverting to tungsten filament
bulbs?

a solution to a non problem?

Perhaps he is in his photographic darkroom.

tim

"Michalos" wrote in message
ups.com...
New low energy lights fitted recently, lower power demand etc., good.
But my daughter discovered that even when switched off they emit light.
Spooky to have glowing lights on the bedroom wall at 3 am. Anyone know
the cause and a solution other than reverting to tungsten filament
bulbs?

it's been covered hundreds of times before in this and other groups. It is
caused by cheap nasty starter circuits in Philips light bulbs. The tube is
triggered by tiny currents between neutral and earth which is why it happens
when the switch is off.
Philips told me this and changed the bulbs I bought for ones that don't do
it. They were the 18w variety.
It is not a fault with the wiring or anything else, it is the bulbs that
should have had a safety recall as they are dangerous in my opinion.
Try a different make, don't bother with Philips as faulty bulbs are still
being sold.

wrote in message
ps.com...
Michalos wrote:

New low energy lights fitted recently, lower power demand etc., good.
But my daughter discovered that even when switched off they emit light.
Spooky to have glowing lights on the bedroom wall at 3 am. Anyone know
the cause and a solution other than reverting to tungsten filament
bulbs?

a solution to a non problem?


NT

Exactly, he replied to a question he wanted asking rather than the one that
was!

Ron wrote:
..
Phosphorescence eh?
..
Reminds me of the time in Cheltenham, myself aged around four, sometime
pre WWII, when some bought 'fresh' but apparently about to putrefy,
fish sitting on a marble cutting block in the pantry of our house on
Hewlett Rd. was observed, in the dark, to be glowing slightly!

Come to think of it that's how those 'light sticks' that you shake to
activate, work?
No fridges in those days.

BTW the next house we lived in, in Liverpool was 'gas only' and that
was in the 1950s!

Off topic I know; but nostalgia!

"terry" wrote in message
oups.com...

Ron wrote:
.
Phosphorescence eh?
.
Reminds me of the time in Cheltenham, myself aged around four, sometime
pre WWII, when some bought 'fresh' but apparently about to putrefy,
fish sitting on a marble cutting block in the pantry of our house on
Hewlett Rd. was observed, in the dark, to be glowing slightly!

Come to think of it that's how those 'light sticks' that you shake to
activate, work?
No fridges in those days.

BTW the next house we lived in, in Liverpool was 'gas only' and that
was in the 1950s!

Off topic I know; but nostalgia!

Try pulling apart the gummed flap of a Jiffy bag in total darkness.
--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On 2006-11-25 19:44:27 +0000, "terry" said:


Ron wrote:
.
Phosphorescence eh?
.
Reminds me of the time in Cheltenham, myself aged around four, sometime
pre WWII, when some bought 'fresh' but apparently about to putrefy,
fish sitting on a marble cutting block in the pantry of our house on
Hewlett Rd. was observed, in the dark, to be glowing slightly!

Wasn't the KGB, was it?

On 2006-11-25 20:15:12 +0000, "Graham" said:


"terry" wrote in message
oups.com...

Ron wrote:
.
Phosphorescence eh?
.
Reminds me of the time in Cheltenham, myself aged around four, sometime
pre WWII, when some bought 'fresh' but apparently about to putrefy,
fish sitting on a marble cutting block in the pantry of our house on
Hewlett Rd. was observed, in the dark, to be glowing slightly!

Come to think of it that's how those 'light sticks' that you shake to
activate, work?
No fridges in those days.

BTW the next house we lived in, in Liverpool was 'gas only' and that
was in the 1950s!

Off topic I know; but nostalgia!

Try pulling apart the gummed flap of a Jiffy bag in total darkness.

Try pulling it apart in broad daylight. Just as difficult.

Michalos wrote:
New low energy lights fitted recently, lower power demand etc., good.
But my daughter discovered that even when switched off they emit light.
Spooky to have glowing lights on the bedroom wall at 3 am. Anyone know
the cause and a solution other than reverting to tungsten filament
bulbs?

What about a set of 'glow in the dark' stars and moons on the bedroom
walls?
Or a night-light?

Ron wrote:
It is not a fault with the wiring or anything else, it is the bulbs that
should have had a safety recall as they are dangerous in my opinion.
Try a different make, don't bother with Philips as faulty bulbs are still
being sold.

'Poppycock'

--
Adrian C

In message , Graham
writes

"terry" wrote in message
roups.com...

Ron wrote:
.
Phosphorescence eh?
.
Reminds me of the time in Cheltenham, myself aged around four, sometime
pre WWII, when some bought 'fresh' but apparently about to putrefy,
fish sitting on a marble cutting block in the pantry of our house on
Hewlett Rd. was observed, in the dark, to be glowing slightly!

Come to think of it that's how those 'light sticks' that you shake to
activate, work?
No fridges in those days.

BTW the next house we lived in, in Liverpool was 'gas only' and that
was in the 1950s!

Off topic I know; but nostalgia!

Try pulling apart the gummed flap of a Jiffy bag in total darkness.

Or any self sealing envelope


--
geoff

raden wrote:
In message , Graham
writes

"terry" wrote in message
groups.com...

Ron wrote:
.
Phosphorescence eh?
.
Reminds me of the time in Cheltenham, myself aged around four, sometime
pre WWII, when some bought 'fresh' but apparently about to putrefy,
fish sitting on a marble cutting block in the pantry of our house on
Hewlett Rd. was observed, in the dark, to be glowing slightly!

Come to think of it that's how those 'light sticks' that you shake to
activate, work?
No fridges in those days.

BTW the next house we lived in, in Liverpool was 'gas only' and that
was in the 1950s!

Off topic I know; but nostalgia!

Try pulling apart the gummed flap of a Jiffy bag in total darkness.

Or any self sealing envelope

Or glow worms.