Strong unpleasant whiff emitted at the end of life of a beloved compact fluorescent lamp...

[Speakpigeon]

One compact fluorescent lamp I had hanging from my kitchen ceiling died yesterday. That's the first one to default on me since they've become the norm to use but then again I probably bought it only a few years ago and they are supposed to last longer than that.

Still, my problem is that it gave off a very strong smell before I thought about switching it off. I let the smell alone to dissipate during the night with the mechanical ventilation at maximum. Still, I wasn't able to recognise that smell except to say it was strong and unpleasant. I was also somewhat wary that it might be harmful. Still, the glass tube didn't break, so I'm not really worried. Only curious.

There's also no apparent damage to the lamp or the contacts and no remaining smell at all to it.

Would anyone have a clear idea of what it was? I'm thinking obviously of ozone but I didn't recognise it as such, my sense of smell being somewhat off these days. The lamp did flicker for a good while, so I guess ozone seems a good candidate.

Any other possibility, do you think?

Thanks for any light emitted on this grave issue we will all have to face on day or even later.
EB

 

[Kharakov]

Yeah, it might be dangerous... if it happens all the time. However, with that in mind, I still recommend shooting up a thermometer's contents occasionally, to stay in the right state of mind.

Quicksilver is good for hatters and equally beneficial to libertarian free will believers who decide that their beliefs are logical (it's also beneficial for creationists who decide theories are opinions; active and ex military personnel who believe they are good people; and lower tier gang members who believe they care about the people they exploit).

 

[barbos]

Take a picture of the burned out inverter but the chances are, it's electrolytic capacitor. They are usually a week link in these things.
They went a lot smelly gases when they are blow up. You can replace it and have your lamp repaired.

 

[Speakpigeon]

Take a picture of the burned out inverter but the chances are, it's electrolytic capacitor. They are usually a week link in these things.
They went a lot smelly gases when they are blow up. You can replace it and have your lamp repaired.

Thanks, that's interesting.

We have 50Hz AC from the main here so I wouldn't need any inverter. Possibly there's some circuit to change the frequency, though?

And it's a "compact" fluorescent lamp, not something I would expect could be routinely repaired, I think.
EB

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

On some kinds of bulbs, it is the electronics that burns out, literally. I had one that burnt out and the base turned black and it gave off the odor of burning phenolics. I smelled it and went into the bathroom where it was smoldering and turned it off at the light switch. This was a cheap Chinese brand I had bought at the local hardware store. It definitely was a fire hazard. Something in it had died, shorted out and was heating that bulb up enough to heat it up enough to literally melt phenolic plastic. I have since moved to LED light bulbs.

 

[Speakpigeon]

On some kinds of bulbs, it is the electronics that burns out, literally. I had one that burnt out and the base turned black and it gave off the odor of burning phenolics. I smelled it and went into the bathroom where it was smoldering and turned it off at the light switch. This was a cheap Chinese brand I had bought at the local hardware store. It definitely was a fire hazard. Something in it had died, shorted out and was heating that bulb up enough to heat it up enough to literally melt phenolic plastic. I have since moved to LED light bulbs.

Yeah, I guess it was something like that. The only mark is a small burn where the helicoidal tube goes into the base of the lamp where the electronics is housed. So, it could be the gas inside the tube that burnt or the electronics itself, or both. Life is getting dangerous, these days. I'm still alive, though.

I don't use LEDs because they interfere with BBC's LW198 frequency.
EB

 

[KeepTalking]

What you experienced seems to be fairly common with CFLs, and is apparently something of a design feature. A normal fluorescent light fixture includes a ballast, which can go bad and be replaced independent of the fixture. CFLs, on the other hand, have to work in existing incandescent fixtures with no ballast, so they use a small, cheap ass ballast in the base of the bulb. That cheap ballast burning out is going to be a fairly common failure mode for the bulbs, and that is what causes the odor and smoke. There is a pretty good explanation here:

https://www.mammothtimes.com/content/mammoth-fire-dept-warns-cfl-bulb-users

A few of the CFL bulbs will generate a volume of smoke and a blackened area near the base of the bulb as the ballast breaks down.

The odor and smoke can quickly fill a normal sized room. Unfortunately this characteristic is a normal part of the burnout of the CFL bulb. It may appear that the bulb has caught fire due to the smell, the blackening of the base, and amount of smoke, but the bulb is performing as designed.

There has been a recall of one manufacturer of CFL bulbs. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of CFL bulbs manufactured by Chinese-manufactured Trisonic brand. There have been four reported cases of incidents with the use of these bulbs, including two reported fires that resulted in minor damage.

Just make sure your bulbs are not Chinese knockoffs, or the above referenced Trisonic brand, and you shouldn't have to worry about fire. I have mostly made the switch to LEDs at my house, but still have a few CFLs in use, though they are getting pretty dim.

 

[Speakpigeon]

I guess that sounds as exactly it. Thanks.

