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Thread ID: 134799	2013-08-14 08:19:00	Why do light bulbs "blow"?	Bryan (147)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1351224	2013-08-14 08:19:00	I have a specific light socket where the bulb regularly (about every month) blows. Can anyone explain why this is? All of the bulbs in sockets on the same circuit are all good. In fact, bulbs on all the other circuits are also good, it's just this one socket.	Bryan (147)
1351225	2013-08-14 08:33:00	Fit a new socket, and see if the bulbs still blow.	Terry Porritt (14)
1351226	2013-08-14 08:36:00	Short or poor contact in the socket can cause it.	inphinity (7274)
1351227	2013-08-14 11:00:00	I've the same problem with a light bulb in the bathroom- not so frequent, though, about once every six months or so. In my case, I think it's because of excessive water moisture from the shower.	bk T (215)
1351228	2013-08-14 11:31:00	Lamps should not blow, they are often filled up with an economical weight of vacuum, so they should suck when they won't glow. ;)	R2x1 (4628)
1351229	2013-08-14 11:57:00	There is very little that can cause one bulb to blow repetitively, because effectively the same voltage is supplied to all outlets. Shorts would blow fuses/circuit breakers not the bulb, and bad connections would make it flicker, so it is very likely a lamp quality problem, possibly made worse if your line voltage is a bit high and/or the bulb is poorly ventilated and gets too hot. The first lamp/bulb finally popped its clogs, then you replaced it with one of more recent manufacture, and the latter are not as durable as they should or could be. Not all lamps are created equal, and in our home we have some that require regular replacement and some that don't. Those that don't are old lamps from the late 70's early 80's because at that time my parents had a lighting shop and when they retired, I collected a swag of stock lamps that I am still using, albeit very slowly. We have a five-lamp fitting over our ensuite vanity and it was blowing bulbs at a hell of a rate (usually at switch on) so much so that I was buying them in lots of four or five. I sought out a different brand (made in Europe, not China), replaced the lot, and it hasn't blown one since. I ran out of my 100W stocks some years back, and now use 100W lamps of recent manufacture, so I am finding that I have to replace those quite regularly too, while the other 'old stock' types soldier on, year after year. Cheers Billy 8-{)	Billy T (70)
1351230	2013-08-14 19:43:00	What type of bulb, what wattage and is it mounted pointing up or down? (I remember hearing they last longer pointing down but it's never made any sense to me). Energy saver CFL or LED bulbs tend to last a lot longer than filament types so you could try switching if you are using the older type. High wattage bulbs can blow more frequently if they are somewhere the heat can't easily escape. also as Billy mentions try a different brand.	dugimodo (138)
1351231	2013-08-14 21:51:00	The CFL lights can get noisey/buzzy after a few years . Some of those just dont last that long either, and can fail in a spectacular way (bang) I think its all pot luck, but some types of incandescent bulbs do seem to blow more often than others, ie the reflector type lights	1101 (13337)
1351232	2013-08-15 00:44:00	Got to agree with everything Billy T said. We had an ongoing problem with the recessed, screw in types of bulbs until I started to look for quality rather than cheapness. I think a lot of the stuff you can buy on special is made to a very poor standard.	bazmeister (3216)
1351233	2013-08-15 23:21:00	The CFL lights can get noisey/buzzy after a few years . Some of those just dont last that long either, and can fail in a spectacular way (bang) I think its all pot luck, but some types of incandescent bulbs do seem to blow more often than others, ie the reflector type lights I've been a bit lucky then, mine only blow once. ;)	R2x1 (4628)
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