# night light explosion



## Bill (Mar 30, 2006)

this is for the electricians only please. When it comes to any other project I do not mind getting responses from anyone, but electrical I leave solely up to the pros.

last night I went into my bathroom to trim my beard. I plugged the trimmers into the bottom of the receptacle and noticed that it was a tad hard to plug it in. The trimmers did not work. I turned on the night light in the top socket and it worked fine. I plugged the trimmers into the top plug and did my thing. After I was done I started to replace the night light into the top plug when I decided to place it in the bottom one. After plugging it in I turned it on and "BAM", I mean to say this thing literally exploded The glass actually blew off the base of the bulb and turned black. The spark it emitted was one I never saw before. It was sort of a bright white fireball. It is not a GFI as the old GFI went bad a few days ago and I replaced it with a standard one until I got to town today:whistling Any ideas on what would cause this?


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## hbiss (May 23, 2007)

_the old GFI went bad a few days ago and I replaced it..._

My professional opinion is that statement says it all. Don't know what you did or what happened but my advice is to stick to plumbing and carpentry. 

-Hal


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## jrclen (Jul 10, 2007)

USP45 said:


> the old GFI went bad a few days ago and I replaced it. Any ideas on what would cause this?


I would look behind the receptacle for a problem with the wiring. Something touched something it wasn't supposed to is my guess. Or the receptacle is bad and shorted.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

A while flash is more typical of a lamp that lost its vacuum suddenly and started burning the filament in the presence of air. If I had to guess, I'd guess that the lamp may have had a spritz of water on the bulb portion or it was damaged slightly when you either laid it on the counter or put it back in. 






My general sentiment also leans toward Hal's feelings on this also. Removing safety devices isn't the smartest thing a fella could ever do, but I _fairly_ confident that this did not cause your lamp failure.


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## 220/221 (Sep 29, 2007)

> Any ideas on what would cause this?


I am quite certain that it was electricity.



Seriously, who knows witout see it first hand. Look closely at the remains and you will probably be able to figure it out.

Power comes out from one side of the outlet, goes thru the appliance, and returns back on the other.


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## Bill (Mar 30, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> A while flash is more typical of a lamp that lost its vacuum suddenly and started burning the filament in the presence of air. If I had to guess, I'd guess that the lamp may have had a spritz of water on the bulb portion or it was damaged slightly when you either laid it on the counter or put it back in.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Now thats a possibility. Night light in the bathroom, moisture, poping. Could be the problem.Thanks. Do not think it was the wiring.


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## jrclen (Jul 10, 2007)

USP45 said:


> Now thats a possibility. Night light in the bathroom, moisture, poping. Could be the problem.Thanks. Do not think it was the wiring.


How about plugging in some more stuff just to check it out? Let us know what happens. I like MD's theory about the bulb.


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## nap (Jan 27, 2008)

USP45 said:


> this is for the electricians only please. When it comes to any other project I do not mind getting responses from anyone, but electrical I leave solely up to the pros.
> 
> ?


 

deleted because nobody saw the humor. maybe it really is me.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

I feel like posting just to be an ass... I agree with MD in my full unexpercianced opinion.


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## Bill (Mar 30, 2006)

nap said:


> we have to have this as a sticky or something. I love this guy. While he is dissing everybody else, he does make us feel good.
> 
> 
> (I think I would duck the next time you chat with any of the other tradesmen)



As a building contractor myself I most certainly would not ask a roofer how to install a furnace, nor would I ask a painter to show me how to wire a pannel. get advice from the right people. I am not saying that others do not know, but if they did, why are they not electricians?


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## nap (Jan 27, 2008)

Oh hell guys. I'm just kidding around.

when you wrote what you did, it could be seen as you view the electrical trade as the only trade that a true trained electrician can provide proper info while all the other trades can be done by anybody.

just saw a bit of humor in it. now I'm going back and deleting it since it has apparently not been accepted well.


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## Bill (Mar 30, 2006)

nap said:


> Oh hell guys. I'm just kidding around.
> 
> when you wrote what you did, it could be seen as you view the electrical trade as the only trade that a true trained electrician can provide proper info while all the other trades can be done by anybody.
> 
> just saw a bit of humor in it. now I'm going back and deleting it since it has apparently not been accepted well.


No need, I may had mis read it, sorry if you thought I was upset.

BTW, I replaced the regular plug with a GFI today. Works good. I am going to use a continuity tester across the terminals of the old plug to see if it were something in the plug


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