We use those compact flourecent light bulbs just about everywhere in our house. We like the light output, and like saving on the ol’ electric bill. Well Sunday morning, my wife turns on the light above the kitchen sink, and after about two minutes the bulb goes up in smoke followed by flames.
So I just want to give anyone else using them a warning. Maybe watch leaving home with them on and what not.
what brand was it?
Check the light ballast. We get calls at the fire department all the time and it is actually the light ballast being faulty and not the bulbs (ballast cause the bulbs to shit the bed).
heard this too
not sure, came from Wal*mart. I think it was Sylvania, but not 100%.
Thanks for the heads up, but there is no ballast to check in a compact florescent,
as the ballast is part of the light that screws into the socket.
And not to be a dick or anything, I really wasn’t looking for advice, I was just trying to help someone else prevent their home from burning down. Thanks.
I just put them all over my house and use them on timers. I may have to change that.
thanks :bigthumb:
I missed the compact part in the original post. Sorry about that.
If it was a regular fluorecent blub it wasn’t advise, it was a fact so people didn’t think “x brand” blubs were the problem when they probably have a faulty ballast. Then they burn their house down after they switch brands thinking it was the bulb.
mercury still escapes.
Starting Jan 1 all new construction or new circuits you run in a house has to be on a ARC fault breaker thats not on a GFCI. This will help in that situation. Only bad thing is the price of these things. A Normal GE single pole breaker at my cost is about $3.00 these arc fault breakers are $28.00 each.
its all the governments fault… damn government.
My electrician has already had trouble with those ARC fault breakers.
It is some kind of bullshit too, the cost of those things. I am having my panel upgraded in the fall and it will cost me about $600 just in those stupid fucking breakers.
There is no such thing as a home that is up to code…by the time and electrician finishes a job the code has changed again!
I put 4 of those bulbs in my apartment a few weeks ago, and my electric bill decreased by $11 for one month! But now, I dont think I’ll be leaving the lights on when Im not home anymore.
I can just imagine what a nightmare arc fault breakers are going to be. At work we have 2000 - 6000 amp switchgears that have GFCI protect. A damn piss ant crosses a live phase and ground these things trip. Really it is safe, but a real PIA.