CRT Monitors - Hazardous?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Keith
  • Start date Start date
K

Keith

I have an old 14" CRT monitor (mid-1990's) which is faulty (has been stored
for a while after I bought a new one).

At the weekend whilst having a clear-out I took the monitor apart (out of
stupid curiosity more than anything). I cut all the connecting wires and
removed the tube and it's attached electronics.

Any way - to cut a long story short, I broke the tube.

Inside the monitor, the tube thins and comes to a thin cylinder (at the back
of the monitor) like a neck and attached to this is a small box of
electronics.

I picked up the tube (which was now devoid of it's plastic casing) by this
box of electronics and it snapped off the tube (breaking the thin glass that
held it to it) before it had even lifted off the floor. I stopped
immediately. It hasn't come away 100% - it must be held on by something
other than just the glass.

Today however when I asked someone at work about where I could dispose of it
(instead of just throwing it in the trash which is illegal now I think) they
told me that breaking the tube is hazardous to health. They did tell me
that they though the whole tube imploded if any part of the glass were
broke, so maybe this glass was not part of the actual main tube?

Are they really that bad? And what are my chances of actually being exposed
to anything nasty (mercury and lead were mentioned) from this break (it
didn't explode or shatter or anything - just snapped the glass 'neck' at the
back).

It's now shut in my spare bedroom until I know what to do with it!

I won't be that stupid again!

Thanks
 
Keith said:
I have an old 14" CRT monitor (mid-1990's) which is faulty (has been stored
for a while after I bought a new one).

At the weekend whilst having a clear-out I took the monitor apart (out of
stupid curiosity more than anything). I cut all the connecting wires and
removed the tube and it's attached electronics.

Any way - to cut a long story short, I broke the tube.

Inside the monitor, the tube thins and comes to a thin cylinder (at the
back of the monitor) like a neck and attached to this is a small box of
electronics.

I picked up the tube (which was now devoid of it's plastic casing) by this
box of electronics and it snapped off the tube (breaking the thin glass
that held it to it) before it had even lifted off the floor. I stopped
immediately. It hasn't come away 100% - it must be held on by something
other than just the glass.

Today however when I asked someone at work about where I could dispose of
it (instead of just throwing it in the trash which is illegal now I think)
they told me that breaking the tube is hazardous to health. They did tell
me that they though the whole tube imploded if any part of the glass were
broke, so maybe this glass was not part of the actual main tube?

Are they really that bad? And what are my chances of actually being
exposed to anything nasty (mercury and lead were mentioned) from this
break (it didn't explode or shatter or anything - just snapped the glass
'neck' at the back).

It's now shut in my spare bedroom until I know what to do with it!

I won't be that stupid again!

Thanks
Click to expand...

Just been doing some research about this online - can't really find anything
about how hazerdous it may or may not be to break this bit of glass, but one
of the wires I cut seems to be the wire from the electrode (which is
connected via some sort of suction cup thing) to the inside of the tube - I
guess the vacuum is still intact though as it must be sealed around the
suction cup and not the actual wire casing I cut.
 
I have an old 14" CRT monitor (mid-1990's) which is faulty (has been stored
for a while after I bought a new one).
Click to expand...
At the weekend whilst having a clear-out I took the monitor apart (out of
stupid curiosity more than anything). I cut all the connecting wires and
removed the tube and it's attached electronics.
Click to expand...
Any way - to cut a long story short, I broke the tube.
Click to expand...

Well you didn't knock yourself flying when you cut the wire (potentionally
25,000V), nor did you shred yourself to peices with bits of shattered glass
! They're the two biggest dangers I see..

I'm not sure about gasses or other chemicals contained with the tube.. maybe
the disposal center (or wherever you need to get rid of it) can help address
those concerns.

Regards,
Chris
 
Keith said:
I have an old 14" CRT monitor (mid-1990's) which is faulty (has been stored
for a while after I bought a new one).

At the weekend whilst having a clear-out I took the monitor apart (out of
stupid curiosity more than anything). I cut all the connecting wires and
removed the tube and it's attached electronics.

Any way - to cut a long story short, I broke the tube.
Click to expand...

You don't know how lucky you are...

That big wire that goes to the suction cup could hold enough power to do
some major damage or stop your heart.

The glass tube will spray you with glass shrapnel if it shatters.

Pack it all into a cardboard box CARFULLY (goggles/gloves) and then pack
that into another box.

Depending on local laws you could dump into the trash but it would be safer
to call your municiple waste department to find out if they have someplace
to take it.
 
There is no gas in a CRT, it is a vacuum tube.
The lead in a CRT is in the glass, think crystal.
Probably the most hazardous thing in a CRT (other than flying glass if it breaks) is the phosphorous on the inside of the tube, don't eat it.
I have an old 14" CRT monitor (mid-1990's) which is faulty (has been stored
for a while after I bought a new one).

At the weekend whilst having a clear-out I took the monitor apart (out of
stupid curiosity more than anything). I cut all the connecting wires and
removed the tube and it's attached electronics.

Any way - to cut a long story short, I broke the tube.

Inside the monitor, the tube thins and comes to a thin cylinder (at the back
of the monitor) like a neck and attached to this is a small box of
electronics.

I picked up the tube (which was now devoid of it's plastic casing) by this
box of electronics and it snapped off the tube (breaking the thin glass that
held it to it) before it had even lifted off the floor. I stopped
immediately. It hasn't come away 100% - it must be held on by something
other than just the glass.

