[kwlug-disc] (off topic) Burnt plastic smell from LED bulbs?

[CrankyOldBugger]

I've seen LED bulbs get hot.  And it's not that they're not supposed to;
but they can get a little hot (although not as bad as incandescent).

But if your CTC bulbs are getting really hot, then either it's the bulb, or
the socket.  Possibly even the wiring between the breaker or switch and the
socket.  As you mentioned, try swapping out the hot bulbs with a different
brand.  See if the other brands get hot.  At the same time, stick the CTC
bulbs in another socket and see what happens.

Also, check if the socket is on a dimmable switch, and if the bulbs are
rated as dimmable.  That can cause issues.  This might become evident if
the CTC bulbs work in a completely different socket with no issues.

Above all, don't leave the bulbs unattended in case "hot" becomes "fire".
Keep an extinguisher handy!




On Mon, 14 Jul 2025 at 00:18, William Park via kwlug-disc <
kwlug-disc at kwlug.org> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Do you smell "burnt plastic" from your LED light bulb?
> If not, then what brand/store are you using?
>
> Background:
> -----------
> For longest time, I've been smelling "burnt plastics" in the house.  At
> first, I thought some neighbour's wood stove... exhaust goes up, drifts
> over to my house, cools, and comes down.  But, it's more "plastic"
> burning, not "wood" burning.  It's bad enough to irritate my throat and
> interfere with my sleep.  I've been opening all my windows at night, daily.
>
> I checked everything... water heater, furnace fan, refrigerator, my
> computer.  I finally found the culprit.  LED bulbs.  The plastic base
> gets hot and emits that smell.  Over time, it accumulates inside the house.
>
> All my LED bulbs were bought from Canadian Tire.  So, I bought 2 bulbs
> from Home Depot (Ecosmart) and Rona (Valu+).  And, they don't smell, at
> least after 1 day of use.  Maybe it's too early to tell.
>
> I'm on the verge of going back to incandescent bulbs.  Help!
>
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