A dead incandescent light will not use any electricity because there is no path for the current to pass through. However, depending on how the LEDs fail, it can use a small amount of electricity but nothing to cause concern.
Modern smart LEDs that connect to a third-party device will still use power if that part of the bulb is not damaged. Dead fluorescent bulbs can use up to 50% of the electricity because the ballast still gets warm.
When a light bulb burns out, it’s safe to leave it in the socket. It won’t use any electricity since it’s not producing any light. You can even leave the switch turned on. A dead light bulb does not pose a safety hazard to you or other people because it no longer conducts electricity.
Therefore, to answer the question above “Do Dead Light Bulbs Use Electricity?” It depends on the type of bulb and the reason why it dies.
- Incandescent bulb- No.
- LEDs- A little.
- CFL- Sometimes up to 50%.
The Simplicity In A Dead Incandescent Light Bulb
A light bulb is dead when it no longer produces light. This can happen for many reasons: it could have been old, a broken filament, or overheating. In either case, it no longer produces light because there is no flow of electricity through the inner filament, which causes it to glow.
When you flip a light switch, and electricity moves through the wiring to the lamp or fixture you are turning on, it flows into each bulb where it passes through a filament inside the bulb.
The filament heats up and begins to glow brightly due to this increase in heat energy. Without an unbroken path for electricity to pass through, there will be no flowing current. Therefore not enough energy to cause any heating inside of a dead bulb.
This is a good thing because incandescent bulbs already produce a lot of heat and use the most amount of electricity than LEDs and CFLs.
Do Burned Out Fluorescent Bulbs Still Use Electricity?
Believe it or not, a dead fluorescent bulb can still use up to 50% of the power when still on. In an experiment by Mike Bourgeous, he calculated how much electricity a dead bulb and a good bulb used.
When plugged on, a 26W bulb working bulb drew 22.3W after ten minutes. Compared to the 26W bad bulb, which used 11W. Therefore, his experiment proved that a dead CFL bulb can use half the amount of electricity it consumed when it was working.
In short, a fluorescent bulb generates a lot of free electrons for it to work properly. The starter circuit shoots off the electrons for the cathode to heat up, also known as the starter.
This process produces enough sparks to ignite the light bulb. If there are still active electrons flowing through the bulb, or there are old-style magnetic ballasts, the lamp can still use electricity.
However, the power usage will not affect your light bill too much.
How Much Does A Dead LEDs Light Bulb Use?
Because LEDs are energy efficient already, they do not use a lot of electricity. That said, a dead bulb will only use a trace of power. Depending on the cause of burnout, the bulb can still produce little heat.
Smart bulbs contain additional electronics that will again use a bit of power when they are dead. Even when you turn off a working smart LED, it will still suck power. These bulbs are called vampires and draw energy on standby mode.
Is It Safe To Leave A Dead Light Bulb In The Socket?
There is no need to worry about a dead light bulb in the socket once the switch is off. It is better to keep the bulb in the socket while out to the supermarket to purchase its replacement.
Leaving a socket empty poses an electrocution risk and a fire hazard. However, do not use any bulb with broken glass in the socket.
Do Broken Light Bulbs Use Electricity?
If you are talking about a bulb that is producing 100% of light and just the outer glass is broken, then Yes, it still uses electricity. But it depends on the type of bulb.
CFLs need their outer glass to keep their vital gas from escaping. Similarly, incandescent bulbs require a casing to protect the tungsten filament from oxidizing.
LEDs don’t depend on their outer case as much. However, when a LED housing is broken it will not last long. Leaving a bulb without its protective glass can risk electrocution and is very dangerous.
To Recap,
Incandescent bulbs do not use energy when they are dead. LEDs and CFLs use some power, but nothing to be concerned about. Once the bulb is intact, you can leave the dead bulb in the socket until you purchased a replacement. Never leave a broken bulb on in the socket. It is very dangerous.
