At age 107, it burns on...

Posted May 12, 2008 by Ralph Frattura

I have a TV that's 25-plus years old. It was a floor model at Weinstock's in the early '80s, marked down once and -- this makes it even sweeter -- I asked for a further discount to close the deal.  When Weinstock's said yes to my offer, I brought home a TV that is now in its third house, where it continues to work flawlessly for many hours a week.

You've probably got a story like that too, an appliance or gizmo that has outlived your expectations by miles. But let's all stand in silent respect for this:

Light bulb

It's a lightbulb that has been burning non-stop in a Livermore firehouse for 107 years. (OK, it was turned off for 20 minutes in the 1970s, when it was moved from one location to another.)

The bulb hangs uncovered 18 feet off the floor. Its unbroken service string is guarded with a surge protector and a diesel generator and a battery as backups. It's always on duty, the firefighters say, just as they are.

"Most people just consider it a freak of engineering," said ex-firefighter Tom Bramell, who's the unofficial keeper of the light. "But I believe the bulb has stayed alive so many years because the makers gave it a perfect seal, so no air gets inside the bulb to help disintegrate the carbon filament. This bulb operates in a vacuum and it doesn't burn hot. That's the secret."

Here's a snippet from the L.A. Times about the time the bulb was turned off to be moved:

In July 1976, Livermore held its collective breath when it moved the bulb a short two miles from the old Fire Department headquarters to Station No. 6. There was a police escort -- sirens blaring, lights flashing.

Most nervous was the city electrician, faced with the delicate task of actually handling the bulb. For the trip, he built a wooden bulb box lined with cotton, Bramell said.

They moved the bulb, socket and all, cutting the cord to 4 feet. At the new site, as dozens looked on, the electrician made the connection and said a prayer.

Nothing happened.

"There was a gasp," Bramell said. "Folks said, 'What on earth have we done?' Then the electrician jiggled a switch and the bulb came on. And it's stayed on ever since."

See the whole L.A. Times story here.

 

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