Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with lightbulb

Broken CFL exposure

johnstrick — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:59:07 -0800

Toddler knocked over a lamp with one of those god forsaken CFLs in it. He picked up a piece and handed it to me. I didnt hear the lamp fall even though I was about 10 feet from him. I had heard about mecury vapor in them but there is no warning on box when I installed it so I really didnt think it was as toxic as I've since read. I went to get the shop vac and my wife vacuumed. While she was vacuuming I looked it up and yelled at her to stop the vacuum and evacuate to upstairs to take showers. The bulb broke in the living room and my whole main floor is open concept. We were in the general area for about 5-15 minutes before we left and then I opened the door beside where the bulb broke to the outside and shut off the furnace.

We called poison control (twice) both people on poison control were only concerned that we dispose of the bulb properly and said 5 mg of mercury is not enough to harm a human. I've since read that that is not true. If eaten 5 mg is not enough to harm a human. .25 mg seems to be enough when inhailed to poison an adult. There is actually between 1 and 20 mg in one of these stupid things.

We went to walk in clinic and doc said he's fine. Though he didnt look like he knew much. Went to my doctor who said its just a little poof don't worry about it. But I've read the Maine Cfl study and it doesn't seem like its a little poof. I've emailed a few doctors and have heard everything from get blood/urine tests and watch for neurological symptoms to it was like eating a nibble of tuna. What gives here.

I've also read the SCHER report and they say health effects not expected for adults or fetuses but they can't make a call on children. I emailed EPA they told me to contact doctor or poison control.

I know there are real people out there in the real world that may be able to shed some light on this for me. Right now I'm terrified, and have thrown out lamp, toys, clothing(I hope all of it not sure).

Any opinions I'd really appreciate. Have I gone overboard here or is this is bad as my reading the Internet has led me to believe.

Where can I get CFLs that aren't orange or blue, but just white?

hishtafel — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:15:59 -0800

I'm apparently part of the minority that really dislikes warm colored light. I used daylight incandescent bulbs back in the day, and I'm looking for an equivalent CFL. All I've been able to find are either pink/orange (supplied by the apartment) or blue (the GE bulbs at the grocery store). Isn't there a good, just, white? Like the tubes in an office building?

Why do LED lightbulbs have a bulb?

BillW — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:41:57 -0800

While changing a bulb in one of our rooms, replacing a LED with a CFL because of a need for brighter lighting in this work area, it suddenly hit me: Why does an LED light have a bulb? In both incandescent and CFLs, the bulbs trap gas (or vacuum as the case may be.) But why an LED? It doesn't use a gas and it doesn't need to operate in a near-vacuum for efficiency. Closer examination showed that the bulb was plastic and had no lensing effect. This question is almost answered here. Because of the question regarding heat sinks (which seem much reduced in modern LED lights, I'm guessing the answer is because they get hot. So I'm guessing that's what it is, though I also think that having a bulb makes it easier to screw into the socket. Taking these points together, I can imagine getting a burn if there was not bulb by brushing up agains an LED stalk that was on until a few seconds ago when you decided to unscrew it. So...have I answered my own question or is there more behind the bulb?

I want to switch off my room lights without getting out of bed.

Xere — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:31:36 -0800

I am embarrassingly lazy, and wish to switch off my ceiling lights without getting out of bed. What kind of contraption can I rig, to make this happen? The wiring runs through the walls. So, alas, it is not as simple as plugging my light into a remote-controlled wall plug. I've tried getting several types of floor lights before, but they simply weren't bright enough, and failed to light up the whole room.

Is there some kind of remote-controlled contraption that can physically flick my light switch up and down?

Can this be done cheaply? Or is there some other method that I haven't thought of?

Ideally, I would wire a second switch right next to my bed, just like my dorm room back in the day. But I'm pretty sure my landlord would say no, and I would probably electrocute myself in the process.

Also, I am unwilling to spend $200 on Philips Hue wifi lightbulbs.

Please forgive me for being cheap and lazy! :( Believe me, I know it.

