Light bulb keeps burning out

It's the little things that drive you nuts.

We've got a light fixture over our kitchen sink. For the first three years of its existence it worked flawlessly. We keep it on 24-7 as a night light and for accent.

The fixture used one bayonet type florescent lamp. It's on the same circuit as the dishwasher and disposal.

About six months ago the lamp burned out. We replaced it and it worked fine. A month later, the new lamp burned out. This repeated about four times when we finally decided to replace the fixture entirely, figuring there was something wrong with it (faulty ballast?) instead of the bulbs. Now we have an incandescent fixture with a single 40 watt candelabra bulb.

These bulbs burn out with the same frequency, about every 3-4 weeks. So now I think there's a problem with the wiring.

I've looked around at some DYI forums and one fellow had the same problem for years. He said he fixed it by going to the panel. The neutral wire to that circuit had repeatedly heated and cooled and worked itself loose. He said he retightened the neutral connection and the problems stopped.

I'm not at home right now so I can't check, but does this sound like a possible solution?

-Frank

Reply to
Frank Warner
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No. A loose neutral would also affect your dishwasher and disposal since you said they are on the same circuit.

Reply to
Claude Hopper

On 10/27/2008 3:18 PM Frank Warner spake thus:

Yep.

The solution depends on the problem, and you haven't yet determined what that problem is. First thing I'd do is measure the voltage at the light socket; is it over 120 volts (nominal, meaning in range ~ 108-130 volts)? If not, then the problem is elsewhere (high humidity from sink? vibration in floor above ceiling? too much heat in fixture?)

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

A neutral can come loose anywhere along the circuit, not just at the panel, however if it comes loose, the load on the circuit, in your case, the light will flicker, and or go out altogether

Reply to
RBM

Bayonet base fluorescent? I thought I knew light bulbs well, and I have yet to hear of a bayonet fluorescent.

The replacements could be shoddy low bid contract manufacturer junkers.

Many of those chandelier style bulbs are cheap junkers. I would look in a home center for such bulbs of one of the "Big 3" brands (GE, Philips or Sylvania) for better luck.

Also, chandelier style bulbs with V-shaped filaments are sometimes prone to having their filaments partially short out in response to vibration.

You may want a different fixture again. Or, try a 40 watt equivalent candelabra base CFL if it fits.

If you can get a voltmeter and measure the voltage at the socket, do so.

I like to measure the voltage inside the socket so that I don't have to open anything up. But it's tigher in a candelabra socket, and it's fairly easy to short something in there. You may put a severe pit in the socket. The spark may dislodge a small piece of metal into your eye - safety goggles are advisable if you do this. Also, don't have a heart attack or get startled into bumping/breaking something (such as your head) if you touch something to the wrong thing and make a huge bright spark with a loud pop.

Maybe better off measuring the voltage leading to the fixture.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Reply to
Don Klipstein

Is there anything changed that could cause more vibration in the area of the lamp?

Reply to
Bob F

My thought is not only to measure the voltage, but to do it during the cycle of the dishwasher. I'm thinking that it may cause some mini-surges during the cycles as it starts and stops adding to the premature failure.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

The fluorescent was burning out too often, but the incan. is about the right life time if left on continually. 4 weeks is about 700 hours which is close to the life of standard incandescent builb. Try a CFL bulb.

Reply to
JohnR66

I won't argue with your second sentence, but I don't think you can simply say "No".

Note that the OP didn't say the light doesn't light, he said they burn out frequently. *If* the bulbs are burning out because of a loose neutral, that's doesn't mean you'd see the same impact (how could you?) on the dishwasher or disposal.

I've had loose neutrals cause flickering lights and the lights were the only way I knew there was a problem. The fridge and outlets on the same circuit never displayed any symptoms *that I could see*. I'm not saying that they might not have failed eventually, but they certainly weren't affected the same way the lights were.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

I have ten bayonet fluorescent fixtures that provide security lighting.

Here's some examples (though not the ones I have):

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Reply to
HeyBub

OK, I see!

But where do you live where the .ie to-leveel-domain is applicable

Where do you live where Joe Sixpack can reasonably deploy ten bayonet base fluorescent bulbs?

And where in the world would 10 of them be used for "security lighting" for what I would guess to be one home?

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Reply to
Don Klipstein

Don&#39;t turn on the light and the bulb will last forever.

Reply to
ktos

## I can get to it from here... It was just the first in a Google search. But here&#39;s the actual bulb I use for most of the lights:

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## I live in Houston. Plenty of Joes around here.

1 - lighted street number 1 - driveway 1 - walkway 1 - front porch 1 - back door

Times two for my duplex. (I live on one side, office on the other. Commute time is about 20 seconds.)

Reply to
HeyBub

First, try a different brand of bulbs. Might be that you&#39;re using cheapies. I found that Phillips blow easier than GE when I had a light over my work bench.

Failing that, the other maybe problem is bad ground at the panel box.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Green garden snakes come to mind?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Would that be power surges or hot flashes, if it&#39;s the woman causing it?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Yes. Possibly.

Will try to explain: There are two 115 volt supplies into most homes (In North America that is)! They normally use 3 wires incoming to the crcuit breaker panel, sharing the common centre wire called the neutral. (Usually white).

Draw three horizontal lines on a sheet of paper. Mark the top line + 115 volts. Leg A Mark the middle line 0 (zero) volts. Neutral. Mark the bottom line - 115 volts. Leg B

One can see that there are 230 volts between the top and bottom lines (wires). Leg A and leg B. OK?

Now imagine your light (L) connected between the middle line and the top line and that it is switched on. Also imagine some item (could be anything, such as another light, a toaster plugged into another circuit etc. etc.) (Called I) between the middle and the bottom line wire.

Now assume that the middle wire is faulty, goes open, goes intermittent or even goes high resistance?

Looking at the diagram there will be 230 volts across the L and I and depending on the ratio of the two items at that particular moment in time the 230 volts could be distributed unequally between L and I. The voltage across L could momentarily go &#39;high&#39;.

And since wattage is proportional to &#39;voltage squared&#39; that could increase wattage well above above normal.

For example; Normal 115 x 115 =3D 13,225 High 130 x 130 =3D 16,900 Higher 150 x 150 =3D 22,500 Much higher 180 x 180 =3D 32,400 Too high 230 x 230 =3D 52,900 (Wow; even momentarily that is four times normal!).

Again depending on the ratio of voltages between L and I (BTW I could be several things all switched on together on that &#39;other leg&#39;, the momentary voltage across your lamp L could perhaps approach twice normal?

And &#39;bad&#39; neutrals can and have caused damage to lights and eqipment. Could perhaps be going high resistance outside in the supply wires to the house? So everything in the house could be connected willy nilly through various circuits across 230 volts!

Think on it anyway.

Reply to
terry

I misspoke. The dishwasher is on a separate circuit. Only the light fixture and disposal are on the same circuit. Still haven&#39;t opened the panel yet. That&#39;s a weekend job when I can cut power to the whole panel.

-Frank

Reply to
Frank Warner

Voltage is nominal. I checked. I also checked for 130 volt lamps, which aren&#39;t available at the local big box. Wouldn&#39;t voltage spikes affect other light fixtures in the house? This is the only one displaying a problem.

Humidity? Maybe.

No vibration to speak of in that wall.

-Frank

Reply to
Frank Warner

I have an outside light on my house that eat bulbs every week , the wife &#39; insisted &#39;that I replace it . I went and bought a bulb at a store that only handles qualty products.Yes I paid way more but after one year it is still working. Jerry Don&#39;t buy Walmart&#39;s crap from China !!!

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Reply to
Jerry - OHIO

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