Pic of room destroyed in fire, caused by guess what? a CFL!

[Silverliner14B]

http://www.eveningtribune.com/features/x1882979636/Compact-fluorescent-light-bulb-to-blame-for-Hornell-fire

[gailgrove]

I'd be willing to bet that they where using it incorrectly, and who ever wrote the artical in the paper doesn't even know what CFL stands for :

[RCM]

A CFL on the ceiling burst, said Gerych, and gas inside the CFL bulb helped start the fire. He added exploding CFLs are rare. How can argon and mercury vapor start a fire? LOL

[dor123]

The thing that exploded wasn't the argon or the mercury, but the ballast itself: the electrode fusing mechainsm and the voltage doubler was operated and caused the electrolytic capacitor to explode.

Medved said me in the same post in LG, the following things:
"What cause the fire is not only the failing lamp, but e.g. EOL of the ballast itself and mainly the nonpassive nature of such failure.
And if it is the electronic, what fail (and in such case it is the capacitor and/or power stage), the control part can not do anything with any consequence.
The only option is to ensure, then any failure/damage is contained within the CFL assembly, what mean e.g. proper fusing scheme. But this does not end with adding an overcurrent fuse to the input, you have to ensure it will trigger and disconnect the mains in any case soon enough for the "chain of destruction" to stop within the CFL cover.
And here is the core of the problem: The overcurrent fuse is or missing, or there are other current limitting devices, what lower the current so, the overcurrent fuse does not trip, but dissipate power (and cause overheat and fire)."

[Jace the Gull]

Dor123 pretty much got that correctly.......that's why there's less risk using ELECTRONIC CFL in Europe.......a magantetic CFL is much safer in the USA due to 120 volt...

[Mike]

Never seen magnetic CFLs.

[Jace the Gull]

Never seen magnetic CFLs.

When were you born? They were sold from late 79s to maybe 1995.....in stores....but they went electronics...and started appearing around 1995....

The only magnetic CFL I still see in common stores is the screw in circline adapters. However Maganetic CFL are actually still sold in some cases or places...I have to find them...they were awesome!

[joe_347V]

Yeah the PL adapters are also still made, but they can be a bit hard to find in most stores nowadays.

You might also find some NOS magnetic CFLs from the early '90s occasionally at some hardware stores too.

[Mike]

Never seen magnetic CFLs.

When were you born? They were sold from late 79s to maybe 1995.....in stores....but they went electronics...and started appearing around 1995....

The only magnetic CFL I still see in common stores is the screw in circline adapters. However Maganetic CFL are actually still sold in some cases or places...I have to find them...they were awesome!

I was born in 1998. So it makes sense that I haven't heard of those.

[Silverliner14B]

Born around the beginning of "the mid-late 70s" so I am older than just about every CFL save for a few experimental samples and a couple circline adaptors lol.

[Jace the Gull]

Never seen magnetic CFLs.

When were you born? They were sold from late 79s to maybe 1995.....in stores....but they went electronics...and started appearing around 1995....

The only magnetic CFL I still see in common stores is the screw in circline adapters. However Maganetic CFL are actually still sold in some cases or places...I have to find them...they were awesome!

Although in 1998 they still installed magnetic CFL fixtures, mostly recessed fixtures with PL lamps inside. My school built and completed in 1998 had some magnetic CFL recessed lights, when flipped on, they turn on preheat with lots of fun flashing! Most of the fixtures were instant start T8 however there were a few display lights that had rapid start T12s!


I was born in 1998. So it makes sense that I haven't heard of those.

[Mike]

Do you think I would remember what lights were istalled when I was an infant? Well, I remember they used HID in supermarkets, but now in recent years the stores have switched to fluorescent highbay lights.

[Jace the Gull]

Well I am sure you may have seen some PL shaped fixtures strobing...anytime...I mean you being 5 year old or 7 or whatever....I am sure you've seen something like that...

[Mike]

Yes, you mean when they first turn on? I've never seen them for sale, and I've never seen spiral CFLs, but i've seen magnetic PL lamps in use. Never seen CFLs flicker though, only the PL lamps.

[Jace the Gull]

I have never seen Sprial CFL flicker...but some of the older CFLs did strobe when starting up or when near EOL.....