GOD GOD WHY

Coatlicue — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:22:46 -0800

So my cat just spectacularly broke a CFL lightbulb. I've read the other Asks on this topic, but I still have a few questions. My cat climbed on top of a desk, and knocked the lamp off. The CFL bulb shattered into a thousand pieces. I didn't know what had happened, so I walked in there and stepped on the shards with my bare freaking feet. I don't believe I was cut, but I was standing on them.

Why did I not call Poison Control or even my doctor? Because I have no phone.

I swept up the shards the best I could (it's a hardwood floor), covered the area in dish soap, and wiped it down with a rag. I disposed of the rag, the dustpan, and the broom. I didn't use gloves, because we don't have any. I didn't even think the air out the room before I put down the soap, but the house is airing out now. When the bulb was broken the air conditioner was off, and the fan in that room was off.

I was able to contain the offending cat to another room before she tromped around in it too much, but not the other cat. And he tromped in it, ran on our bed, ran throughout the house, ran into the bathroom. What am I supposed to do about that? I walked to the fire station around the corner and asked them, and they said "the bulbs have more halogen in them than anything, you should be fine". What.

I cannot take either of the cats to the vet. In theory, I can go to the doctor if I _have to_, but we will have no money left. My husband will end up taking vacation days from work because he won't be able to afford the gas.

I'm getting from the other Asks, that this is probably not a terribly big deal. But I do need to figure out what to do about the cats possibly tracking mercury into our bed, all over the floors, and etc. We can throw out some things, but we are not in a position to throw out all of our bedclothes, and that seems like overkill.

Thanks!

Light up her life: find an LED version of a 40W incandescent

sciencegeek — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 17:46:01 -0800

Looking for a LED light that gives an equivalent brightness and spectrum as a 40W incandescent. Can you help me? My mother dislikes strong lights because she has sensitive eyes.

She is unenthusiastic about compact fluorescent options (please do not suggest compact fluorescent options, she will not get them).

She likes 40W incandescent bulbs, but these are becoming more difficult to find. It would be nice to find something that has a similar spectrum and brightness and it seems like a LED option would make the most sense.

Please help me help her find the lights of her dreams.

Ersatz sunshine, my only sunshine

elizeh — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:36:44 -0800

Help me bring sunshine into my new windowless office! I and my plants will be moving into a windowless office soon, and those SAD lights look so, so awful (also, I don't need that level of intensity). I thought I might just find some nice lamps and find special magical daylight bulbs for them. If I get very ambitious, I might make a rice-paper "window" fixture to put on the wall. What bulbs should I get? Do I need fluorescents or incandescents? What specs should I be looking for? I have looked through this thread but was hoping I might get some more ideas, as well as recommendations for US-available products. I and my plants thank you!

Glowing light bulbs in my hair: help me wear this piece of art

red_rabbit — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:33:26 -0800

Help me create a functional light bulb crown! I saw this amazing sculpture at an art walk this week, and I'd like to make it into something wearable for Burning Man. My guess is that I can start by buying this type of bulb, but I need some advice beyond that. Wiring type and strategy? Batteries? How about affixing them to my head? I have long hair and could do something creative with little buns - I want to secure everything in a minimalist way (no baseball hats) so that the focus is on the lights.

Save me from the horrors of overhead lighting!

annabellee — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:39:28 -0800

How can I make my new living room light cozy and not overhead-style sterile? I just moved into an apartment with high ceilings and was excited to be able to accomodate a Castiglioni Arco-style lamp. I got this one from CB2.

I hate overhead lighting and have always used lamps in small spaces. The light from my new lamp looks like overhead light--it makes things feel microwaved, hazy and uncomfortable, whereas the other lamps in the room bring a warmth and crispness to things. The lamp has a dimmer, but all settings seem overhead-like. I have tried a 23W compact fluorescent and a 100W incandescent bulb--both give off the same icky light. The lamp has a shield under the shade so you are not blinded when you look up into the light.

I understand that the lamp is technically over my head, but I'm wondering if a brighter bulb is the answer? A different kind of bulb?

LED lightbulbs are illuminating but not illuminating.

chairface — Wed, 11 May 2011 07:09:09 -0800

What is going on in LED lightbulbs? I mean the devices, not the industry. I just picked up two LED lightbulbs for my bathroom. Two things about these bulbs confuse me.

