Indoor Have you ever broke a CFL?

[hustla]

Okey i know that the danger from the merqury in a CFL is quite over-estimated.
But i would like to know some things.

I used to have a 200 watt grow CFL lamp.

One day i opened my Grow box and there was a hole of the size of a belt hole and a big crack starting from the hole and ending after one inch.
I do not know if this hole was deep but it was preaty obvious that the bulb was cracked or at least damaged.
I saw that some days after the actual crack happened as it was at an angle that was dificult to see and the bulb looked preatty good from the distance as it was still functional.

Now I would like to know if anyone knows. If there is a break on the bulb and the mercury vapor escapes is it possible that the bulb can remain somewhat functional or at least to produce light?

Thank you

 

[namvet25]

If a crack or hole is bad enough it will release all the gasses from the bulb and it will be useless.I would get rid of any bulbs that have a defect.

 

[JM]

yeah... if you're not afraid of the mercury (you should be as it melts nerve sheathing like hydrochloric acid on steel)

then for fire safety as well as shards of glass... potentially imlpoding or exploding and hurting you... maybe the gas isnt as bad... but you can bet a shard of mercury -laden glass in your eye wouldnt be good.
[video=youtube;XU8nSn5Ezd8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU8nSn5Ezd8&feature=related[/video]

 

[Duck Commander]

get rid of the cfl open a window well ventalate the room that stuff aint to clever on your body mate

 

[hustla]

yeah did everything... disposed of the lamp aired the room clened.....

Now i have a second lamp the same type big cfl which has a weird mark at the base of the lamp

So at the base of the lamp where the tubes are connected to each other you have 6 places where the cfls come together now there is a weird mark that looks like either a very small crack or an excess glass that was builted on the lamp.
I tried to feel if its going inwards(like a crack) or outwards (like a glass formation)
and it turns out it sticks out and not in.
The lamp is reletivly new and i have it for 3 weeks so i dont think it cracked already

should i dispose of it or not?

see this photo and tell me thanks

 

[hustla]

This is the suspitious mark!!!

https://www.autoflower.org/members/hustla/albums/light-defect/100821-see-joint-base/

 

[namvet25]

NO don't throw it out.That little hump is on all cfls,it's where the gas was put in during manufacturing and then sealed at that little hump.

 

[hustla]

ohhh ok thank you dude!!! So may i ask if there is a small crack and the mercury vapor exits the lamp will the lamp continue to produce light or not?