I used to think of zip ties as a marvel of modern invention, a convenience so brilliant I’d put it right up there with duct tape. But not today. I hang one of my light fixtures from a shelf about half way down in my window. Today when I came home one of the zip ties had broken, not slipped out of the lock, but snapped in half! The light fixture was hanging from one hook pointing straight at a few of my vanda at a distance of about 2 centimeters, and by the looks of things it had been like this for hours. My beautiful Ascocenda Princess Mikasa was badly burnt on the tips of two leaves and the little Trudelia alpina had a couple of singed tips as well…
I suppose I should be grateful. Had the second zip tie snapped at the force of one side falling, all my little flask babies below would have been smashed. Had the fixture landed face down, the survivors would have been barbecued. Still, it is hard to feel grateful when you look at the irreparable damage on my Princess.
Hey!
It is never fun to see one’s darlings get fried – but I think we all are happy that the lightbulb didn’t cause any major catastrophe to your place, and that you’re all safe and sound!
The orchids still know you love them all! 🙂
M
Thank Marius! You made me feel a lot better. I don’t feel so much like the evil step mom anymore… 😉
you could use 2 zipties instead of one. so you got a safety device. would be hard to imagine 2 zipties snapping at the same time.
anyway wonder if the plastic they ar emade of become brittle with time and heat.
could have been worse just a fe leaves got a bit of a suntan
Thanks Stefano, yes it definitely could have gone much worse. 🙂 I have two zip – ties now, but I will switch it out for a chain or something next time we go to the hardware store. I don’t know the UV rating on the plastic, but probably they are not rated for this much light… Who knows, I won’t risk it again though.
Actually got evidence for the zipties getting “dry” and brittle over time this christmas – a couple of zipties were enclosed in a package, and upon assembling the toy, the darn plastic just snapped like a twig in the Kalahari! Gah!
Dunno if duct tape is time-resistant either, but perhaps it is better than electricians-tape?
Let’s hope the light-bulbs “hang in there” for a little longer this time 😉