Fire hazard to put paper in with fluorescent lights?

[Sukhoi]

I'm working on decorating my dorm room, and I want to put some paper in my fluorescent light fixture. It's a regular 4' 2 bulb fixture with a light diffuser around it. Any reason I can't put some papers on the light diffuser? I've had the light on for several hours today, I turned it off and touched the bulbs, and they're hardly warm. So I doubt there would be any problem with what I want to do, but I figured I'd check. Thanks!

 

[Rallispec]

should be fine.. mine doesnt get hot at all. why do you want to do this?

 

[amnesiac]

Fluorescent bulbs don't get hot enough to catch things on fire, but AFAIK it's still a fire hazard. Don't let someone catch you with it.
Why do you want to put paper in there?

 

[Sukhoi]

I just thought it would be cool to have some nice pictures backlit.

I guess I won't do it then. Oh well. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Rallispec]

maybe you can explain this a little better--
you want the picture on the light diffuser (light cover?) not the actual bulb-- so that the pictures will be backlit?

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
I just thought it would be cool to have some nice pictures backlit.

I guess I won't do it then. Oh well. Thanks for the help guys.

Laminate the pictures.

 

[Rallispec]

that shouldbt be a problem at all.. its only even close to a firehazard if the paper is actually touching the bulb, otherwise, you'd be fine

 

[amnesiac]

Originally posted by: Rallispec
that shouldbt be a problem at all.. its only even close to a firehazard if the paper is actually touching the bulb, otherwise, you'd be fine

Yeah that's what I thought he was doing.

If you have a diffuser between it, then by all means go for it. No fire hazard.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: Rallispec
maybe you can explain this a little better--
you want the picture on the light diffuser (light cover?) not the actual bulb-- so that the pictures will be backlit?

Well, the pictures would vertically be sitting above the light diffuser. So vertically going down from the ceiling it would be lightbulbs, pictures, diffuser.

I hadn't really thought of putting the pictures on the outside of the fixture...I'll have to think about that.