CFL Failure

[Sgt.Stedenko]

Allow me to set the scene.

It's Friday night, I'm chilling sucking down some High Lifes, snapping hits from the Graffix, watching some golf highlights. Ahh, the high life.

Decide to venture into the basement for a peek at my cab.
I get to the bottom of the stairs and smell something burning.
I immediately check inside the cab and dont see flames so I start checking the hps ballast, the DC transformer, air pumps, etc looking for where this is coming from. Nothing outside the cab seems odd, so when I open up an the cab again, I notice the rear 85w cfl is not operating. I pull the bulb and find this.

Anyone have a cfl bulb fail like this? It scared the shit out of me.
The bulb was over 4 years old with probably 5 grows under it's belt, not counting the 2 year stint they did in my garage for general lighting.

 

[silentspider]

i have have a 26w cfl that was in my pc seedling box do that a few weeks ago, the glass part of mine was a little loose and it melted the sides a lil like yours did.i yet to figure out the cause of the problem so i just replaced them all to be safe. i was thinkin maybe a hot wire inside the ballast part.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I won't suggest this happened but it's always a good idea to install or remove the bulb by the base instead of the spiral.

 

[hazydreams]

thats some scary shit sarge....

 

[Tilt]

CFls should be replaced in your grow every year due to lumen loss. You can still use them for household lighting. The place that is burnt is where the electrode wires enter the tube There is a loose connection at that spot causing arcing and burning the plastic and building up carbon on the connection until it fails or burns.

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

Disco,

I'm sure I handled the bulb by the spiral more than once. It's hard not to with these big fuckers in such a small space.

Here's some pics of the inside of the ballast. The electronics look fine. I think a wire shorted.

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

Thanks Tilt.
You nailed it. The wire shorted where the electrodes entered the bulb.
I'm ordering some replacement bulbs today.
I might shit can the cfls and go with twin 36w pl-ls on the pegboard slider.

 

[Tilt]

Be careful CFLs contain a good amount of mercury. I had to trash a number of plants that had a busted flouro abve them. I dont want to smoke mercury. I had to clean the area extremly with gloves & hepa shop vac. I read an article that 1 cfl has enough mercury to contaminate a huge amount of water.

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

The bulb didn't break in the cab. I broke it outside on my neighbors property j/k
Yeah, I was aware of the mercury in the bulbs. It's actually mercury vapor.
Not sure if the mercury vapor has an affinity for activated carbon.
Just to be safe, I'll don my Level A suit and go on supplied air. Better setup a decon station as well with a shower rinse and PPE disposal.
Aren't cfls wonderful?

 

[ion]

Cfls exclusively......yeah ive had wierdness before, but not this...yet.

def. wanna handle by the base only....i do break that rule occasion-ley, and i also wipe 'em down if i/leaf/flies touch 'em.........i get bulbs that get a little loose from the base, i think its an idea to stay away from monster bulbs; i still have/used to run 2 -55w and 2- 100w cfls....the 55w were 11" long the 100w were 20".....vertical's okay but i'd advise against any angles with these mommas w/soever....small size/hi watts takes the cake.

 

[dead head jed]

from http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/ask_us/faq_compact.htm#mercury
Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing - an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts.

There is currently no substitute for mercury in CFLs; however, manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products over the past decade.


I have heard CFLs can overheat and smoke - should I be worried? Why does it happen?
The vast majority of CFLs reach the end of useful life and fail passively. In some cases, electronic components in the ballast power supply (such as capacitors and resistors) may fail in a manner that will result in some smoke, odor, or discoloration (browning) of the plastic housing. The failure of some electrical components can result in an audible "popping" or "sizzling" sound. It is the function of the ballast housing to contain such failures and prevent the plastic or failed components from igniting. GE CFLs are ENERGY STAR qualified and meet UL standards, which require the materials to be self–extinguishing. It is the nature of fire retardant materials to exhibit some deformation or discoloration in a protective mode. At the first sign of any odor, smoke or erratic behavior, disconnect power to the lamp. Allow it to cool and unscrew it from the socket by the handling the base, not by the glass.

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

Excellent first post Dead head jed.
Rep for you.

 

[Dunknug]

just a thought... that 85 watter is only putting out 3000k.... why not just go with a 42- half the watts nearly same amount of lumens 2700??

 

[Tilt]

just a thought... that 85 watter is only putting out 3000k.... why not just go with a 42- half the watts nearly same amount of lumens 2700??

3000k and 2700k are the color spectrum.
It is based on the amount of kelvins to raise a piece of carbon (i think) up to that color level 2700 kelvins is orange 6500 is blue white

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

The 85 watters are about 4,200 lumens.

 

[Dunknug]

ahhhh i see!