I bought a “66 LED Rechargeable Work Light,” to use in a small area of my garage. I couldn’t find any definitive answers when I googled but learned that LED’s don’t get hot; nevertheless, reading the operating instructions gave me pause. The very first paragraph is: “CAUTION: Do not use this work light in explosive atmospheres, near flammable liquids, or where explosion proof lamps are required.” It’s the “near flammable liquids” part that concerns me because we keep a gas can with gasoline for our mower, now about five feet from where the light would be used, and further away are a few years-old partial gallon cans of paint. Our car is also in the garage. I suspect the manufacturer is simply covering his arse in case some idiot does something stupid and blows up his house. Please put my mind at ease so I can use the darn thing. Thanks.
it is not an explosion proof lamp but one is not required in a residential garage.
if you use other electric lights in your garage then this lamp is OK too. in fact as a work light this would be much safer than an incandescent light; when an incandescent bulb breaks it does make a spark.
these are much better as a work light. they don’t get hot and you won’t burn yourself.
How well-ventilated is your work area? How much build-up of flammable fumes do you think you are liable to accumulate in the area, from that gas can and the paint can?
Would you be worried about striking a match in there? If you think that striking a match might cause a big kablooie, then maybe any kind of electrical appliance might do likewise – since any kind of electrical appliance might create a spark in the contacts when you turn it on or off.
If you don’t think a match would cause a big kablooie, then I don’t imagine any other electrical appliance would either.
If you can’t decide one way or the other, then maybe you should worry about it.
LEDs do get hot, at least the high power ones. but since this is a “66 LED” flashlight I assume it’s one of those crappy dime store ones which just packs as many 3 cent diodes as possible into the body. yes, the disclaimer is just them covering their own asses since they’ve not done anything in the design to eliminate the chance of electrical arcing.
Right, the concern isn’t with the LED’s getting hot (though there’s probably a heat sink somewhere that will get reasonably warm), it’s with a tiny arc happening when you turn it on. Most on-off switches, unless they’re specifically designed not to, will create a tiny little spark as the contacts are closing. So the warning label is basically saying that the lamp doesn’t have a fancy non-arcing switch.
Now, it’s a very tiny spark that will only set off seriously explosive concentrations of gas, not the kind of concentrations you’re likely to find in a garage. If you’re OK standing in your garage without some kind of respirator, you don’t need to worry about your lamp making things explode.
Yes, but not more than a couple hundred degrees F, which isn’t hot enough to ignite much of anything.
The problem with the OP’s work light is likely to be the switch, which will create a spark when opened. A light designed for safe operation in explosive atmospheres will have the switch sealed so that explosive vapors can’t reach it, or so that any explosion it does cause will be contained within the device so that it won’t ignite the surrounding atmosphere.
It’s also possible that if the LED malfunctions it could overheat and get (briefly, at the point where the plastic lens pops and the LED ruptures) hot enough to act as an ignition source. As in the above paragraph, a light designed for safe operation in explosive atmospheres will take this possibility into account.
If your garage is filled with a flammable mixture, a consumer-grade worklight will be the least of your worries. If gas cans and paint cans are in the area, as long as they aren’t tipped over/leaking, you should be fine using an ordinary worklight such as the one you describe.
You are a very, VERY cautious person. One-gallon cans of house paint? I’d like to see you light one on fire.
I would say you are 100% safe to use the light as you see fit. Maybe I live my life on the edge, but I’d use the thing to look INTO the gas can – while standing on a paint can – and I wouldn’t even break a sweat.
This is a work light, not a flashlight. Snap-On, for instance, makes a 60-LED work light. So does Craftsman. I have one similar to this one. They are not “crappy dime store” stuff in the slightest.
Manufacturer is Bayco, and it’s similar to the Craftsman. It has what they call a “spotlight” (basically, a flashlight) in the bottom of the handle in addition to the broad beam for task lighting (and the magnetic hook). As for ventilation, I could open the back door and the garage door, but I feel reassured now, thanks to you all, so I’m not going to worry about it. Speedway: Yes, I guess I’m overly cautious, but when the manufacturer implies that I could blow up my house, I err on the side of caution.