smoking light bulb!

[kpster]

One of the bulbs in my bathroom vanity light was smoking and flickering today. It really stunk up the room!

I took the bulb out and tried it in a bedroom lamp. Smoke began forming and swirling around inside the bulb! It wasn't even burning out. I have since thrown the thing away but was wondering why this happened- I'd never seen/heard of this before.

Oh, it's a "regular" bulb-not florescent.
Thanks!
Can I be a "handywoman" instead of Handyman?

[HayZee518]

most incandecent bulbs are evacuated of air and have ARGON pump into them. Your bulb developed a slow leak so when you turned it on, the tungsten filament started to burn up and ignited the argon. that's why you got the swirly smoke.

[kpster]

thanks for the explanation! it was really weird to see the smoke in the bulb.

kpster

[HayZee518]

happens all the time. the glass cracks but not with enough force to break it. the argon is harmless.