House fires are very common, so it is important to take all of the safety precautions to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you.
There are lots of basic safety precautions to take such as never leaving candles unattended and turning off the gas stove, but can light bulbs cause a fire?
Light bulbs are a vital part of a home as they allow us to see when it is dark outside.
Without light bulbs, we would be unable to turn the lights on, so they are very important for helping us see around the house. However, are light bulbs dangerous? Can they start house fires?
This article will explain if light bulbs can start fires and what you need to be careful with when you are choosing light bulbs for your home.
You can find out more about whether or not light bulbs are dangerous to your home below.
Can Light Bulbs Cause A Fire?
Light bulbs can cause a fire as having the wrong light bulb installed could cause the light bulb to overheat.
This is due to the wattage of the light bulb. It is important to make sure that you are always using the right light bulbs because a bulb that has a wattage higher than is needed could be a fire hazard due to overheating.
Incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps are popular light bulbs, but they can both start a fire. How can these light bulbs cause a fire?
Incandescent Light Bulbs
The main problem that people face with incandescent light bulbs is that they can overheat when they are not used properly.
When you use an incandescent light bulb, it only uses a small percentage of energy to produce light, and the rest of the energy is used to produce heat.
Because of the risk of overheating, it is important to keep certain materials away from the bulb as this can cause a fire to start.
An incandescent light bulb needs adequate space around it for the heat to disperse, but if that doesn't happen because materials are too close, that heat transfers to the material, which can then cause the material to start on fire.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
The main issue with compact fluorescent lamps is that the bases are made from plastic.
This means that when the bulbs begin to overheat, the plastic at the bottom of the bulb begins to melt.
Once the base has melted, smoke can be produced from the light bulb and a fire can be caused.
Although this hasn’t been very common with these light bulbs, you always need to be careful and make sure that your bulbs are of high quality and are appropriate for their specific use.
If you notice any faults with your bulb or notice that the base has started to melt, you must replace it immediately.
How Else Can Light Bulbs Start Fires?
Although overheating is the primary reason for fires starting from light bulbs, other factors can also pose a threat.
You must be aware of what can cause light bulbs to start fires so that you can avoid it happening to you.
The Bulb Being Left On For Too Long
When the light bulb is left on for too long, this can cause the bulb to overheat. It may seem harmless to leave your lights on for a while, but it does have the potential to cause the bulb to overheat and start a fire.
This mostly happens when the lights are left on for extended periods, but it could happen however long the lights are left on.
It is important to turn the lights off when you are finished using them and to not leave them on for extended periods. In addition to potentially preventing a fire, this practice will also help keep your electric bill lower.
The temperature of a room can also cause light bulbs to get excessively warm, so you should be mindful to not leave the lights on in a hot room as this could also cause them to overheat and be a fire risk.
Poor-Quality Bulbs
Having poor-quality light bulbs means that they are more likely to be made out of cheaper materials, which could cause a fire.
When the materials are not as strong, the heat from the bulbs can cause them to begin to melt or even explode.
To avoid this, make sure that the bulbs that you are purchasing are of high-quality materials.
This will make sure that the bulbs are stronger than the poor-quality bulbs and there will be less of a risk that the bulbs will melt from the heat.
Using The Wrong Light Bulb
When you use a light bulb that has a wattage that is much higher than the bulb that is needed for your light fixture, it can cause the bulb to overheat and start a fire.
This is very dangerous, so it is important to make sure that you are purchasing the right light bulbs for your lights.
The Lights Are Flickering
Flickering light bulbs are often changed because the flickering is annoying, which is good. After all, this indicates that they need to be replaced.
However, it is also important to change flickering bulbs as they could become dangerous. The flickering might indicate that the light is faulty, the switch is faulty, or the bulb is not secure enough.
Having a faulty light, faulty switch or the bulb not being secure enough in the fixture can all cause fires. This is why it is important not to dismiss flickering lights.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, there are many different reasons why your light bulb could cause a fire, but they are all essentially a result of your bulb overheating.
An overheating light bulb is extremely dangerous since it could cause a fire, so it is important to make sure that your light bulbs do not generate excessive heat.
Using high-quality bulbs and the appropriate light bulb for your lighting situation will help to reduce any fire risks and keep you and your family safe.
