# How long can one safely leave a blacklight on for?



## TommyHawk (Feb 14, 2005)

You should certainly be able to leave it on as long as the manufacturer recommends - there should be a bulb life listed in hours on the box. Its own heat buildup is taken into account when listing the lifespan - it'll burn out as a function of the manufacturing and design. Aside from that, the only deterrent to leaving it on would be the environment: is it in a perfectly safe location?


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## wilbret (Oct 8, 2004)

What type of black light? Fluorescent bulbs should emit almost no heat. I leave mine on all night for Halloween.


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## bauton (Jul 29, 2006)

Just make sure you do not leave it exposed to water. If water gets inside the socket, the bulb explodes!!! Although it does make a nice effect if it blows at the right time in your display.


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## halloweenguy (Jun 20, 2005)

Just for clarification you are talking about the cheap "blacklight bulbs" and not the flourescent tubes???

The bulbs are almost useless in producing any real blacklight effects, and get real hot in the process. It would be far better to get the compact blacklight flourescent type bulbs or the tubes if they work for your environment...not sure on how you plan to use them???


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## HalloweenBob (Dec 5, 2006)

I agree. The bulb types are basically useless. The florescent tubes do the trick without the heat. You can leave them on for days. They also use less electricity to run than the bulb type.


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## Atomic Mystery Monster (Jul 29, 2003)

tommyhawk said:


> You should certainly be able to leave it on as long as the manufacturer recommends - there should be a bulb life listed in hours on the box. Its own heat buildup is taken into account when listing the lifespan - it'll burn out as a function of the manufacturing and design.


I'm going to be using a General Electric 28", 25/8" thick flourescent light fixture (the bulb was included). I couldn't find a reference to the bulb life, though. I don't know if this'll help, but the code given for replacement bulbs is F18T8 BLB.



halloweenguy said:


> Just for clarification you are talking about the cheap "blacklight bulbs" and not the flourescent tubes???
> 
> The bulbs are almost useless in producing any real blacklight effects, and get real hot in the process. It would be far better to get the compact flourescent type bulbs or the tubes if they work for your environment...not sure on how you plan to use them???


I meant a flourescent tube; Sorry, I should've been more clear about that. Thankfully, wilbert revealed that those types don't very hot. Anyway, I'm planning on doing an indoor display that can be seen outside thorugh a window. I'm planning on putting a white shirt over a cardboard form (it looks kinda like a dressmaker's dummy) and using a blacklight to create a "glowing, headless ghost" effect. The form will be suck in a couch and the blacklight fixture will be located on a small table or cardboard box near the couch, but in a position that can't be seen from the outside. 

However, I know from experience that blacklight doesn't travel very far (I had to put the fixture very close to some vials of tonic water in order to get a glowing effect for an old mad scientist display), so I'm going to have to play around with the position of the fixture to get things right. I suspect that I'll either have to try to reflect the blacklight with aluminum foil or use a "blacklight" bulb in the light fixture that's directly over where the ghost will be located. Any thoughts?


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## wilbret (Oct 8, 2004)

My guests probably leave with UV tans. I I have an Elation UV wash (Freakin' awesome) and two 48" tubes outside (graveyard/entry). I have two 48" tubes in the kitchen. I have about 6 of the screw in flour. bulbs around the house. I have no less than six 18" black lights around the house. 

PLUS, I have one 18" light for every window we have spooky curtains on... so, make that 6 more lights!

Yowza, I'm insane. We don't even get TOT'ers yet. We have maybe 6-10 total, and that's just our friends bringing their kids over to see the setup. In 3 years, we should be crawling with kids. 

I do use several of the black incandescent bulbs, but ONLY for the purple light it gives off. I have no clue why they get so blooming hot, but the do. Make sure they are nowhere near anything flammable or meltable.

When I think back to our first Halloween doing this... I laugh. Things were so simple then.


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## octoberist (Feb 8, 2007)

*on a side note*

On a side note, I know the bulb type black lights suck, but how well do the screw-in florescent swirl-shaped ones work? 
Are they as good as or better than the familiar narrow tube-shaped florescents? 
I have never used the swirl ones but I am tempted.


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## wilbret (Oct 8, 2004)

The screw in type bulbs work pretty good. Two in my hallway do the job. I stick them in random places and they do a good job. I think having them overhead helps a lot, too.


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## octoberist (Feb 8, 2007)

wilbret said:


> The screw in type bulbs work pretty good. Two in my hallway do the job. I stick them in random places and they do a good job. I think having them overhead helps a lot, too.


Cool. Thanks.


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## Dr Morbius (Jan 12, 2006)

Be VERY careful with screw-in flouerecent bulbs, blacklight or otherwise, they are VERY fragile and can break in your hand if you don't handle them by the bases only. Don't ask me how I know this!


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## TommyHawk (Feb 14, 2005)

Pretty simple - if nothing else, only leave it on as long as you have to.


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## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Pick up some plug in timers. 

They come in handy all year long for turning on and off lights when you are on vacation and such. Not to mention using for your Christmas lights too!


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## darkness (Sep 1, 2005)

i'll never use the bulb type again, i actually melted a plastic light fixture in my house!


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## Guest (May 24, 2007)

halloweenguy said:


> Just for clarification you are talking about the cheap "blacklight bulbs" and not the flourescent tubes???
> 
> The bulbs are almost useless in producing any real blacklight effects, and get real hot in the process. It would be far better to get the compact blacklight flourescent type bulbs or the tubes if they work for your environment...not sure on how you plan to use them???


I bought one for my front porch light for Halloween, Have you used them like that before?


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## halloweenguy (Jun 20, 2005)

Blinky The House Elf said:


> I bought one for my front porch light for Halloween, Have you used them like that before?


I use one every year in my porch lights..makes a very nice purple glow, but almost no real blacklight output. The cost of the new compact blacklight flourescent type are now under $10....these work much better for close up lighting, but still not as good as the larger Blacklight tubes.

Tip: I paint my florescent fixtures with Chrome Paint. They seem to reflect more blacklight that way!!! I 'm sure foil works too....


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## brokennaru (Jul 17, 2007)

I work for Lazer X (laser tag), we use florecent black lights, they are on anywhere from 12 hrs to 18hrs a day, each and every day. the do emit a little heat, so think of your surroundings


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