Help pls-slight chemically smell coming off enerysaver lightbulb

bundance

I have an energysaver lightbulb in my bedside lamp which, when I smell it, has a slight chemically smell coming off it. I smelt it because there is darkness at the base of two of the tubes.
I have been using the lamp without a shade, as I just have not got round to getting a shade.

The bulb isnt broken as far as I can see.

I dropped the lamp some time ago without the shade on, but the bulb is still working.

I know I cannot just bin the bulb, and I dont have transport to take it to the dump but my friend is going to the dump sometime next week. I only have black bin liners and no thick polythene bags.

Can anyone tell me if I need to dispose of this bulb?
I dont have a garden.
If I do need to dump it next week, what should I do with the bulb in the meantime?

Could this, plus the chemically smell, put me at risk?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you.

phill99

You are paranoid. And you know you are paranoid. Just put the bulb in the bin and get another one. It ain't rocket science.

olias

I think you need to get a registered and licensed energy saving lightbulb disposal company in. There shouldn't be too much hassle. They will need to quarrantine your house (usually done with a plastic tent around it with 'air lock' doors). The men themselves will have bio chemical suits and respirators on which may look alarming at first, but don't worry, it's just for their safety to protect them from the huge hazzards involved. Whole thing should take no more than a week to ten days to complete. It aint cheap, but when your health is at stake who's counting.

Olias

bundance

olias wrote: »

I think you need to get a registered and licensed energy saving lightbulb disposal company in. There shouldn't be too much hassle. They will need to quarrantine your house (usually done with a plastic tent around it with 'air lock' doors). The men themselves will have bio chemical suits and respirators on which may look alarming at first, but don't worry, it's just for their safety to protect them from the huge hazzards involved. Whole thing should take no more than a week to ten days to complete. It aint cheap, but when your health is at stake who's counting.

Olias

I dont have the money to do all of that.
Is my health really at stake from one single lightbulb that may not be broken?
I live in a block of flats.
I have nowhere to stay for a week to ten days.
Seems a lot of hassle for one lightbulb.

What would be the problem of just binning it, or bagging it up so my friend can take it to the dump.

The poster above said I am just being paranoid, now I am really confused.

macman

It was a wind-up! Place it in the bin, wrapped in an old newspaper to avoid the bin men cutting themselves if you like.

olias

I thought at first the OP was a wind up (hence my 'jokey' post), however I have had a look at your previous posts and it seems you may seriously have a problem with paranoid thoughts etc. Please take this in the hopefully helpful manner in which it is give, but I really think you should speak to your GP about these thoughts. It may be that you have some issues that may be addressed either through therapy or medication.

Olias

bundance

olias wrote: »

I thought at first the OP was a wind up (hence my 'jokey' post), however I have had a look at your previous posts and it seems you may seriously have a problem with paranoid thoughts etc. Please take this in the hopefully helpful manner in which it is give, but I really think you should speak to your GP about these thoughts. It may be that you have some issues that may be addressed either through therapy or medication.

Olias

I have taken this post in the helpful manner in which it is given. - no offence taken.

I am under my GP and am on medication.

I get paranoid about things which I dont know about, such as hazardous waste, and this is why I try to ask questions about it to find out and learn.

The directgov site says not to put them in with the normal rubbish.

I have issues with not knowing what to do with hazardous waste, as I have to rely on others to deal with it for me, as I dont have a car.

Please may I ask three questions.

As I have had the bulb a long time, could it have been causing me, or neighbours who share my landing a hazard.

Although the bulb smells chemically, it is still working.
Can I assume that if it was a hazard, it would not be working at all?

I am unable to get the bulb to a recycling centre until next week, I havent got a garden in which to store it, what do I do with it in the meantime?

Many thanks

rich_jtg

I doubt it would be causing any hazard as such, but as it is causing you concern, just simply take it out of the lamp and then nothing can happen.

As they are so cheap to replace (last one I bought was less than 40p) then it is no great loss to just discard the bulb... which shouldn't be in the bin, but either at your local tip, or some supermarkets that have a collection point within their recycling area.

Just wrap the bulb up in a supermarket carrier bag and put it out of the way some where, it doesn't have to be outside. The bulb won't 'harm' you as such. The only 'dangerous' part of the bulb is the powder inside, which you would only come in contact with if you smashed the bulb.

If the new bulb suffers from the same problem, then you would might want to replace the lamp.

bundance

rich_jtg wrote: »

I doubt it would be causing any hazard as such, but as it is causing you concern, just simply take it out of the lamp and then nothing can happen.

As they are so cheap to replace (last one I bought was less than 40p) then it is no great loss to just discard the bulb... which shouldn't be in the bin, but either at your local tip, or some supermarkets that have a collection point within their recycling area.

Just wrap the bulb up in a supermarket carrier bag and put it out of the way some where, it doesn't have to be outside. The bulb won't 'harm' you as such. The only 'dangerous' part of the bulb is the powder inside, which you would only come in contact with if you smashed the bulb.

If the new bulb suffers from the same problem, then you would might want to replace the lamp.

thanks for your help, pls can I ask another question?

I did dispose of a broken bulb once by just putting it in the bin, could I have put others at risk by doing this?

phill99

Just put it in the bloody bin!!!!!

bundance

phill99 wrote: »

Just put it in the bloody bin!!!!!

Please be kind to me, I know I am coming across as a pain, and am sorry, but I am feeling very fragile.