Why do I have to wait about 1 second for them to turn on? LEDs activate instantly in my experience. The bulbs are too small for giant transformers or capacitors so I'm not sure what the delay is.

Why do they have heat sinks that would make a Pentium 4 blush? The entire bulb only draws around 6 watts and LEDs have excellent efficiency, so just where is all this waste heat coming from that needs to be dissipated? The bulbs don't feel hot at all.

Sparking, short-lived light bulbs - is there any solution?

treehorn+bunny — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:27:18 -0800

Why do our light bulbs seem to burn out far faster than they ought to? And our light switches make sparking noises? Our condo was built in 1962 and I'm not sure it's ever had new electrical wiring put in. I oftentimes notice that when I flip the lights on, there is a little tinny noise like a 'spark'. Our light bulbs burn out at a surprising rate. We buy the long-lasting fluorescent bulbs that are meant to last years, and they go out every few months. Oftentimes there is a spark-like phenomenon when we flip the switch and the light bulb burns out simultaneously. Any ideas on what's going on?

special lightbulb sought

longsleeves — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:20:21 -0800

Where can I get this light bulb and cord for an imported nightlight decoration? This lavalamp style nightlight was imported from Norway, but was probably made elsewhere. My company gave away a bunch of them as premiums over the years and now we are getting inquiries as to where replacement light bulbs might be bought. The bulb's base is possibly a European gauge.

Also, the electrical cords have gone missing from some and replacements are also needed for them and they seem to have a very specific looking receptacle the end that plugs into the wall is U.S. configuration,

We don't have any more of the lamps except for one that I have at home. As an added bonus I was also missing the cord and my cat just broke the bulb while I was taking these pictures. Do you know where a similar or suitable replacement for either might be obtained? the bulb has to be the exact same shape or it won't fit.
I have looked at a lot of bulbs from different supply houses with no luck.

Do contractor light bulbs last longer?

magicbus — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:46:05 -0800

Why do the light bulbs my builder installed last so much longer than the ones I replace them with? My house was built 12 years ago and most of the light bulbs my builder installed--floods, fluorescents of various sizes, regular 60-watt household bulbs--have not needed to be replaced in that time. When one does burn out, the replacement I get from the grocery store burns out relatively quickly, in months rather than years, and needs to be replaced frequently thereafter.

Are there contractor-grade light bulbs that last longer than the ones available from grocery stores? Should I be buying pallet-loads of bulbs from Home Depot or some more-exclusive builder supply store?

My house is nice, but I have no reason to suspect that my builder did anything other than the most expedient thing when buying light bulbs.

Let there be light!

philokalia — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:30:46 -0800

CluelessHomeownerFilter: How do I remove a fluorescent tube from a fixture? I have a fixture with two 48" fluorescent tubes that need to be replaced. These are the sort with two pins on each end, and it looks like they slide into the fixture sockets and then rotate. All the online directions I have found say basically "turn tube until it slides out of fixture." OK.
Right now the pins are lined up horizontally
. .
and it looks like I need to line them up vertically
:
to get them out of the fixture. So I should just turn each tube 90 degrees (a quarter turn) right? But I can't get the tubes to go more than 40 degrees in either direction. I really don't want to break the tubes and end up with mercury-contaminated shards all over my bathroom.

(Eventually the tube light fixture will be replaced with something more pleasing, but I can't do it now. I just want to get it working....)

What's the trick that I'm missing here?

Total Eclipse of the Bulb

stewiethegreat — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:19:06 -0800

What are those A19 light bulbs with the silver in the center called? This is merely a vocabulary question: I'm looking for indoor light bulbs that have the center obscured, as though the last third of the bulb has been dipped in silver... what are those called?

Thanks!

Shine on, little bulb

amicamentis — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:52:55 -0800

Is the light bulb in the microwave different than the ones in our lamps? We've had our microwave for years. We leave the door open more than I'd like to admit. Yet the light still burns steady.

Our lamps, however, burn out like crazy after a few months or so.

What is the different? Is it because the microwave is a much lower wattage? Is it a different kind of bulb? If so, why aren't regular light bulbs made the same way? How does one replace a burned out microwave light bulb?

And how many hours does the typical microwave light live for?

