I touched my halogen bulb!!!

[Independence]

I touched my halogen bulb with my fingers to find that after testing the connection the bulb has discloured to a cloudy colour (know I shouldn't have.....but forgot).

Should I change it? As it's half way up the mast which is currently horizontal if it needs to be changed I'd rather do it now.

I guess the real question is, will it blow or just reduce it's beam. As it's only a deck light I'm not too concerned at a reduced beam providing it won't blow.

Thanks

 

[Sans Bateau]

What easiest? change it now or when it does blow?

 

[DownWest]

The grease off your fingers will eventually distroy the quartz envelope as it is cooked. Cleaning it with alcohol before use is OK, not sure if it will save it after the degredation has started.
A

 

[Poignard]

Price of new bulb versus cost of craning mast out if the cloudy one fails (or inconvenience and time wasted climbing mast).

If you have any cabin lights with the same type of bulb you could use it there until it fails.

 

[EastCoastChris]

Change it. It'll only blow early at the least convenient moment to teach you a lesson if you don't.

Chris

 

[agurney]

Change it. It'll only blow early at the least convenient moment to teach you a lesson if you don't.

Chris

.. and when the replacement blows after a couple of hours how will you feel? Would you save the cloudy one as a spare?

 

[Ubergeekian]

I touched my halogen bulb with my fingers to find that after testing the connection the bulb has discloured to a cloudy colour (know I shouldn't have.....but forgot).

Should I change it?

Yes. You can get away with touching them if you clean them scrupulously with meths afterwards and before switching them on. Otherwise it's sitting up your mast ticking away and chuckling quietly to itself ...