Public Service Announcement: Sunbeam Fluoresent Bulbs

We had a bit of a scare this morning, involving this light bulb.

My husband turned on the fixture, and the light shone dimly orange. Thinking it might brighten, he left it on for 15-20 minutes. Upon which, the bulb started to make popping and hissing sounds (like a coffee machine percolating) and then started to smoke. I ran to turn off the switch, and hollered for the husband. After the switch was turned off, the smoke stopped. We opened all the windows to try and clear the air of the smoke and the awful burnt plastic smell. (Gross! It's still lingering 3 hours later.)

My husband used a bag to remove the bulb from the fixture, and set bulb and bag on the counter. While it's been sitting there, some kind of brownish liquid has come out of the bulb. I don't know what it is, but it's nearly the color of coffee.

The liquid is coming out of these "vents."

There isn't a lot of the liquid, just a bit.

This is the bulb: Sunbeam 120V 60Hz 20W Fluorescent.

(Please excuse the excessive flash, it's gloomy here, and wanted to make sure the liquid would show up)

Well, the reason I'm even blogging about this is because I called Sunbeam. The first lady I talked to (very nice) gave me a different number to call. Called different number, and talked to a gentleman about my bulb. After listening to me recount the smoking incident, he told me that it is not uncommon for these bulbs to smoke off the C02 that has accumulated--or something to that affect. That they have run countless tests and that they are not a fire hazard. The smoking doesn't happen every time, and it isn't cause for alarm. He had never heard of any liquid coming out of them. He checked with a supervisor. There isn't any liquid in them to come out of them. Okay. So, I'm not quite sure how to explain the liquid that's coming out of mine. The fixture isn't wet, it isn't below any thing wet or leaking or liquid. Curious.

I had a few options for retribution. I could return it to the store I purchased it from, with the receipt (a bank statement would also have worked--so convenient and hassle~free), the original packaging (because I, like I'm sure all of you, hang on to random packaging in the event that something should go up in smoke), for a replacement.

Or.

I can mail it to them for a refund. I asked if they would provide me with a prepaid mailer. He checked. Nope. They don't have those kinds of things. That would be at my own expense. So, I can mail them a fluorescent bulb, which contains hazardous materials, which would cost...$6, $7, $8? For them to send me a refund on a $6 light bulb. No thanks.

I thought they might be interested in the numbers on the bulb, or perhaps would like the bulb to determine the type of liquid coming from the bulb. What if this is different than the "typical" smoke that comes from them? What if this bulb (made in China, btw) is defective and would have burned my house down had we not cut the power to it?

I thought about calling them back. But decided to talk about it here, instead.

So, my thoughts on these bulbs? I'm scared to death. They're {sometimes} expected to smoke when they burn out? That's normal? My house might smell like burnt plastic each time one expires? If only you could have seen the smoke. It wasn't gentle, innocuous smoke. It was black, thick, stinky smoke. I thought something had caught fire. I mentally ran through child evacuation while calling out to my husband, ran for the extinguisher, panic...

It was yucky. Very yucky. I don't want to go through that again. I don't want you to go through that. It isn't normal.