strangest thing

[white eagle]

I was in my reloading room and I heard a small pop like something fell then I started smelling something almost like plastic melting and heard like a gas leaking sound not real high pitched more of a lower sound
I looked around and my 4' florescent tube light was leaking and smoking out of one end almost like it was starting on fire
I killed the power
funny thing is I just last night moved two 1# cans of 2400 on a cabinet that was almost directly under the said problem light
they were unopened however still a touch unnerving
anyone witness such an event and would that have cause a fire or just popped and stunk up the house?

[Bzcraig]

Fluorescent tubes have a powder in them, honestly I can't tell you it's function, which was the smoke you saw coming from it. I believe that powder is toxic (might be mercury powder), so be careful when cleaning.

[Trey45]

Many years ago I had a helper in the machine shop absolutely convinced that florescent light tubes didn't actually make light, they absorbed darkness, that's why the ends turn dark before they quit working, they were getting "full of darkness".

[s mac]

Probably a bad ballast, A tar like substance leaking out. Need to replace it.

[mikeym1a]

That's why I prefer those un-environmental incandescent bulbs, and lots of them! Eyes don't like low light any more.

[Pb2au]

Many years ago I had a helper in the machine shop absolutely convinced that florescent light tubes didn't actually make light, they absorbed darkness, that's why the ends turn dark before they quit working, they were getting "full of darkness".

Did said helper come from the middle ages? Did said helper also believe that sickness is caused by toads and evil humours living in the body.
Stuff like that makes my head hurt.
A colleague of my wife didn't realize that pirates were real. That person thought they were only from movies.

Anyway, back on subject,,,

Probably the ballast decided to commit suicide. It happens occasionally, almost always accompanied with the delightful smell you described. You should be able to replace it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I recently put in screw-in LEDs (12W 900 lumins) into the lightbulb socket in both my reloading room and casting room. They aren't as bright as the 100W incandesants I replaced. I hate the corkscrew CFL. We'll see how the LED's work out. They do cause AM radio static for about a minute, (til they are warmed up? I didn't think that was necessary?). I have two windows in each room (one each are facing south) and I am rarely up there after dark, so those light fixtures won't get much of a workout. I like the one I put in the livingroom, plenty of background light for watching TV.

[Dframe]

Likely a ballast. They sometimes go bad. I'd replace the whole thing. Flourescent fixtures aren't expensive. The powder inside the tube is a flourescing agent, that glows when power passes through the tube producing light. The tubes do contain a very small amount of mercury vapor and should be disposed of properly.

[popper]

I'd replace the ballast & tubes. It's the heater in the tubes that makes them go black on the ends. The mercury is like halogen, keeps the heater filament longer lived. Phosphorus compound creates the light. All toxic stuff but like motor oil, takes gallons to give you cancer. More danger from cuts letting the stuff get in your blood. Pretty much like lead - don't eat it.

[Dale in Louisiana]

The white powder coating the tube, called 'phospor' (and not actually phosphorus) converts the spectrum of light generated by the mercury vapor into visible and more pleasing light. This phenomenon is called 'florescence', hence the name of the light. Other lighting systems uses florescence as well.

at the ends of the tube are small filaments. These heat up the mercury vapor to make it better able to emit light. When a tube is aged, metal from the filament leaves the filament and deposits on the side of the tube. That's the dark spot.

dale in Louisiana

[searcher4851]

There's a lot more to learn here than just casting bullets.

[Col4570]

I used to work with a bloke who would say,"turn the dark on" when he wanted the lights out.

[Sensai]

Disengage photon absorbers, Mister Sulu.

[sidecarmike]

I used to work with a bloke who would say,"turn the dark on" when he wanted the lights out.

My father's German to English. verriegeln die Tür offen. "Lock the door open", instead of unlock. Schalten Sie die Dunkelheit auf "turn the dark on".

[rush1886]

You probably have it all figured out by now, but from your description of sounds, and smoke leaking from one end, the pins on the end of the tube, may have lost contact with the socket, and started arcing, creating heat and smoke. The plastic burning smell, would indicate the socket, as opposed to a ballast. A ballast gone bad will have a definite electrical/burnt oil (the tar) smell. When those little pins on the end of the lamp start arcing, it's no different than an arc welder, just on a smaller scale. Be sure to give those little plastic sockets a good visual inspection, to go along with everything else you're doing.

[white eagle]

my real concern was the very close proximity to the gun powder and the arc that I thought was occurring
had I lift the lights on and the room was vacant a small fire may have ensued
I have never really thought about the fire aspect of my gun powder storage however I have now.

[Driver man]

Many years ago I had a helper in the machine shop absolutely convinced that florescent light tubes didn't actually make light, they absorbed darkness, that's why the ends turn dark before they quit working, they were getting "full of darkness".
Sounds like he reads Terry Pratchet books. He is right of course

[leeggen]

White Eagle it would take alot more heat as per fire to melt your powder canisters. Maybe a spark as large as a welding rod spatter. Just relax and replace the light. Life is good,just how your perception is.
Dale great explination of the fl. light workings.
CD

[CGT80]

I have to agree that the tombstone probably started to melt. I had a lamp go bad a week or so ago. I turned on the lights and heard the same hiss and noticed that one of my 4' t-12 lamps went out. I actually saw a small pinhole in the side of the lamp, an inch or two from the end. I went ahead and replaced all 4 lamps in that room. I prefer 6500k lamps as the color is more true. The old ones were 4100k or cool white. The only problem is that now my halogen under shelf lights (over the loading bench) look like **** because they are probably about a 2700k color temp.

