Bulbs blowing

[KenM]

I recently replaced the outdoor fixtures on each side of my garage doors. The light bulb keeps blowing on one side. A blub lasts maybe a week. I switched the two fixtures. Keeps blowing on the same side. If this makes any difference, the circuit for the "good" location feeds off the "bad" location. The lights are on an X-10 wall switch.

The old fixtures had 2 "small base" bulbs. It seemed that that there was at least one bulb out all the time in both of the fixtures. But I didn't notice that the "bad" location blew more bulbs.

I've checked that all connections to the fixture are tight. Any ideas why I'm having problems with one side?

[m Ransley]

The bulb gets wet, or vibration from garage door. Try a rough service or

130 volt bulb

[Jeff Wisnia]

It might be a vibration issue.

Do you have garage door openers? If so, does their operation may vibrate the fixture on the "bad" side more than the one on the other side?

Not much you can do about that with those little candelabra based bulbs. I'd suggest you resocket the fixtures to take one normal sized "Edison base" bulb each and use "rough service" bulbs in them.

That's what I did when I got tired of always seeing one or more of those little bulbs out in my outside fixtures.

Actually I switched over to CF bulbs, and it's been three years since I put them in, and they're still going strong.

Downsides are that they're pretty dim for a few minutes after turnon in the subfreezing weather we've been having here in Patriots country, and they're not as artsy fartsy looking as the previous bulbs. But around here we say, "Pretty is as pretty does."

Jeff

-- Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone to place the blame on."

[Jerry G.]

This problem is most likely from vibration, and or humidity. Try to do something to reduce this type of effect, if possible. You can also switch to compact fluorescents. They are more robust for abuse, but not as bright. But, the upside is that they consume much less power.

[KenM]

Thanks for the various replies. Vibration sounds like a good bet, but the funny thing is that the "bad" location is next to the door that hardly ever gets opened. Maybe it gets TOO LITTLE vibration :-)

I'll try a rough service bulb.

[volts500]

The OP said that the fixtures are connected to an X-10 switch. When the X-10 switch is in the off position it passes enough voltage to cause the CF's to flicker and/or glow dimly.

[me]

If your bulbs are BLOWING, they are probably GAY. Buy some hetrosexual bulbs next time......

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[Don Klipstein]

I am afraid this may be bad for CFs, or at least some CFs. The electrodes might sputter from operation at temperatures other than their usual operating temperature. (Deatils on this rather technical phenomenon are in

If these bulbs are only on for a few minutes and off most of the time, then rough service incandescents would be more economical, even without the possible electrode sputtering issue.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail],