CFL bulb failure

[timaishu]

Had this in the bathroom for only a few months and it has been doing this on startup the past month. After a few seconds it usually would start working fine. But it scared the crap outa me yesterday while sitting on the throne. Started making popping sounds and it kept going and going till I turned it off.

I took this this morning. I know I need to replace it, but what the heck is wrong with it. I dont think it will ever actually stay on anymore.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

The ballasts go bad in CFL's. I've seen them go up in smoke or blow out the tube, so urs was a pretty soft failure.

 

[arack]

CFL's are garbage. Incandesents still rock!

 

[Mustang81]

My bathroom has one of those light strips that has 6 lights in it. We noticed that two of the lights burnt out more than others. We replaced them with CFLs and they still burnt out after about 2 months.

 

[MadMerc]

CFL's are garbage. Incandesents still rock!

True! I had a CFL catch fire in the middle of the night in my kitchen. Thank God I was awake and found out what was burning.

 

[timaishu]

I think mine was ready to catch on fire.

I pulled it out and the metal end of it was burned and the conductor on the very bottom bit is melted.

That popping sound I was hearing had to of been it arching.

Man thats scary, whole bunch of dust balls up there because it has a venting fan. Could have started a fire.

 

[timaishu]

So now I gotta figure out if it was a bad bulb or bad socket.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Sounds like it might not have been screwed in all the way. Make sure the socket isn't damaged, as you noted, you don't want that to catch on fire.