Question on Compact Fluorescent lighting i purchased..

[bimmersamster]

I purchased a CoralLife double strip 2-65 watt 24" Power Compact Flourescent light strip from Hellolights.com

it came with actinic blue and a 10,000 k light bulbs

now my question is, i noticed some sounds from the light bulbs..when i tilt the bulbs left and right in a waviny motion, i hear little tiny movement inside, as if something is loose...

BOTH bulbs have that sound, and in each tube (each bulb has 2 tubes, for those of u that know what a PC fluorescent looks like)
if you tilt it down and peer into the tube, i see like a little black thing, like a tiny sand grain or rock in each tube that rolls around in there. each tiny black sand grain looks exactly the same.

Now my question is, do all PC bulbs have a little black rock thing inside normally? This is my first PC light bulbs...

in addition, i've never had actinic blue light bulbs before, but it looks ALOT duller and less luminous than the 10,000 k... how can you tell if the bulbs have been used?

[Corax]

I've had 4 powerquad bulbs now, which are CF's made by Custom Sealife and all 4 have had some kind of rattely thing movin in em. I don't know what it is, but it doesnt seem to affect the bulb. Probably some solidified coating or a small piece of solder.

And yes, the blue bulbs will be dim visually because of how our eyes register the blue color spectrum.

I doubt yer bulbs have been used as Hello Lights is a pretty reputable company. I'd call them and tell them your concerns. I'm sure they'll be happy to help you out =)

[Satchmo]

Yeah, I get the rattley thing too. <shrug>

[JohnMemorialHS]

My guess would be the little things you see are mercury, and the sound is caused by the mercury bouncing back and forth in the bulb. That's how flourcent lights work, by using electrical current to bounce the mercury back and forth inside the bulb fixture rapidly to create energy, thus creating the light.