I'm an Idoit!!!

Pureblood89

Pureblood89

Well-Known Member
When I was inspecting my girls earlier I noticed a gnats on my hps bulb, even though on the box that the bulb came in said "Not Luring to Insects". Long story short, I tried to clean it while hot, no I did not get burned, what happened was I could find any rags or paper towels in the room so I grabbed an old t-shirt and used it, I realized it was a bad idea after I saw steam coming from the shirt, unfortunately the shirt was a polyester cotton blend and some of it melted onto the bulb. What I'm wondering is there anything I can use that dissolve the plastic that is on the bulb? I've already tried rubbing alcohol and glass cleaner with no success. any help would be appreciated. I had to unscrew the bulb and now it's just sitting here, I have other lights on right now but I need to use this bulb. Thanks guys!
 
Harrekin

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
Buy a new bulb, if you plug it back in the melted on plastic will eventually cause the glass to break...you've to change them every couple grows anyways.
 
cowboylogic

cowboylogic

Well-Known Member
I agree with Hark. Risky, I would replace the bulb. But if you want to try and clean get some 'goo remover'.
 
Stomata

Stomata

Well-Known Member
Id take the bulb out and when it's absolutely cool, try to wipe it down with 90% rubbing alcohol. If that doesn't work try gasoline. if neither of those work then it probably won't come off. I haven't tried either on an HPS bulb, but 90% rubbing alcohol or gas will take residue off just about anything. Follow that with water to make sure there's no flammable residues on the glass before you plug back in for safety's sake.
 
Stomata

Stomata

Well-Known Member
Pureblood89 said:
I already tried 91% isoprophyl alcohol to no avail
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Didn't see that. Sorry. I read your post, but I'm still half asleep. I know it bugs the hell out of me when someone replies and mentions something I already put in my original post...

Gas, paint thinner, or some other volatile, nasty shit is the only other alternative I guess. Worst case, like the other guy said, just get a new bulb and call it a lesson learned.
 
meetjoeblow

meetjoeblow

Well-Known Member
try wd40 or acetone. go to advaced auto zone and look on the paint isle. and have u tried scatching it off instead of dissolving it. it would be a pain in the ass but it could save it if a new bulb is not an option
 
resinousflowers

resinousflowers

Well-Known Member
Pureblood89 said:
When I was inspecting my girls earlier I noticed a gnats on my hps bulb, even though on the box that the bulb came in said "Not Luring to Insects". Long story short, I tried to clean it while hot, no I did not get burned, what happened was I could find any rags or paper towels in the room so I grabbed an old t-shirt and used it, I realized it was a bad idea after I saw steam coming from the shirt, unfortunately the shirt was a polyester cotton blend and some of it melted onto the bulb. What I'm wondering is there anything I can use that dissolve the plastic that is on the bulb? I've already tried rubbing alcohol and glass cleaner with no success. any help would be appreciated. I had to unscrew the bulb and now it's just sitting here, I have other lights on right now but I need to use this bulb. Thanks guys!
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use a damp sponge.a washing up sponge with the rough back and use that to scrub the stuff off your bulb.be v gentle but scrub hard enough to get the stuff off the bulb.i did this when a similiar thing happened to me.the stuff came off easily,and the bulb was perfectly fine afterwards.obviously wipe dry the bulb properly afterwards.
 
luciferateme

luciferateme

Active Member
well that was silly! but dont worry cos 2 half boobs in your avatar equals one boob + u = a pair of tits!lol! sorry couldnt resist, lovely pic.
glad u got it sorted.
lu
 
klonerone

klonerone

Active Member
Get a new bulb or wait for the old one to explode all over you and your grow........
good luck
seriously.
 
J

jkmovies

Active Member
Stomata said:
Id take the bulb out and when it's absolutely cool, try to wipe it down with 90% rubbing alcohol. If that doesn't work try gasoline. if neither of those work then it probably won't come off. I haven't tried either on an HPS bulb, but 90% rubbing alcohol or gas will take residue off just about anything. Follow that with water to make sure there's no flammable residues on the glass before you plug back in for safety's sake.
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Don't use gasoline! Are you kidding me!:shock:
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Pureblood89 said:
Got most of it off, had to work very gingerly with a scraping instrument (knife). thanks guys!
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Guess you're that guy who has to pee on the electric fence to find out for sure?

The first was a mistake.

The idiot part will come in if you try and use that bulb.

Wet
 
Pureblood89

Pureblood89

Well-Known Member
The bulb is working fine Wet, also if you watch mythbusters you would know that peeing on an electric fence does nothing, think before you talk.
 
Pureblood89

Pureblood89

Well-Known Member
There was a very small amount of melted polyester on the bulb, it kinda looked like the clear adhesive you see when you pull the label off a glass jar, it was a very small amount, I probably could have scraped it off if I had a long thumb nail. I was looking for a solvent to get it off, but I didn't find one. The bulb is clean and working fine now.
 
Harrekin

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
Seriously tho man, if that bulb explodes, they actually explode! I cant find the pic on Google but its in Jorge Cervantes' Indoor Outdoor Grow Bible in the Lighting section, its a HPS bulb that had a drop of water touch it...it basically destroyed the area it was in, bits of it all over the place and the area burnt out. It was scary like.

(The arc tube burns around 400f)
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Pureblood89 said:
The bulb is working fine Wet, also if you watch mythbusters you would know that peeing on an electric fence does nothing, think before you talk.
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Well, I hope I'm wrong.

I didn't see that mythbusters, but I do have first hand knowledge of electric fences. LOL

Wet
 
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