Failure resulting in hole punched in GE CFL

Not often, but then I usually just replace bad bulbs. :)

What fun is that? :)

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ:

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Is the keyphrase "horizontally mounted " and the hole was where the mercury condensed into a ball ?

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

Unfortunately my fun days left when I became disabled. I used to grab every dead 'unrepairable' module at work to do my own failure analysis, but that is just a fond memory now. I repaired dead motherboards, hard drives and cards for various computers at the component level, for fun. Hell, I used to read IC databooks for fun. I still have a couple hundred in my personal library. I moved & rebuilt a 1952 model RCA UHF TV transmitter once, then reassembled it, then troubleshot all the problems that has caused it to be retired. That project took about six months. :)

Never. What could get hot enough to do that?

On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:28:43 -0000, "N_Cook" put finger to keyboard and composed:

If this was a real problem, then wouldn't you expect to see these kinds of failures in the long, straight, horizontally mounted fluorescent tubes?

- Franc Zabkar

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:23:52 -0500, Sam Goldwasser put finger to keyboard and composed:

A colleague claims that he witnessed a case where the neck of Philips CRT was pinholed when his colleague removed the tuning capacitor in the line stage.

BTW, I've had a bad run with Edapt CFLs. Typical faults include dry joints, O/C startup resistors, and O/C filaments. Strangely, in the latter case the lamp flashes once when I touch it.

- Franc Zabkar

I don't know. There's supposed to be very little mercury in these things though.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ:

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

That's really the question. Unless as someone else suggested, that's where a bit of mercury condensed and somehow the discharge went to that instead of the filament. I have no idea if that's even possible.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ:

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

Don't know if it's a real problem, but it was a real failure. :)

The current density is lower in the fat straight ones but since I have no idea how this happened, it's hard to even speculate on whether other types are prone to it.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ:

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

On Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:00:50 -0500, Sam Goldwasser put finger to keyboard and composed:

I'd return the faulty CFL to GE with a comment to the effect that a lamp that leaks mercury into the household atmosphere is a potentially serious health hazard. Ask them how long it will be before you will be able to tell whether the toxins have poisoned your liver. I guarantee you'll get a box full of free replacements in a matter of days. :-)

- Franc Zabkar

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Please let us know what GE says when you contact them!!!!

I assume the amount of mercury isn't enough to hurt anyone, I mean how often do these things get smashed by clumsy people?