Flickering Lights

tvgraphicsguy — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:55:42 -0800

I had 4 compact fluorescent bulbs (candelabra base) in a ceiling fan that I recently installed and they would flicker terribly until I replaced one with an incandescent bulb and it stopped. The fan is not on a dimmer switch. Any ideas on what is causing this and does it need to be fixed? We have 5 other fans that are the same model and brand that were installed by an electrician over a year ago and work just fine with cfls. Do you think I need to check the wiring or just return the thing. I don't know if it matters, but the fan and light are on one switch and we use the pull chains to turn the light on and off. I read on the internet about switching one CFL out for a incandescent, which has stopped the flickering but the only explanation for the flickering was a possible dimmer switch (which we do not have). The CFLs are rated for ceiling fans.

How to deal with chemical warfare in my apartment building?

telegraph — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:28:15 -0800

Someone balanced a compact fluorescent lightbulb on my doorknob so that it would break inside my apartment when I opened the door. Can I do anything about this? Am I overreacting? I live in an apartment in a small building (9 units) in a major city. Sometime last night between 10 PM and 8 AM someone balanced a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) on the doorknob of the external door of my apartment; the door opens inwards, so when I opened the door to leave this morning, the bulb was pulled into my unit and shattered (luckily not on my foot). Just so we're all on the same page here, note that CFLs contain a not insignificant amount of mercury, and require special disposal procedures.

I don't have any kind of relationship with the other tenants in the building so I really don't think this can be chalked up to "pranking" or anything like that. Also, there are no children or teens in the building -- as far as I can tell, at 21 I'm the youngest tenant. Normally I would say "wtf" and move on, but it upsets me greatly that now there's mercury in my apartment. I did my best to clean everything up (unfortunately in my haste I used both a broom and a vacuum, the two ways you are never supposed to clean up mercury, I learned later), but the fact remains that someone introduced a dangerous chemical into my home. Furthermore, since I can't see my doorknob from inside the apartment, there's nothing to stop whoever did this from doing it again.

What would you do in this situation? Should I tell my landlord or the property managers? Put a note on my door saying, I don't know, "dont put shit on my doorknob"? I don't even know. I'm completely flummoxed.

My air conditioner causes my room to have brown-outs. Can I fix this?

SuperNova — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:30:07 -0800

When my window-unit air conditioner revs its motor, my overhead light dims... then seriously brightens up when the AC slows down. It's annoying. Is there anything I can do? I just moved into an older (1950s-era, I think) house. My room is cooled by a window-unit AC, which has been running close to full blast all the time lately (it's hot as hell right now). Intermittently, the lights in my room will dim as I hear the AC crank up, only to blink back to full brightness when the AC slows down a few minutes later.

I've thought about replacing the incandescent bulbs with CFLs, which would at least reduce the power load, but since I know CFLs aren't supposed to be great at handling irregular voltage, I'm not sure that wouldn't make things worse. (I did read this potentially-relevant question, but I don't think it helps me in my situation.)

Right now, I think of this mainly as an annoyance... BUT, I'm also worried about other issues down the line. I have my laptop plugged into a power strip ("surge protector" of unknown efficacy) but a desk fan I just plugged into the same strip seemed to slow down when the AC cranked up, which makes me think my computer (and, when I hook it up, my year-old TV) is being subjected to the same kind of local brownout... and that can't be good, right?

Worth noting, perhaps, is that the AC looks pretty old, so maybe I could convince the landlord to replace it with a more efficient (?) modern unit. But the landlord had to be essentially forced into doing basic maintenance, so I don't see him doing anything about the AC unless it dies (and AC murder isn't an option since, again, it's hot).

What can I do?

In the dark about my light bulbs

emumimic — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:16:31 -0800

Why do the glass parts of my light bulbs keep separating from the metal? New homeowner here. So far, in less than a month, three burnt out light bulbs have just slid out of the sockets, leaving behind the threaded metal part. I know about the potato trick, but there's no broken glass left behind. I found this question that seems to describe my problem, and tried this solution (didn't work, although it seemed promising at first), and I've already broken two fixtures trying to get these bulbs out (sigh).

