The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), located in Washington, DC, has recently published a brief white paper, Lighting Systems Division Document LSD 40-2014, on failure modes of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
The paper was produced in response to concerns that self-ballasted CFL products may present a possible safety hazard when they reach their end of useful life. In some instances the end of useful life is accompanied by failure modes that may produce some smoke, odour, erratic flashing, or charring of the plastic housing.
The objective of the paper is to address these concerns, explain in simplified terms why self-ballasted CFL products have different failure modes from incandescent lamps, how existing product standards provide necessary safety requirements, and also to explain what North American industry, standards development organisations, and third party safety agencies that establish self-ballasted CFL safety requirements have done and are doing to:
- Minimise any potential safety risk from self-ballasted CFL products;
- Minimise consumer dissatisfaction related to the different failure end of life characteristics of a self-ballasted CFL.
In addition, the paper includes recommendations that should help minimise any negative experiences by consumers. It also notes that new tests for safety have been added to North American test methods and that these tests could be introduced to the next edition of IEC 60968, Self-ballasted fluorescent lamps for general lighting services-Safety requirements. (According to the IEC, IEC 60968 Ed 3 is currently going through the preparation of its last stage of voting by the National Committees).
The white paper is available free of charge on the NEMA website at www.nema.org/Standards/Pages/Failure-Modes-for-Self-Ballasted-Compact-Fluorescent-Lamps-A-NEMA-Update.aspx, although to download it, one must register on the website and agree to the NEMA’s terms and conditions on usage of the document.