Today however when I asked someone at work about where I could dispose of it
(instead of just throwing it in the trash which is illegal now I think) they
told me that breaking the tube is hazardous to health. They did tell me
that they though the whole tube imploded if any part of the glass were
broke, so maybe this glass was not part of the actual main tube?

Are they really that bad? And what are my chances of actually being exposed
to anything nasty (mercury and lead were mentioned) from this break (it
didn't explode or shatter or anything - just snapped the glass 'neck' at the
back).

It's now shut in my spare bedroom until I know what to do with it!

I won't be that stupid again!

Thanks
Click to expand...

--

When replying by Email include NewSGrouP (case sensitive) in Subject

Mike Walsh
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.
 
Keith said:
I have an old 14" CRT monitor (mid-1990's) which is faulty (has been stored
for a while after I bought a new one).

At the weekend whilst having a clear-out I took the monitor apart (out of
stupid curiosity more than anything). I cut all the connecting wires and
removed the tube and it's attached electronics.

Any way - to cut a long story short, I broke the tube.

Inside the monitor, the tube thins and comes to a thin cylinder (at the back
of the monitor) like a neck and attached to this is a small box of
electronics.

I picked up the tube (which was now devoid of it's plastic casing) by this
box of electronics and it snapped off the tube (breaking the thin glass that
held it to it) before it had even lifted off the floor. I stopped
immediately. It hasn't come away 100% - it must be held on by something
other than just the glass.

Today however when I asked someone at work about where I could dispose of it
(instead of just throwing it in the trash which is illegal now I think) they
told me that breaking the tube is hazardous to health. They did tell me
that they though the whole tube imploded if any part of the glass were
broke, so maybe this glass was not part of the actual main tube?

Are they really that bad? And what are my chances of actually being exposed
to anything nasty (mercury and lead were mentioned) from this break (it
didn't explode or shatter or anything - just snapped the glass 'neck' at the
back).

It's now shut in my spare bedroom until I know what to do with it!

I won't be that stupid again!

Thanks
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone - that's a relief.

I am going to box it up and put it in the skip we have at work (they said it
was OK to do so).
 
CRT monitors' capacitors that drive the tube hold a LETHAL charge of
electricity for a considerable period of time after the unit is unplugged
from the wall.

Consider yourself lucky ...
 
I have an old 14" CRT monitor (mid-1990's) which is faulty (has been stored
for a while after I bought a new one).

Today however when I asked someone at work about where I could dispose of
it (instead of just throwing it in the trash which is illegal now I think)
they told me that breaking the tube is hazardous to health. They did tell
me that they though the whole tube imploded if any part of the glass were
broke, so maybe this glass was not part of the actual main tube?

Are they really that bad? And what are my chances of actually being
exposed to anything nasty (mercury and lead were mentioned) from this
break (it didn't explode or shatter or anything - just snapped the glass
'neck' at the back).
Click to expand...

I don't know much about the gases inside, but I believe they are in a
vacuum, so on breaking it would not explode??

However, I know they are strong things - we were doing a marketing photo
shoot with people walking and a monitor falling in the background - we
dropped an old IBM PS/2 14" monitor from the top of some step ladders onto
concrete (8 foot drop) and it wouldn't break! We tried 3 times and then
decided to positioned a brick carefully on the ground so the monitor would
land screen first onto the brick - that had to shatter it right?. Wrong, the
brick broke, the screen did not!! We eventually just filmed it falling, then
broke it with a hammer + photographed it on the ground!
 
I don't know much about the gases inside, but I believe they are in a
vacuum, so on breaking it would not explode??
Click to expand...

Implosion, accelerates particles inwards, but velocity is
still in "A" direction so particules continue to move
outwards, too.
 
Gareth said:
I don't know much about the gases inside, but I believe they are in a
vacuum, so on breaking it would not explode??
Click to expand...

A CRT does not explode, but it can implode with great violence! The
glass envelope is exposed to about 15 pounds/square inch. This is almost
a on ton the faceplate of a 14" monitor. If you're lucky, as Keith
apparently was, only the neck will break, and the large shreds of glass
will not be thrown about.
However, I know they are strong things - we were doing a marketing photo
shoot with people walking and a monitor falling in the background - we
dropped an old IBM PS/2 14" monitor from the top of some step ladders onto
concrete (8 foot drop) and it wouldn't break! We tried 3 times and then
decided to positioned a brick carefully on the ground so the monitor would
land screen first onto the brick - that had to shatter it right?. Wrong, the
brick broke, the screen did not!! We eventually just filmed it falling, then
broke it with a hammer + photographed it on the ground!
Click to expand...

The face plate is the strongest part. It is made of thick lead glass to
absorb the X-rays produced when the electrons strike the face. It is
this lead, which can slowly leach out in a land fill, that requires
proper disposal.

The "capacitor" that has been mentioned, consists of the capacitance
between the inside of the glass envelope and the outside. The black
coating forms the two electrodes. The inside one is reached through the
"suction cup" attached lead. (It's actually a clip to a kovar metal seal
through the glass to the inside coating.) The outside coating is
grounded by wires attached to it.

It can be charged to 25-30 thousand volts, but its energy content is not
enough to be fatal in most cases. The jolt can cause you to hurt
yourself in other ways, like breaking the tube and not being as lucky as
Keith! Except for the X-rays produced, CRT makers would like to use
higher voltages to get higher brightness.

There's not much an un-informed user can do inside a monitor or TV, so
it's best left to a service professional.

Virg Wall
 
Back
Top