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Exploding bulb: why?

  • 10-12-2011 12:18am
    #1
    Dionysus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,420 ✭✭✭


    I'm just curious about the reason for this. This morning I turned on the light on the cooker hob and the bulb exploded. It was a 40watt, the same as the other bulb in the same hob. But the other bulb was fine. The switch tripped, I replaced the bulb, put on the switch and it was working grand again.

    Why does this happen? Also, on a related issue, why when I put four bulbs of the same wattage into, say, the main sitting room light fitting, at the same time, do they not all run out at the same time, given that when you turn one of them on they are all on?

    Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,786 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    Items will degrade in different ways due to infinite unique variations in their construction, composition and environment.

    No bulb (or any product) is a 100% perfect, there will always be tiny differences even between items from the same batch. It's just another fact of life.


  • #3
    JuliusCaesar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,882 ✭✭✭JuliusCaesar


    Glad to hear this. I had a ceiling bulb that exploded, and nobody believed me! Luckily no one was in the room at the time. I heard a noise, went into the kitchen and thought holy sh*t.


  • #4
    newmug
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,571 ✭✭✭newmug


    AFAIK its the amount of times a bulb is switched on/off that deteriorates it the most, not its actual age.

    Once I was sitting on the loo. The bulb in the bathroom was on. It got brighter and brighter, then just exploded. I changed it, and the exact same thing happened again.

    My guess is that there could be a short in the lighting circuit, drawing too much current for the bulb to handle, but not enough to trip the switch.


  • #5
    10-10-20
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,184 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    Apparently, when halogen bulbs blow they often create a plasma between the two conductors which generates a bright flash and metallic discolouration (deposition of tungsten) of the glass envelope. As the plasma causes a high energy discharge due to the low resistance path, it often trips the MCB (breaker) on the circuit.
    I also found this piece of info which may also be related. It contains a list of 'notable exploding light bulb events', maybe you could add yours...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_light_bulb


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