Home Depot Rope Lighting ***FIRE HAZARD WARNING***

[infopimpster]

The labels on these rope lights (Home Depot bought) aren't messing around. I think I narrowly escaped something bad when I smelled and stopped... this:







Path I had the rope light around my "sound proofing":



Label details...



Watch six... and yeah I get the dumbass award for not reading the label...

-steve

[Fleaman]

Was it 'covered' or was it just laying on the pillow?

[infopimpster]

It was just laying on the pillow... only half of the cable was touching the pillow at any point.

[nukmusic]

you're pretty lucky. Most people realize they mistake AFTER the fire has been put on by the fire dept.

[Fleaman]

Originally Posted by infopimpster

It was just laying on the pillow... only half of the cable was touching the pillow at any point.

Strange. I'd say you didn't 'cover' it as mentioned in the warning label. I don't think you used it improperly.

They should have these rope lights with LED's by now which would be much safer and more energy efficient anyway....

[infopimpster]

Yeah... I'm lucky! Some of my neighbors 10 miles away weren't so lucky last week - 4200 acres burned near where I live in the Mountains:

http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/pub/cdf/i...ile263_528.pdf

Case/cause still being investigated, but this could have had impacts beyond me just losing my own home and stuff (and/or life).

[dbbubba]

ANY lighting gets hot.
If it's bright... it's pulling some amperage and there is some heat.
You can't get something for nothing!

A few weeks back I did a sound system for the local high school's show choir.
The school is new and they only have a cafetorium (cafeteria/auditorium) and the available power is limited.
There was not a panel available close enough to tie-in like we usually do.
Yes... our giant school tax bill isn't enough for the proper amperage on a brand new and GIANT high school.

I had the p.a. and the bands back line spread across two available 20A circuits which should have been enough.
What I didn't know is that the kids had plugged in about 100' of rope light into one leg of my stuff.
Of course, at a loud moment near the end of the show one of the 20A breakers went.
It was the one with the rope lights and the F.O.H.

I had everything back up in under three minutes and we ran the rope lights to the wall receptacle I had originally told them to use.

100 feet of rope lights pull about 8 amps.
That's some serious electrical amperage really.
It is the equivalent of a hair dryer.

[infopimpster]

Thanks guys, glad someone else may have benefited from me posting this close call.

I'd love some cool, efficient LED jobbers.

-steve

[ctms777]

Like this?

Rope Light, LED Rope Light, Outdoor Rope Lights, 120-Volt Rope Light

Google is your friend sometimes

[Reptil]

yes don't use these ever! (not talking about the LED ones)
I had one, the plastic mantle sort of opened up (2 months after buying it) and the electrical wire was exposed. 230V 16Ah!
lethal cheap crap. I'm surprised no one died yet because of these. (that I know of)

[Fleaman]

Originally Posted by ctms777

Like this?

Rope Light, LED Rope Light, Outdoor Rope Lights, 120-Volt Rope Light

Google is your friend sometimes

Nice

[theblue1]

I bought a three light pole lamp from Stor (it was like Ikea but even worse -- they went out of business in the early 90s) and carefully complied with the recommended wattage -- in fact, using 40 W instead of the 60 W max.

And everything was fine.

Until one day a few weeks later, I pointed two of the lights up at the ceiling.

A few hours later I came in and smelled the telltale smell of burning plastic.

The two lamp units that had been pointed up -- which meant that the open side was up and -- I would have thought -- could more easily vent the heat from the mighty 40 W incandescent light bulbs -- those two lights were melted and one actually had a thin plume of black smoke curling up away from it. I wasn't any too soon.

It was utterly peculiar. Why they didn't overheat pointed down and only venting up through a couple small holes, I don't know. Why they did oveheat with a 3-1/2 inch opening above the bulb, I really don't know.

But it was the last thing I bought from that chain that had an electrical cord on it, you can bet on that.

(They were also famous for their disintegrating particle board bookshelves. Great place. Like I said, it made Ikea look good.)

[Fleaman]

Ohhhh I remember Stor! Sh*t when first moved into my 1st real flat I bought a dining room table with a set of butt ugly chairs.

Speaking of fire hazards: In my rehearsal spot our studio mate had a halogen pole lamp, the ones designed to point up (it's only setting), well, one day we were in there and a pc of ceiling foam fell on the thing and started to smoke fast! Saw it immediately and put it out, but many times we or the other space mate would leave that lamp on when stepping out to eat, etc. I don't think it was fire resistant either as the landlords are big time cheap bastards and major code violators (including major fire code issues). Coulda been another Great White incident.

The ceiling foam had been falling down in 1 or 2ft pcs for a while and no one had thought about a pc falling on that halogen lamp, which gets super hot as we all know.

[mixerguy]

well... it is a good rule to TURN OFF LIGHTS WHEN YOU LEAVE A ROOM

for both $ savings, and all the reasons mentioned above

[soupking]

Originally Posted by Fleaman

Strange. I'd say you didn't 'cover' it as mentioned in the warning label. I don't think you used it improperly.

They should have these rope lights with LED's by now which would be much safer and more energy efficient anyway....

+1

f'n a. what a crummy design.

You'd be better off with Christmas lights.

[infopimpster]

Thanks for that link - some SICK stuff on that site...

Fiber Optic Star Ceiling, 3D Star Ceilings, Star Field Ceiling Lighting Kit

However, I'm noting that the LED rope lights are almost an order of magnitude more expensive than the "Ford Pinto of home lighting" Home Depot proffers...