<html>  <head></head> <body>  <DIV></DIV> Thanks Robin, I have the same exact light plugged in in the shop right now! Sorry for your loss , I hope your insurance will cover your losses...   Going down to unplug my lights, Rick Ucci/Ucci Piano <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message from Robin Hufford <hufford1@airmail.net>: -------------- > List Members, > Some important information follows - do not delete without reading > first. > It is well known that halogen lamps get sufficiently hot that they > sometimes ignite adjacent combustible material causing a fire - although > this does not appear, at the moment to be the case in this situation, > which is usually the first thing people think of when a fire is mention > in the context of these lamps, it seems this did not happen in the case > recounted below as the bulbs were evaluated, would not work, and were > thought to be burned out. > A fire developed in my shop several months ago doing widespread, > extensive damage, ruining the value in many expensive pianos. > Although the cause of origin is still being investigated I am convinced > that the fire began in a halogen work light in which, as I said above, > the bulbs were not working, even though the power cord was still plugged > in. The light had been plugged in to evaluate the bulbs which were > thought to be burned out. They did not work; later, I belive, the > light itself developed a fire which then spread into the shop. > This light is the yellow and black worklight built by Chicago > Electric and sold at Harbor Freight. It comes on an extendable tripod > with two lamps mounted on a crosspiece. Each lamp is provided with its > own switch. > The power cord for this light comes up to a small black junction > box out of which two cords then proceed, each to the respective > switch for its lamphead. > Additional information has been discovered, unconnected with me or > my shop, which indicates that the connections in the interior of this > junction box may be unreliable, and, if so, it is my opinion, they can > indeed be dangerous as it appears that this box was either the origin of > the fire or connected in someway to it. > I have not disassembled one of these boxes even though I have > several of these lights as they are to be preserved intact for later > investigation. > However, several individuals, unknown to each other, operating > entirely independently of each other, have described to me the > connections made in the interior of this box, where a crimp is used to > attach the cord to a connector, in highly negative terms, basically, > considering it dangerous. Of course, this is a fact I wish I had been > aware of before buying the damn things. This crimp may loosen and > cause problems and needs periodic attention. I presonally believe > this contributed to the development of the fire mentioned above. > For this reason it seems highly advisable to inspect this > connection if you have such a light. One should be aware, if a loose > connection does exist here, that it may lead one to think the switches > or bulbs are bad which may or may not be the case. UNDER NO > CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THE LIGHT EVER BE LEFT PLUGGED IN - BURNING OR NOT > - WITHOUT OBSERVATION. I believe it can also lead to a fire. > Let is remember our OT list discipline; if one wishes to > communicate with me on this subject, unless it has a general interest to > the members of the list, please contact me privately. > Regards, Robin Hufford > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives </BLOCKQUOTE>  </body> </html>