There's been 3 or 4 such incidents during the past year or so with "name" brand lightbulbs such as Osram included in the incidents.
The electrical installations in my home and workshop is in perfect order. All light fittings are in order and there's no dodgy Chinese sockets used in the fittings.
No lighbulbs are ever used when these are overrated for the fittings.
The only dodgy part are the consumables - ie the bulbs.
For the type of work I do, good lighting is essential. In some rooms I have long ago installed low energy bulbs but in a few places I cannot use anything but incandescent items.
This morning's incident which occurred in the dining room was like a small handgrenade exploding inches from my eyes with a candleshaped 60W bulb branded "Neo-Lux" made in Indonesia. The shade is a large, completely open acrylic dome and I have taken the trouble to install two additional metal heatsinks above and below the brass bayonet socket for additional safety. I like this lamp as it has a coiled mains cord and a spring-loaded pulley system to move it up or down.
In the 'old days' lightbulbs just quietly died without drama. Now they explode. What is going on?
The vendors, distributors and floggers of these bulbs are always accomodating by replacing or exchanging without quibble as they probably know more about the inherent dangers of these things they offer to the market.
And its not only lightbulbs which are dodgy with inherent dangers to injury.
For example we have bought a succession of 4-slice toasters over the years. The brands were Bosch, Salton, Tedelex and others I don't remember the names of.
Just yesterday, I made an impulse buy from Cash Crusaders of an Amber-branded 4-slice toaster to replace a still functional Salton toaster. The Salton's sides were made from plastic which had started to deform and melt.
The Amber bought yesterday cost around a third of what I usually paid for toasters and I knew exactly what I could expect at this cheapo price but some of the other brands we used were also "Made in China" - including the Bosch.
So yesterday and today, we used the new Amber but it's performance was even below of what I expected.
It's sides made from metal gets incredibly hot and the damn thing basically turns the slices into charcoal on the outer element side wheras the other slice's side remains virtually untoasted. I'm not risking fire here so the thing will have to go back.
My point with all of this: It looks like a free for all in that any ****, Tom or Harry nowadays can import any small appliance of lightbulb, mains plug and the like, regardless of the dangers to the public these dodgy items have.
There are supposed to be inspectors employed either at Government level or provincial level to inspect and approve electrical goods offered for sale to the public.
Some time ago, I had lots of correspondence over years with Ms Maureen Marud who wrote the Argus Action column and it was through her contacts that I was able to talk to this near invisible 'entity' about inspection criteria for electrical goods imported into the country.
The person I had a discussion with at the time was an extremely patronising female which refused to make contact and refused to accept a collection of burned and dpownright dangerous electrical items and pressure of work prevented me from pursuing the matter further.
It is very clear to me that this entity is not doing its job.
I'm not sure under which national department this inspectorate falls but I think it could be Trade & Industry.
mafioso
PS Mods, I love SMF's built in censor
So it will have to be Dyke, Tom or Harry, hehe
The electrical installations in my home and workshop is in perfect order. All light fittings are in order and there's no dodgy Chinese sockets used in the fittings.
No lighbulbs are ever used when these are overrated for the fittings.
The only dodgy part are the consumables - ie the bulbs.
For the type of work I do, good lighting is essential. In some rooms I have long ago installed low energy bulbs but in a few places I cannot use anything but incandescent items.
This morning's incident which occurred in the dining room was like a small handgrenade exploding inches from my eyes with a candleshaped 60W bulb branded "Neo-Lux" made in Indonesia. The shade is a large, completely open acrylic dome and I have taken the trouble to install two additional metal heatsinks above and below the brass bayonet socket for additional safety. I like this lamp as it has a coiled mains cord and a spring-loaded pulley system to move it up or down.
In the 'old days' lightbulbs just quietly died without drama. Now they explode. What is going on?
The vendors, distributors and floggers of these bulbs are always accomodating by replacing or exchanging without quibble as they probably know more about the inherent dangers of these things they offer to the market.
And its not only lightbulbs which are dodgy with inherent dangers to injury.
For example we have bought a succession of 4-slice toasters over the years. The brands were Bosch, Salton, Tedelex and others I don't remember the names of.
Just yesterday, I made an impulse buy from Cash Crusaders of an Amber-branded 4-slice toaster to replace a still functional Salton toaster. The Salton's sides were made from plastic which had started to deform and melt.
The Amber bought yesterday cost around a third of what I usually paid for toasters and I knew exactly what I could expect at this cheapo price but some of the other brands we used were also "Made in China" - including the Bosch.
So yesterday and today, we used the new Amber but it's performance was even below of what I expected.
It's sides made from metal gets incredibly hot and the damn thing basically turns the slices into charcoal on the outer element side wheras the other slice's side remains virtually untoasted. I'm not risking fire here so the thing will have to go back.
My point with all of this: It looks like a free for all in that any ****, Tom or Harry nowadays can import any small appliance of lightbulb, mains plug and the like, regardless of the dangers to the public these dodgy items have.
There are supposed to be inspectors employed either at Government level or provincial level to inspect and approve electrical goods offered for sale to the public.
Some time ago, I had lots of correspondence over years with Ms Maureen Marud who wrote the Argus Action column and it was through her contacts that I was able to talk to this near invisible 'entity' about inspection criteria for electrical goods imported into the country.
The person I had a discussion with at the time was an extremely patronising female which refused to make contact and refused to accept a collection of burned and dpownright dangerous electrical items and pressure of work prevented me from pursuing the matter further.
It is very clear to me that this entity is not doing its job.
I'm not sure under which national department this inspectorate falls but I think it could be Trade & Industry.
mafioso
PS Mods, I love SMF's built in censor
So it will have to be Dyke, Tom or Harry, hehe