So, the mercury is a significant hazard, but hey don't seem to regard the smell as a problem. I closed and ventilated the room the whole night, so I was satisfied the gas emitted has mostly gone away. But I think I'll switch to LEDs, too, once I run out of the CFLs I have, though...
EB

 

[thebeave]

I guess that sounds as exactly it. Thanks.

So, the mercury is a significant hazard, but hey don't seem to regard the smell as a problem. I closed and ventilated the room the whole night, so I was satisfied the gas emitted has mostly gone away. But I think I'll switch to LEDs, too, once I run out of the CFLs I have, though...
EB

I think the hazards from the mercury in the CFLs is a bit exaggerated. As I understand it, there is about a pin head sized amount of mercury...not enough to be worried about, unless maybe you're in the habit of eating CFL bulbs for lunch. Yet, here in California CFLs are supposed to be disposed of as hazardous waste, as though the environment and the human race is doomed if you just throw it in the trash.

Another tip about the CFLs is that most are not designed to be used in an enclosed fixture (too much heat build up). This shortens the life, which is partially why it seems they don't last as long as they are advertised to last. Same with LEDs.

 

[Speakpigeon]

I guess that sounds as exactly it. Thanks.

So, the mercury is a significant hazard, but hey don't seem to regard the smell as a problem. I closed and ventilated the room the whole night, so I was satisfied the gas emitted has mostly gone away. But I think I'll switch to LEDs, too, once I run out of the CFLs I have, though...
EB

I think the hazards from the mercury in the CFLs is a bit exaggerated. As I understand it, there is about a pin head sized amount of mercury...not enough to be worried about, unless maybe you're in the habit of eating CFL bulbs for lunch. Yet, here in California CFLs are supposed to be disposed of as hazardous waste, as though the environment and the human race is doomed if you just throw it in the trash.

Yes, I understand that, but I think the idea is that CFLs are now the norm and all those millions of lamps are going to make up a significant trickle of mercury to be disposed of.

Another tip about the CFLs is that most are not designed to be used in an enclosed fixture (too much heat build up). This shortens the life, which is partially why it seems they don't last as long as they are advertised to last. Same with LEDs.

Thanks, I didn't know that. Mine was in the kitchen, a bare bulb without anything around. I guess it blew up essentially because I was one the first CFLs I bought at the time, the kind that take ages to start to emit light, so perhaps no quite the thing yet.

I'm also intrigued to see that there is a neutral wire (third wire, dressed in two colours) connected to it. I suspect this may not be necessary and maybe perhaps even a bad idea. Could it have contributed to the lamp's failure?
EB

 

[KeepTalking]

Yes, I understand that, but I think the idea is that CFLs are now the norm and all those millions of lamps are going to make up a significant trickle of mercury to be disposed of.

Another tip about the CFLs is that most are not designed to be used in an enclosed fixture (too much heat build up). This shortens the life, which is partially why it seems they don't last as long as they are advertised to last. Same with LEDs.

Thanks, I didn't know that. Mine was in the kitchen, a bare bulb without anything around. I guess it blew up essentially because I was one the first CFLs I bought at the time, the kind that take ages to start to emit light, so perhaps no quite the thing yet.

I'm also intrigued to see that there is a neutral wire (third wire, dressed in two colours) connected to it. I suspect this may not be necessary and maybe perhaps even a bad idea. Could it have contributed to the lamp's failure?
EB

That is likely the ground wire, and it is necessary to trip the circuit breaker in case of the light fixture pulling too much voltage (amperage?). It would not have contributed to the bulb burning out, and removing it would be a bad idea.

 

[Speakpigeon]

That is likely the ground wire, and it is necessary to trip the circuit breaker in case of the light fixture pulling too much voltage (amperage?). It would not have contributed to the bulb burning out, and removing it would be a bad idea.

OK, thanks.

I just don't remember ever having those in previous accommodations. Although it was a long time ago, so maybe I just forgot. But, presumably, it's that the regulation changed at some point.
EB

 

[thebeave]

Yes, I understand that, but I think the idea is that CFLs are now the norm and all those millions of lamps are going to make up a significant trickle of mercury to be disposed of.

Another tip about the CFLs is that most are not designed to be used in an enclosed fixture (too much heat build up). This shortens the life, which is partially why it seems they don't last as long as they are advertised to last. Same with LEDs.

Thanks, I didn't know that. Mine was in the kitchen, a bare bulb without anything around. I guess it blew up essentially because I was one the first CFLs I bought at the time, the kind that take ages to start to emit light, so perhaps no quite the thing yet.

I'm also intrigued to see that there is a neutral wire (third wire, dressed in two colours) connected to it. I suspect this may not be necessary and maybe perhaps even a bad idea. Could it have contributed to the lamp's failure?
EB

That is likely the ground wire, and it is necessary to trip the circuit breaker in case of the light fixture pulling too much voltage (amperage?). It would not have contributed to the bulb burning out, and removing it would be a bad idea.

