Exploding PAR lamp

[david.elsbury]

Hey all

At church this morning a PAR 64 lamp shattered whilst on (I wasn't there to see it) and apparantly small bits of hot glass rained down and into the carpet (no people nearby)

 

Has this happened to anyone else?

Is it because the lamps are nearing the end of their life?

Cheap parcan so there was a very tight fit to the glass?

 

I'm somewhat worried...

 

David

[zonino]

its happened to me once, I was in a late night programming session with just the director and 1 porter... it frightened the life out of me, not least because it was 7.5 metres off the deck! I've never seen it happen before or since, can't remember what make of lamp/fixture it was, I do know they weren't cheap brands though

[Ben Langfeld]

Some info here, although in that instance the lamp only cracked. Still, might be useful.

[Brian]

David,

 

what mesh size (if any) is fitted to the cans?

[Guest lightnix]

I've seen it happen, too, but only about twice in the last 25 years.

 

I wouldn't say this makes PAR lamps "dangerous", BTW. If anything, I've had more moving lights dump broken glass on the stage after a lamp has exploded.

[paulears]

Just once for me - but as you say, a very loud bang and tiny bits of hot glass that meted into the stage floor - big bits were caught by the mesh, but the tiny bits can get through. Just one of those things that happens from time to time. Scares people to death, of course!

[TAG1960]

I have had par bulbs crack, and 2 kw bulbs explode showering exhibition stands with hot glass ( which always burns the quality nylon Carpet!!) There is obviously always a risk when rigging any fixture above an audience or member of the public, but failings in bulb construction due to glass cracking are hard to plan for in any risk assesment! Mesh fitted in new parcans is one logical improvement, but as lightnix says debris can fall from a variety of fixture types:-(

[Pete McCrea]

I've had one go. 'Twas on the back of the stage, and despite a fairly fine mesh there were still bits on the floor. Made a big bang from what people said, but I was out of the room at the time. There have been two or three over the course of time at my old employer, and they generally used GE lamps for the Pars, which I'd have had down as a reputable brand.

[JMC]

Yup, it does happen from time to time... The lens then makes a great ashtray :D

[c33kay]

Yeh I've also only seen it happen once. Was lighting a dance show at school at the time and it was just before the tech... were using gerbs and the Vice-Principal had just come in to sign off the RA for them.

 

"Well yes, the pyros are fine... not sure about those lights though :D"

 

The glass welded itself nicely to the wooden floor!

[zonino]

Yup, it does happen from time to time... The lens then makes a great ashtray <_<

 

mine wasn't in any state to be an ashtray!!

[david.elsbury]

Hmm. Brian I will check on the mesh. And they are GE Lamps. I'm going to ring my supplier this morning... maybe it is just one of those things that happens..

[Robe575xt]

Hi,

 

Had a Par 64 go bang before, was early morning programming a scene during a training session scared the life out of the skaters on the ice, some bits of the glass melted into the ice surface, Zamboni took care of them.

 

I have had more HMI lamps go in movers than PAR lamps, trouble with exploding lamps in movers tends to crack or obliterate the condenser lenses and the reflectors behind the lamp at least a Par lamp is less than £20.00 normally.

[Liquid Nik]

I once had a military band all diving for cover when a T11 went bang, alarming, but dead funny. Iv'e also had par 64's go and yes I had a mesh fitted but it blew the mesh out through the gel and dropped all the hot glass into the ailse. Itry my best not to use parcans foh any more ,tend to use source 4 pars instead. The strangest one was during a plotting session late at night with just the DSM for company albeit good company, We heard a bang as if a lamp had gone and had a vague idea where but unsure exactly, so the whole rig went to 50% so we could have a look, no lamps out at all , puzzled at this point we went round the building looking for bricks through windows and the such like , but still no answers so I had a good look around that part of the rig that I thought the bang had come from. Eventually we found the offending par still glowing happily with half its reflector in pieces.

Lamps exploding are rare but certainly not unknown I've had several different types go bang. you cant predict the individual lamp that is going to explode so I'm at a loss to what to do except not use any lamps at all, which you'll agree is not an option. So all you can do is to follow any safety precautions as is practicably possible. You can only worry so much and still get the job done.

[Johnno]

OT but similar.

 

At home playing with my daughter on the carpet when the glass of a 100W lamp separated from its bayonet and crashed to the floor next to us, the bayonet remaining in the fixture. Luckily it didn't shatter. Chinese manufacture.