My kitchen light was on for about an hour last night, when I suddenly noticed a noxious plastic smell coming from the kitchen. I could also hear something dropping onto the floor. Went into the kitchen to find the light bulb had blackened and literally melted. Bits of melted plastic (or whatever the bulb is made of) were dropping onto the floor. Turned off switch, waited a few minutes and took bulb out. Nothing else was touched. Lamp shade was fine, socket the bulb fitted into was fine. Just the bulb. It was a EcoClassic Dimmable 105w halogen energy saver bulb = 150w regular bulb. I do not have a dimmer in the kitchen though and the bulb had been in there for about six months.
Has anyone come across this? Would it be a wiring fault (given that everything else was fine other than the bulb)? Haven't put a new bulb in yet. Also couldn't find anything on the web about this. Any ideas please. Tia.
pauldw,
Mar 9, 6:23am
The Ecoclassic has a smaller halogen bulb inside the outer glass envelope but there's no plastic. Any melted plastic must have come from the fitting. Bayonet fittings often get hot because there's poor contact with the bulb. The spring in the contact plunger then sags a bit more and the contact gets worse.
dee238,
Mar 9, 9:02am
Thank you. Was obviously the fitting at the top of the light bulb then. The contacts on the light bulb were untouched. Will try a lower watt bulb. Doesn't seem to be the wiring thank goodness.
ira78,
Mar 9, 9:52am
I'd be curious to see a picture of the bulb and fitting. From what I can see there isn't any plastic in the bulb at all. So, I'm not sure what could have melted.
pauldw,
Mar 9, 11:22am
What did the bulb look like? You need to explain what was dropping on the floor. The halogen bulb inside the outer envelope runs very hot and uses quartz glass (like a car headlight bulb). If the outer glass got contacted by that it probably would shatter.
trade4us2,
Mar 9, 1:16pm
Get quality LED bulbs.
skull,
Mar 9, 2:10pm
You should either carefully inspect or have a sparky inspect the light fitting. 150 watts seems like a huge bulb for the kitchen, I know we had one in a bedroom once and the lamp fitting didn't like it at all, there's just far too much heat. You should be looking at more energy efficient bulbs than halogen and then you won't have the heating problem.
vivac,
Mar 9, 5:44pm
Bayonet fittings are rated to 100W max, thats where your melted plastic has come from.
pauldw,
Mar 9, 7:06pm
The bulb was supposedly a 105W with equivalent light output to a 150W standard bulb. As for rating PDL have 150W batten mounts.
bill1451,
Mar 9, 8:40pm
seen too many batten holders burnt out, Personally I like a ceiling rose and a cordgrip lampholder , and dont use 150w lamps.
Why do people have weird bulbs and fittings? What's wrong with a bayonet fitting that you can put a 10 watt LED bulb in?
pauldw,
Mar 10, 11:14am
Whatever that bulb was I don't think it was a Philips EcoClassic. Every photo I can find of the EcoClassic halogens has a standard looking glass bulb and metal end cap, no plastic!
pauldw,
Mar 10, 11:22am
It wasn't a weird fitting. Rather than an EcoClassic halogen it looks like your bayonet LED. Unfortunately one that's had its electronics melt down.
trade4us2,
Mar 10, 11:55am
Don't use halogens or incandescents (inefficient and too hot) Don't have downlights (inefficient and can set your ceiling on fire) CFLs can catch fire, use them until LEDs get cheap. LEDs can catch fire, get good brands.
maclad,
Mar 10, 5:37pm
I bought a bulb last year and put it in. The light continously flickered. Had a look at the package and it was a dimable bulb not suited for not dimable fittings. Put it onto the dimmer and it worked fine.
pauldw,
Dec 11, 10:12am
What brand was that? Were you reading the packaging in good light :?) What happens when your dimmer is 100% on?
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