Well, not exactly. The circuit breaker doesn't need a ground wire to trip. Homes in the US built before the early 1960's didn't typically have ground wires, but they did have circuit breakers (or fuses). The breaker trips when the current in the circuit exceeds the rating on the circuit e.g. 20 amps. The ground wire is there to provide a path for current during a fault condition (e.g. a hot wire shorts to the metal case in an appliance), instead of going through the rather unlucky person.

 

[Speakpigeon]

That is likely the ground wire, and it is necessary to trip the circuit breaker in case of the light fixture pulling too much voltage (amperage?). It would not have contributed to the bulb burning out, and removing it would be a bad idea.

Well, not exactly. The circuit breaker doesn't need a ground wire to trip. Homes in the US built before the early 1960's didn't typically have ground wires, but they did have circuit breakers (or fuses). The breaker trips when the current in the circuit exceeds the rating on the circuit e.g. 20 amps. The ground wire is there to provide a path for current during a fault condition (e.g. a hot wire shorts to the metal case in an appliance), instead of going through the rather unlucky person.

Yes, that's how I understand it. So, if with bare fingers I touch the female socket which is unprotected metal, I might still survive, assuming I'm not in my bath at the time or barefoot on a wet floor?
EB

 

[Speakpigeon]

This is turning into a sitcom series... And it's bad news again this morning for John.

A second CFL blew up, exactly in the same way but this time in the bathroom. I was there and I switched it off before it could emit any noxious fumes I could smell. I guess I am getting the hang of it. No burn mark either this time, although possibly a small bit a plastic at the base of the tube melted down (there's a hole one millimetre wide there).

It has the same kind of helicoidal tube but a different brand, though probably also a cheap one, and probably one of the first CFLs I bought, the kind that takes a long time to provide full lighting. There's also a ground wired as in the kitchen.

So, given the coincidence, what could be the common cause? I am thinking possibly of a bit of survoltage. The one lamp that's switched on at the time will be the one lamp that blow up. However, this time I was shaving, and nothing bad happened to the electric razor I was using. Maybe I should try to have always two CFLs on at the same time to see if they both blow up.

And the incandescent light bulb we used to have would have been more resilient to a survoltage, I think. So, it might become a recurrent problem, although it's possible it would only affect the first CFLs that came out on the market. I remember waiting some time to buy the first one be maybe I didn't wait long enough. I was so impatient at the time.

Still, this episode ends well, John kissing his girlfriend in front of a glorious sunset.
EB

 

[Speakpigeon]

Some electrical work in my street. There had been a failure somewhere resulting in a power cut on the other side of the street, including street lighting. The guy said it couldn't possibly affect my building... Different power station. Well, who knows...

Work started only yesterday morning, well after the first lamp blew up. But I think the failure may have been more like a few days ago. So, the connection is like not exactly impossible.

Is this going to ever end?

I bought my first LED lamp today. Nice light but not exactly cheap. I hope it's good value for money.
EB

 

[Speakpigeon]

Good, no blow job today.
EB

 

[Kharakov]

I'm also intrigued to see that there is a neutral wire (third wire, dressed in two colours) connected to it. I suspect this may not be necessary and maybe perhaps even a bad idea. Could it have contributed to the lamp's failure?
EB

Umm... does neutral mean something different over there in regards to electrical?

 

[Speakpigeon]

I'm also intrigued to see that there is a neutral wire (third wire, dressed in two colours) connected to it. I suspect this may not be necessary and maybe perhaps even a bad idea. Could it have contributed to the lamp's failure?
EB

Umm... does neutral mean something different over there in regards to electrical?

Watt?

So, it's not just with philosophy that there are endless terminological disputes?

Maybe there is something like Continental Electricity as there is indeed Continental Philosophy...

A neutral wire will be... Wait! Somebody already said it (He obviously read your mind. I'd be worried if I were you.):

Ground and neutral
As the neutral point of an electrical supply system is often connected to earth ground, ground and neutral are closely related. Under certain conditions, a conductor used to connect to a system neutral is also used for grounding (earthing) of equipment and structures. Current carried on a grounding conductor can result in objectionable or dangerous voltages appearing on equipment enclosures, so the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in electrical regulations. Where a neutral conductor is used also to connect equipment enclosures to earth, care must be taken that the neutral conductor never rises to a high voltage with respect to local ground.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_and_neutral

I used "neutral" as I wasn't too sure it was really used for grounding, although I accept it's the likely reason.

My brand new 15W LED I bought two days ago for 9.90 Euros, not cheap, works brightly. A bit too much in fact. I feel like my bathroom turned into an operating block. 10W would be best, likely.
EB

 

[steve_bank]

For the mercury to escape the enclosure would have to break. What you probably smelled was a burned electronic component in the power supply. Plastic around the parts.