Old Fluorescent and CFL bulbs are discarded everyday as waste. However, some of these burnt-out CFL and fluorescent bulbs can still be reused with a minor re-arrangement. This is because although the filament may have burnt, the gas inside the bulb is still there and can be relighted. Actually, the gas inside the bulb never dies and it will last forever as long as the glass does not break. This method has been successfully tested and practically being used in several areas across India, especially rural areas.
Option I
In order to check whether CFL bulb is repairable, carefully disassemble the bulb and the ballast and test to see if it completes a circuit using a voltmeter or a wire-battery-led setup. There are two pairs of wires coming out of the head of the bulb. Check each pair with a multimeter for continuity. If the continuity is ok for both pairs, then the bulb is not burnt. The problem is with the balast electronics and it can be repaired. If the continuity test fails in either side or both, then the bulb is burnt but it can still be re-lighted with a small adjustment in electronic circuit. To understand how to repair dead CFL bulb, read instructions here.
While it is possible to reuse failed bulbs, it is not advisable to attempt doing so by non-professionals. This is due to fair bit of technical complications involved as well as due to risk of hazardous material (mercury vapor) which can release from the tubes into the environment. To minimize risk of contamination, it is advisable to wear safety glasses and gloves while repairing dead bulb. The cost of repairing fused bulb through local bulb electricians is just Rs 20-30 with a warranty of 3-6 months.
Option II
Another alternative is to use failed bulb parts to prepare a custom LED lamp (see Figure 1 below). Since LEDs are low-current devices, they generally cannot be directly powered from 120-Volt (mains) power without a power supply or current-limiter of some sort. The CFL bodies, with their standard edison screw base connector, are designed to be both fire-retardant as well as safe for use with AC mains power; thus making them a safer box to house LED lighting that is powered directly from the AC mains (120-Volt AC).
For more details, please click hereto read detailed instructions:
Figure 1:Recycled custom CFL-LED Bulb
