Nice purple and blue sparks...

[fuel]

Evening, firstly, im a pretty new apprentice, not going to attempt anything myself, but wondering what the hell might have just happened...


Nackered today, just came up to bed and switched on the light in the room, and BOOM. Loud pop and a nice bright purple flash from the light fitting... Ive a fuseboard in the house..yes...rewireables..they need to get ripped out... but the lighting fuse blew and ive no lights tonight. I would change the fuse, not something I have a problem doing, but im afraid of a short or something in the fitting and causing more sparks etc...

The fitting is a metal 3 spot light GU10 fitting that you can move and point what way you please. Ive the standard GU10 bulbs fitted. I noticed one seemed bright earlier when it was working, and I had no problems this morning. Cant look now as not willing to do so + its dark but confused why It might have happened... ive never had a blown bulb take out a fuse on me before.

All comments, helpful and harsh welcome ;-)

 

[xylophone]

Common with gu10 bulbs. It's almost certainly just the bulb drawing mega current as it blew. Average homeowner wld probably just put a new bulb in and replace fuse.
Probably over thinking it but also worth checking ir/ for a LE or LN short if you want the practice.

 

[amlu]

those modern gu10 ceiling spots do not like 3 wires coming into them (ceiling rose style).
most likely someone used chocbloc+tape and something got shorted. use table lamp tonite , wait till morning, isolate the circuit and have a look in there before reconnecting.

 

[fuel]

Aye... Ill take a quick nosy in the morning, electrics in the house are awful... scary biscuits that was ;-)

 

[jeremy]

I think one of your lamps has just died. Take the lamps out, look for the one that appears different to the others, (dangly filament?).

 

[Brightspark2]

Has a lamp not blown?...

As the GU10 blows it creates a plasma arc which can be in the 1000s of amps. This causing the protective device to operate. Some lamps have internal fuses but many cheap lamps don't, So will operate the circuit protective device.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

The lamp that looked bright this morning probably had a partially shorted filament. If one leg of it sags and touches another, the length in circuit is reduced, the current increased and it glows brightly until it soon fails completely, often with an arc. That lamp will be heavily blackened. Replace and change fuse. In theatre lighting where large lamps are pushed hard, it is normal for a lamp to take out the fuse or breaker when it blows.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Aye... Ill take a quick nosy in the morning, electrics in the house are awful... scary biscuits that was ;-)

better off to get an electrician in..

what do you think?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

The lamp that looked bright this morning probably had a partially shorted filament. If one leg of it sags and touches another, the length in circuit is reduced, the current increased and it glows brightly until it soon fails completely, often with an arc. That lamp will be heavily blackened. Replace and change fuse. In theatre lighting where large lamps are pushed hard, it is normal for a lamp to take out the fuse or breaker when it blows.

the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long Lucien...

probably why i need to book my place in one of these care homes i have been ECR`ing just of late....

 

[SPARTYKUS]

"Oh and Roy you have burned so very brightly haven't you"

 

[Hawkmoon]

"Oh and Roy you have burned so very brightly haven't you"

H. Ford fan by any chance?

 

[Silly Sausage]

H. Ford fan by any chance?

Rutger Hauer anytime!

 

[DPG]

better off to get an electrician in..

what do you think?

To change a bulb and replace some fuse wire?? Daz

 

[GLENNSPARK]

To change a bulb and replace some fuse wire?? Daz

its a standard reply to nonsense questions...
Glenn

 

[DPG]

Fair point

 

[Hawkmoon]

Fairly unusual for blowing lamp to take out a 3036 so I would go with getting it looked at

 

[VoltzElectrical]

Fairly unusual for blowing lamp to take out a 3036 so I would go with getting it looked at

Not really. i have experienced it in the house I'm in now.

@the OP... I know that as a newly training spark, the old stuff takes some getting used to, but it will do you good to become familiar with rewireables and fuse wire, so go get some appropriately sized wire, change it, and the bulb - yes BULB- you don't buy a light lamp do you? and get it changed, then pat yourself on the back for having climbed one step further up the learning ladder.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Not really. i have experienced it in the house I'm in now.

@the OP... I know that as a newly training spark, the old stuff takes some getting used to, but it will do you good to become familiar with rewireables and fuse wire, so go get some appropriately sized wire, change it, and the bulb - yes BULB- you don't buy a light lamp do you? and get it changed, then pat yourself on the back for having climbed one step further up the learning ladder.

oh aye?...for terminology such as this?

 

[Kamikaze]

Evening, firstly, im a pretty new apprentice, not going to attempt anything myself, but wondering what the hell might have just happened...


Nackered today, just came up to bed and switched on the light in the room, and BOOM. Loud pop and a nice bright purple flash from the light fitting... Ive a fuseboard in the house..yes...rewireables..they need to get ripped out... but the lighting fuse blew and ive no lights tonight. I would change the fuse, not something I have a problem doing, but im afraid of a short or something in the fitting and causing more sparks etc...

The fitting is a metal 3 spot light GU10 fitting that you can move and point what way you please. Ive the standard GU10 bulbs fitted. I noticed one seemed bright earlier when it was working, and I had no problems this morning. Cant look now as not willing to do so + its dark but confused why It might have happened... ive never had a blown bulb take out a fuse on me before.

All comments, helpful and harsh welcome ;-)

A little lesson in chemistry for you. You will be able to impress the ladies with your newfound knowledge :drool5: ...lol. A spark is electricity flowing through a gas and in doing so it has to rip the electrons off the gas. Those electrons then recombine with the atoms at which point they release lots of energy in the form of light. Different gases release different colours of light. Since the air in our atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen what your essentially seeing is not electricity but nitrogen glowing. However, a purple spark would suggest there was also a high level of Argon which is usually produced as a side product of radioactive decay. Which then raises the question: What the hell is decaying in your bedroom...lol

 

[Silly Sausage]

A little lesson in chemistry for you. You will be able to impress the ladies with your newfound knowledge :drool5: ...lol. A spark is electricity flowing through a gas and in doing so it has to rip the electrons off the gas. Those electrons then recombine with the atoms at which point they release lots of energy in the form of light. Different gases release different colours of light. Since the air in our atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen what your essentially seeing is not electricity but nitrogen glowing. However, a purple spark would suggest there was also a high level of Argon which is usually produced as a side product of radioactive decay. Which then raises the question: What the hell is decaying in your bedroom...lol

Wicked chat up line!
Can I use that?

 

[Kamikaze]

Wicked chat up line!
Can I use that?

Yeah, why not mate. But I always found “May I guess the colour of your knickers by licking them” far more successful.:biggrin:

 

[telectrix]

oh aye?...for terminology such as this?

were never called lamps, only bulbs, until the advent of florry tubes, when some bright sod said " hey, these aren't bulb shaped, let's call them lamps". how would the joke sound if it read "how many psychiatrists would it tale to change a light lamp?"