Bulb went - and blew a hole in itself

Tyfelt

Today a light blew and tripped one of the socket switches as it did so. Not so out of the ordinary - this would sometimes happen in our old house. However, when I took the lightbulb out to replace it, a hole had been blown in right through the base of the bulb (picture below). We had this lamp in our old house and it never did that to any bulbs we used with it. My question is, what would cause damage like that and is something we should be concerned about?

We moved house 2 months ago and the landlord (and agent) told us that the electrics had been passed safe but that some things needed updating, a task he undertook himself. There has been one occasion where the RCD switch tripped for no apparent reasons, but other than that there have been no problems at all.



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muckybutt

I would say that was a result of a manufacturing fault.

27col

Strange stuff happens. Life is too short to spend time trying to work out why. Especially if it is an isolated occurrence. Not sure why a lamp blowing would trip a power circuit, unless it was in a standard or table lamp.

Anniemacca

"We moved house 2 months ago and the landlord (and agent) told us that the electrics had been passed safe but that some things needed updating, a task he undertook himself."

I'd be wary of that in itself. I take it you are renting? I am certain that you are meant to have some kind of certificate to prove that the electrics are indeed safe. A sparky or experienced landlord would know.

I have had the glass on Halogen bulbs explode on me. But never a filament bulb - and blowing a hole in the metal like that would concern me.

Tyfelt

We have the gas safety record, can't locate the electric version right now which is not to say it doesn't exist. Will chase it up with agent.

DVardysShadow

Anniemacca wrote: »

"We moved house 2 months ago and the landlord (and agent) told us that the electrics had been passed safe but that some things needed updating, a task he undertook himself."

I'd be wary of that in itself. I take it you are renting? I am certain that you are meant to have some kind of certificate to prove that the electrics are indeed safe. A sparky or experienced landlord would know.

I have had the glass on Halogen bulbs explode on me. But never a filament bulb - and blowing a hole in the metal like that would concern me.

There is no requirement for an electrical certificate for a rented property.

A hole like that pictured in a bulb base is a result of a shortcircuit within the bulb base itself. It will not arise due to any wiring fault within the premises although it is just about conceivable that it could arise due to problems in the network supplying the property.

Anniemacca

DVardysShadow wrote: »

There is no requirement for an electrical certificate for a rented property.

A hole like that pictured in a bulb base is a result of a shortcircuit within the bulb base itself. It will not arise due to any wiring fault within the premises although it is just about conceivable that it could arise due to problems in the network supplying the property.

That seems very odd. Everything seems to be regulated and accounted for nowadays but apparently landlords can rent out a property with no evidence that the electrics are safe?

Am I surprised? I'm not sure.

The last death I heard about because of dodgy electrics was some Polish guy who had thought it was a good idea to put a mains powered heater in the bathroom.

Nilrem

Re the bulb, it looks like Tesco are sourcing them from the same place as Homebase:/

About 1 in 3 of the homebase R50's we use here shatter when they blow, and a lot of the rest trip the breaker, generally other brands seem to be fine.

jim_will_fix_it

we have a flat that we rent out and have to have a electric safety on the whole electrics in the place, we have MCB`s on our own house wiring and the pop every time a bulb goes, they are meant to, so I dont see a problem with your going if it is a MCB.

vaio

There is a recommendation that rented properties get inspected on change of tenant and every 5 years but it’s just a recommendation.

There is a legal duty to provide a safe system but no statutory method defined as to how. If someone got hurt the fact that you had done the inspections as recommended would be a good defence.

MCBs are designed to trip if they see a fault current, the death throes of bulbs sometimes produces such a fault current and sometimes doesn’t

Anniemacca

vaio wrote: »

There is a recommendation that rented properties get inspected on change of tenant and every 5 years but it’s just a recommendation.

There is a legal duty to provide a safe system but no statutory method defined as to how. If someone got hurt the fact that you had done the inspections as recommended would be a good defence.

MCBs are designed to trip if they see a fault current, the death throes of bulbs sometimes produces such a fault current and sometimes doesn’t

I find that odd TBH. Like I said we everything seems to be regulated nowadays - I have paperwork coming out my ears!!

When I had my 10.5 KW shower installed the guy gave me a certificate and I also got one when he installed the oven and put extra sockets in - he signed the whole place off then.

Having said that I have had 2 people do things in the bathroom where I got no such certificate and what they did was potentially lethal.

Electricity and water are not a good combination, especially if they have been bodged illegally!!