OT: Exploding Light Bulb

SpeckTaker

Redshirt
Nov 1, 2012
358
0
0
Last night after I went to bed. My wife was watching TV when a lamp on the other side of the room exploded. Glass shards and smoke went everywhere. I sleep with a fan so I didn’t hear it but she said it was really loud. I have never heard of this before. Anyone know what could have caused this? It was a normal incandescent bulb.
 

baseballnerd

Redshirt
Feb 6, 2011
185
14
18
Yes. Flipped on a light switch one time for our kitchen ceiling fan and one of the light bulbs literally shot out of the socket and across the room. Funny in hindsight. Never heard of a light just exploding without any change, like a surge or blowing when turned on. We lived in a 100 year old house at the time and I wrote it off to crap voltage.
 

baseballnerd

Redshirt
Feb 6, 2011
185
14
18
Yes. Flipped on a light switch one time for our kitchen ceiling fan and one of the light bulbs literally shot out of the socket and across the room. Funny in hindsight. Never heard of a light just exploding without any change, like a surge or blowing when turned on. We lived in a 100 year old house at the time and I wrote it off to crap voltage.

Thinking back on the incident, it wasn't voltage. Had to replace light fixture. Wires were touching in the socket where the coating had come off.
 

Jeffreauxdawg

All-American
Dec 15, 2017
8,839
7,814
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The seal in the base probably failed. Allowed the gas to escape slowly over time and condensation found its way in.

Or gremlins.
 

SpeckTaker

Redshirt
Nov 1, 2012
358
0
0
Could/would a surge cause it? We’ve noticed the lights flicker at different times around the house. No signs of surge around the outlet.
 

RocketDawg

All-Conference
Oct 21, 2011
19,025
2,101
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That's what you get for using electricity-hogging incandescent bulbs. **

I've only seen it happen the moment the bulb was turned on.
 

snoopdog

Freshman
Mar 25, 2008
1,330
81
48
Power surge can cause this...

Coming from electricity entering your home from your electricity provider. Had it happen twice. Blew lights twice, a tv once. Also, someone mentioned lights flickering. That can be associated with the potential for a power surge. Squirrels ate into the power lines and somehow that caused the flickering, then eventually the power surge. Call electrician or even the electric company to have them check the outside lines coming from their source into your home.
 
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