CFL Manufacturered in China Question

[Patrick Carter]

A client of my mine told me yesterday that they had heard that CFL bulbs made by Globe Mfg. located in China and sold by Walmart and several other discount stores have the potential to start a fire when they burn out because of the ballast not being mfg properly. According to them I guess fire personnel have found some homes catching fire because people have been misusing the CFL's by installing them in recessed lighting, pot lights, dimmers on track lighting, etc. The firemen are saying only buy name-brand CFL's from Sylvania, Phillips or GE and stay clear of Chinese CFL manufacturers to be safe.

The question, has anyone else heard this to be a fact or is it just another spoof running amok on the email circuit?

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

I will look it up and yes it does happen and did to me twice .
I have removed all My Twisty Lights and will find and post more info with ih the hour... Roy

[Michael Larson]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2010
Release #11-001 Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 661-7146
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Trisonic Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Recalled Due To Fire Hazard

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by pcarter1

A client of my mine told me yesterday that they had heard that CFL bulbs made by Globe Mfg. located in China and sold by Walmart and several other discount stores have the potential to start a fire

Snopes entry FALSE

[Patrick Carter]

Originally Posted by rcooke

I will look it up and yes it does happen and did to me twice .
I have removed all My Twisty Lights and will find and post more info with ih the hour... Roy

Roy, Were yours mfg in China?

[Michael Larson]

Compact Fluorescent Recall

http://www.globe-electric.com/html/c...ss_release.htm

Thank you for inquiring with Globe with respect to the Underwriters Laboratories advisory concerning the Globe 13 watt mini spiral compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Due to a production error that occurred in the manufacturing of this bulb during 2002 and the first three months of 2003 by Fujian Joinluck Enterprise Co. Ltd., our manufacturing partner and the leading manufacturer of compact fluorescent bulbs in China, a small amount of product may have been produced with a non-compliant internal component. In compliance with UL safety standards, this bulb is made with a fire retardant plastic casing, which is designed to prevent the product from igniting. However, a small short may cause a hole to melt through the ballast of the bulb. The manufacturer has assured that the only bulbs affected by this error are the 13 watt mini spiral compact fluorescent bulbs manufactured from January 2002 through April 2003 bearing the following date codes:
0202 BH073 BH1303
BH342

0402
BH0803
BH1402
BH3502

BH0103
BH0903
BH1403
BH4102

BH0203
BH1003
BH1503
BH4802

BH0403
BH103
BH1603
BH4902

BH043
BH1103
BH1703
BH492

BH052
BH113
BH183
BH5002

BH0603
BH1203
BH193
BH5102

BH0702
BH123
BH2002
BH512

BH072
BH1302
BH203
BH5202

[Robert Ernst]

This is a picture from an Inspector friend of mines Facebook page. It was posted that this was a Globe bulb from Walmart. The guy saw smoke and 4 inch flames came out of it.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by rernst1

This is a picture from an Inspector friend of mines Facebook page. It was posted that this was a Globe bulb from Walmart. The guy saw smoke and 4 inch flames came out of it.

Bogus accrding to snopes entry. Same picture as snopes

[Patrick Carter]

Originally Posted by mlarson

Snopes entry FALSE

Thanks, Mike, kinda what I thought, email's running amouk again...

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by pcarter1

Thanks, Mike, kinda what I thought, email's running amouk again...

some Globe CFL were bad but a limited amount. See post above.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

http://blogintheloop.intheloop.tv/20...s-on-fire.aspx

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/news...dles-read-this

[Robert Ernst]

Yea same picture since it's all over but the picture does match the damage in the UL response Michael posted.

[jhugenroth]

Originally Posted by pcarter1

...The firemen are saying only buy name-brand CFL's from Sylvania, Phillips or GE and stay clear of Chinese CFL manufacturers to be safe.

I would venture to guess that most, if not all of the "branded" bulbs are made in China too.
Check the labels and see if any of the branded bulbs are made in the USA. I doubt many are.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

http://www.northmyrtlebeachonline.co...p?storyid=2362


<A href="http://www.northmyrtlebeachonline.com/modules/news/index.php?storytopic=4">

Congress introduces bill to stop ban of incandescent light bulbs


by Maria CoppolaWe've all been introduced to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), the spiral-shaped bulb that was mandated to be used in our homes and businesses instead of the 125-year old incandescent light bulbs. In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act which contains a subsection that bans the sale of incandescent light bulbs beginning in 2012.
But the new Congress recently (January 5, 2011) unveiled the Better Use of Light Bulbs Act, or H.R. 91, which would repeal this subsection and restore Americans freedom to buy the light bulbs of their choice.
The idea to ban incandescent bulbs emerged from the false notion that compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) are better for the environment because they use less energy. Instead, it is noted that CFLs contain toxic mercury , which upon breakage or disposal pollutes the environment via seepage into groundwater, rivers and lakes, and threatens human health. Ref: NaturalNews.com
CFLs are very toxic because of the mercury in the glass tubing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that if we break a CFL, we must take the pieces to a recycling center and not launder "clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the washing machine and/or pollute sewage. If you break one of these CFLs, the EPA guidelines for broken CFLs include:
1. Before cleanup
* Have people and pets leave the room.
* Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.
* Shut off the central forced air heating/air-conditioning system, if you have one.
* Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb.
2. During cleanup
* Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder.
* Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.
3. After cleanup
* Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
* If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.
People don't want Congress dictating what light fixtures they can use, said Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), one of the co-authors of the new bill. Traditional incandescent bulbs are cheap and reliable. Alternatives, including the most common replacement Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFLs, are more expensive and health hazards so why force them on the American people?"

[kweiss]

Sorry I do not check bulbs for brand or wattage.....have to draw the line somewhere. I agree that I bet all of them are made there.