I have a compact flourescent bulb that has a slight rattle when it is moved. The light seems to work. Are rattles normal in compact flouros?
Throw it away and replace it. Eventually, when you turn that bulb on, the gas is going to hit the weak spot of the bulb, and crack, sending small shards of glass somewhere. It's not a big explosion (only a small part of the twirled bulb blows) or anything, but its a safety issue.
It's a brand new bulb, so I guess it was dmaged in shipping. Maybe I can get my money back. Can you buy these bulbs at home depot?
CFLs are really cheap, the most expensive I've ever seen them is $5 and that was a jacked up price at some corner store. So yeah, I'd say just forget about worrying about safety and just get a new one.
The CFL is actualy self-balisted, so it wasn't that cheap. I talked to the guy I got it from and this was his reply... Have you used the bulb for any period of time yet? The dead spots will probably dissapear within a few hours of use (this is normal with all fluorescents, but especially the compact fluorescents). You have a full year's warranty on the bulb (save your original packaging), and run the bulb for a couple of days to see if the dead spots go away. The rattle is common, and seems to be present is about half of the bulbs, and hasn't indicated a shorter life in any way. Is he full of shit or what? I am thinking about sending it back, but it could be a week before I get a new bulb. Is there anywhere to buy these bulbs at a store? I have a hydro store nearby, never been, but I have to assume they carry these bulbs, right?