I wouldn't change the ballast just yet, OP. It is common for the lamps to fail. If they fail early on, then suspect a damaged ballast, or look for them to leak out. It is easy to install a new electronic ballast. You just have to follow the wiring diagram. I have done hundreds of them.

[Multigunner]

Some of these new curlyque lightbulbs do that.

[CGT80]

Some of these new curlyque lightbulbs do that.

I have a lot of those in my house. The ones in the bathroom will randomly go out after a while and then later they will work again. It is kind of odd. They were screwed in tight as well. The other rooms don't do that, but I am pretty sure it is the lamps and not the fixture.

[DoubleAdobe]

Many years ago I had a helper in the machine shop absolutely convinced that florescent light tubes didn't actually make light, they absorbed darkness, that's why the ends turn dark before they quit working, they were getting "full of darkness".
Ha, that one got me, then I got to thinking..........

[trooperdan]

Sounds like he reads Terry Pratchet books. He is right of course
Good to see someone else that knows Terry Pratchet's books!

[DLCTEX]

A Mexican American fellow once told me that his brother thought maybe he was out of gas in his car one night, so he "turned on a match" to look in the gas tank then thought what he was doing and "turned off that match".
The electronic ballasts particularly can arc at the pins of he lamp holder enough to burn off the metal and burn away the plastic of the holder. I replace many of them in my business and have never seen one come close to starting a fire, but won't say it's not possible.

[captaint]

I work at a large school. We recycle all of our fluorescent tubes, twisted or straight. I got talking to the guy who came to pick up the old tubes one time. He told me they extract between 600-900 lbs of mercury every week out of the old tubes. I didn't ask him what they do with it ???!! Mike

[Mal Paso]

I was sitting at the computer when I heard a crack behind me near the reloading bench like a primer going off. I looked but could not find the cause, no primers or powder were sitting out. I sat back down and 20 minutes later it happened again. I was getting worried as I have this Thing about explosions happening by themselves especially around other things that explode. I missed it the first time as I was looking for something gun related but 2 cells of a 9V alkaline battery exploded. It was sitting by itself, so no short, but it launched one of the cells into some brass tarnishing it with the contents.

[MtGun44]

ballast failure, can overload the filament and burn it out. Ballasts can drip tar
when they overheat after failing. Probably ditch the entire unit and get a new one.

Bill

[Superfly]

You mean it is not True??????
Many years ago I had a helper in the machine shop absolutely convinced that florescent light tubes didn't actually make light, they absorbed darkness, that's why the ends turn dark before they quit working, they were getting "full of darkness".

[Blacksmith]

Electrical Theory by Joe Lucas

Positive ground (they meant “earth”) depends on proper circuit functioning, which is the transmission of negative ions by retention of the visible spectral manifestation known as “smoke”.
Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work. We know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of an electrical circuit, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing.
If one observes smoke escaping from an electrical component such as a Lucas voltage regulator, it will also be observed that the component no longer functions. The logic is elementary and inescapable!
The function of the wiring harness is to conduct the smoke from one device to another.
When the wiring springs a leak and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works afterward.

It has been reported that Lucas electrical components are possibly more prone to electrical leakage than their Bosch, Japanese or American counterparts. Experts point out that this is because Lucas is British, and all things British leak. British engines leak oil, British shock absorbers, hydraulic forks and disk brake systems leak fluid, British tires leak air and British Intelligence leaks national defense secrets.
Therefore, it follows that British electrical systems must leak smoke. Once again, the logic is clear and inescapable.
In conclusion, the basic concept of transmission of electrical energy in the form of smoke provides a logical explanation of the mysteries of electrical components especially British units manufactured by Joseph Lucas, Ltd.
And remember: “A gentleman does not motor about after dark.”
Joseph Lucas “The Prince of Darkness”


A few Lucas quips:
The Lucas motto: “Get home before dark.”
Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
Lucas – Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
Lucas – Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
The three-position Lucas switch–DIM, FLICKER and OFF. The other three switch settings–SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE.
The Original Anti-Theft Device – Lucas Electrics.
If Lucas made guns, wars would not start
Back in the ‘70s, Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not suck.
Q: Why do the British drink warm beer? A: Because Lucas makes their refrigerators.

[drinks]

BS, I have been trying to make people understand that for many years.
Both the smoke leaks and Lucas.
Also, they had to stop making Burman clutches when the coke bottle cap manufacturers stopped using cork seals in the caps.

[Hardcast416taylor]

When I worked as a skilled tradesman at GM Pontiac I recall the "Standard Warning" about fluorscent bulbs. "Avoid being cut by a broken tube, if cut proceed to Main Medical at once"! The electrical shops had a special steel drum with a steel lid with a 2" piece of welded on conduit several ft. long welded into it. A glass tube would be inserted into the 2" tube and then a built in smasher would destroy the bad light tube. The barrel was emptied outdoors carefully into doubled plastic bags to be disposed of in a landfill. I was always told the powder in a fluorescent tube could lead to infections and possibly worse.Robert

[lead-1]

This link talks about the Dark Sucker bulbs.

http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~dfischer/dark_sucker_2.html