Light Bulbs

Manufacturing tolerances.

-=- Alan

On 10/23/03 11:41 am TOM KAN PA put fingers to keyboard and launched the following message into cyberspace:

Reply to
Alan Beagley
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I read some past posts on light bulbs burning out frequently but I think this is a new twist. About two years ago I lived in an older house and I experienced my light bulbs burning out very frequently. I posted the question and got some good feedback including "long life bulbs" and "replace fixtures". Anyway, since then we have moved to a slightly newer house (by about 30 years). Well, the light bulbs are still burning out more frequently than they should! Is it a poltergeist that won't leave me alone? Should I call a psychic for a house cleansing? Or do you think that it could be something like one of my appliances that I brought with me (i.e., washer/dryer) is doing something to cause it? How can I check?

Thanks, Tom

Reply to
Tom Sargent

You are not alone. :-)

My house is only about 15 years old but the light in the bedroom, which holds 2 bulbs, kept burning up 1 bulb only. I replaced the fixture but it still burns out only 1 bulb.

Crazy?

Reply to
Lewis Campbell

how often, what make bulbs, what is your voltage, in what type fixture. how many hours do they burn.

Reply to
mark Ransley

Put up a new three bulb light fixture. Put three brand new bulbs in it, same manufacturer, same wattage. Why don't they all "burn out" within days of each other?

Reply to
TOM KAN PA

Hi, Over the years household power voltages has been creeping up. I pay little more at lighting fixture shop for bulbs. It's rated at

125V(for l> I read some past posts on light bulbs burning out frequently but I
Reply to
Tony Hwang

It is probably the voltage coming into the house. Dimmers will do wonders to lengthen the life of light bulbs.

Reply to
Leslie Gossett

I have 18 small golfball bulbs around a mirror in my bathroom. I used to replace a bulb a week until I installed a slide dimmer, and I haven't replaced a bulb yet.

Reply to
HA HA Budys Here

How often is more often than they should?

Are you buying good quality bulbs? Are you buying "extra birght" bulbs?

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Consider using flourescent "lightbulbs".

The price on those "spiral form flourescent "lightbulbs" keeps coming down, and if your electricity supplier participates in the "Energy Star" program you can probably buy the 23 watt ones for under $3 each. They put out as much light as a 75 watt incandescent bulb, and only 1/3 the heat, which is nice when you're paying for air conditioning.

I've been switching over to them in our home wherever practical, and smiling about how I'm lowering my electric bill and greatly increasing the times between having to bother getting the little stepladder out and changing bulbs.

There are "dimable" flourescent "lightbulbs" available for a bit more money, but I haven't tried them yet, because all the fixtures we use dimmers on have decorative bulbs in them, and the flourescents would look pretty strange in them. I have seen some of those "flourescent lightbulbs" with a frosted round glass bulb around the spiral flourescent tube which look pretty much like the larger sized traditional decorative bulbs, but the price for those is still pretty steep.

About the only downside I've noticed is that if the room is cold, the flourescents are noticably dim when switched on, but they warm up quickly to full brightnes within a minute.

I converted the pair of decorative light fixtures outside our front door to get rid of the three candelabra based clear flame shaped 25 watt bulbs in them, (There always seemed to be at least one burned out.) I replaced them with a single 23 watt flourescent in each fixture. Those are *really* dim when when they're fired up on a winter night here in Taxachusetts, but they brighten up pretty quickly too.

Count me among the converts...

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."

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Here too. The expensive bulbs can last well over 20 years. I especially enjoy a dim-light morning bathroom for a minute or so. Unfortuately it annoys the AM reception on the radio big time, and the dimmer installed claims no AM interference.

Reply to
Phisherman

Have someone check your line voltage. Occasionally, the power co. adjusts it somewhere and yours might go up too high, burning out bulbs and stressing your appliances. Call the utility they will check for free.

Reply to
Rick

Several companies now make dimmable CFLs, although they're typically $20-25 each. At least one type has a replaceable bulb, separate from the ballast, that's less expensive to replace.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Shafer

shop around , they are cheaper

Reply to
mark Ransley

You're quite right. That was just a first pass on the Web. When I actually have to buy these bulbs (about 70, if I put one in every can light, or about half that, if I put them only in the cans with dimmers), I'll definitely shop around. The ones I want are the

6500-deg, 23-watt ones.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Shafer

Upside down in can lights , they will have a shorter life, the electronics will run hot.Save your receipts and warranty card. Max Lite makes a vented electronics area. But you should work with a commercial supplier, and get a recomended unit.

Reply to
mark Ransley

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