At this point, I'm less concerned about how to fix what's already happened, and more interested in WHY it's happening so that I can keep it from happening again. It may be noteworthy that once I can get the metal part to twist out, a powder comes out (like a corroded battery). Is it the wiring? The fixtures (the house is about 30 years old, and the two fixtures I've had problems with (so far) seem to be original or nearly so)? Just old bulbs? Would it help to change them all right now?

What kinds of light bulbs and trims can I put in my ceiling-recessed light cans?

Nelson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:05:08 -0800

What kinds of light bulbs and trims can I put in my ceiling-recessed light cans? My bedroom is too dark and I'm curious what my options are for getting more light from the existing lighting. I'm looking for a website or catalog that explains options for what trims can be installed in the can and what kinds of bulbs there are.

I've got some regular 120V ceiling cans in my bedroom, ordinary incadescent bulb socket, controlled by a solid state Lutron dimmer. Can diameter is 3.5" inside. Right now they have 50 watt incadescent floods in them and then a trim that covers half the bulb so there's a 1.75" hole for the light to come out. It's too dark. I tried replacing one bulb with a 60W halogen and took the trim out and it's noticeably brighter.

Now I'm curious how to get a replacement trim that lets more light out. And also exactly what kinds of bulbs I can put in the fixture, balancing brightness, colour, heat, and energy efficiency. I'm also interested in replacing some trims in other parts of my house to, say, wash a wall.

Bonus question: if anyone has personal experience with a good fluorescent bulb that actually works with a solid state Lutron dimmer, I'd love to hear about it.

[Insert obligatory lightbulb joke]

robcorr — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:28:42 -0800

Three of our lights have burned out, and it's about time I replaced them. Thing is, I have no idea where to start. Here's a picture of the light fitting with the cover removed.

I'm pretty sure it's an R7S halogen bulb, and I'm hoping to just pull it out and take it with me to the shop to get the right replacement.

But where do I start? What should I touch, what should I avoid?

CFL - Cold, fugly luminescence

metajc — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:35:58 -0800

Are there some specific CFL models that will light just like my old soft incandescent light bulbs? I bought a bunch of CFL bulbs but my girlfriend won't let me turn them on because they look kind of heinous -- blue and pretty fluorescent like a university lab or the morgue.

I / we like that warm, yellow-white, incandescent glow of 40 and 60 watt GE bulbs. You know what I mean. Anybody had any luck finding a certain brand / wattage that mimics that particularly well?

What's the best light bulb option these days?

willnot — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:19:26 -0800

What's the best light bulb option these days? I need to replace the bulbs in my bathroom (9, 40 watt bulbs currently). Lights are typically on for about 20 minutes a day. Occasional they'll be on and off quickly. There are no windows. I want to be environmentally conscious, but price does factor in at some level. I don't know how long I'll be staying in this place. Prices are dropping, and I may want to buy a new place in a year or so and either sell my condo or rent it out.

At that point, I'd probably need to replace the fixture in some way anyway because it's got this weird metal block around it that's all rusted and nasty looking. Maybe it makes sense to bite the bullet and just replace it now, but I'd like to avoid that hassle if I could.

I've just been letting the bulbs burn out without replacing them. I'm down to 2 of 9 though, and I'm thinking I better replace them now or risk having to shave in the dark.

I like the idea of LEDs, but they seem so expensive and not all that great yet. Compact Florescent seems better for lights that are on for longer, but I may be off base in my assumptions there. If I went with regular bulbs, 40 watts X 9 seems like a lot of wasted light/energy to me.

What's the best way to go here?

How many [x] does it take to change a lightbulb?

BorgLove — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:54:52 -0800

How can I change this lightbulb? I've got track lighting in my kitchen with three of these lamps:

http://humancargo.net/IMG_4913.jpg

Two have now burnt out, and it's time to take action! But I can't for the life of me figure out how to change these out. And I'm normally pretty handy. I know that metal ring can be pinched and removed, thus removing the glass disc it holds in place, but that's as far as I can get. The metal casing looks like it's in two halves, but they won't separate, even if I remove those nuts holding the thing into the bracket. What the deal with that? Any tips would be appreciated!

If it helps, I think that's known as a 'SoLux' bulb? But no guarantees. Thanks!