Popping lightbulbs!

[Wendy]

Hi

Does anyone have any ideas on why all of a sudden I have a spate of
lightbulbs popping when I turn on the switch? It's been happening for about
two weeks and I even had an exploding bulb in my cooker hood - it actually
shattered and left the base in the bulb holder!

Our house is only two years old so the electrics should be okay - the
circuit breaker trips everytime a bulb pops so I know that's working fine!

Thanks

Wendy

 

[Gavin Gillespie]

Hi

Does anyone have any ideas on why all of a sudden I have a spate of
lightbulbs popping when I turn on the switch? It's been happening for about
two weeks and I even had an exploding bulb in my cooker hood - it actually
shattered and left the base in the bulb holder!

Our house is only two years old so the electrics should be okay - the
circuit breaker trips everytime a bulb pops so I know that's working fine!

My neighbour has had several bulbs blow recently, I told her that it
was probably a coincidence, but now I'm not so sure.

 

[Martin]

Hi

Does anyone have any ideas on why all of a sudden I have a spate of
lightbulbs popping when I turn on the switch? It's been happening for about
two weeks and I even had an exploding bulb in my cooker hood - it actually
shattered and left the base in the bulb holder!

Our house is only two years old so the electrics should be okay - the
circuit breaker trips everytime a bulb pops so I know that's working fine!

Thanks

Can't explain why, but we had the same thing in a new house - (nearly) all
the bulbs went at about the same time - and ditto after replacement. I
suspect the manufacturers can (and do) precisely set the life of a bulb -
though doubtless they couldn't possibly comment!

 

[Isolator]

given that your house is new - i would suspect a faulty 'batch' of bulbs;
try with a different make of bulb. Keep away from Phillips - i had the the
same problem a couple of months ago.

 

[Cejay]

There are many answers to your question here are a few:
Some cheaper light bulbs sold by discount stores are poorly made and are
subject to blowing after only a few hours use.( Pay a little extra for a
quality BS Lamp)

If the lamp is subject to vibration when lit ( kids jumping upstairs) it can
also lead to failure.

If a sudden surge of power occurs ( lightning ) again the lamp may fail.

If you fit the wrong voltage lamps ( 240v UK) again failure.

More serious problems arise if your electricity supply is faulty
In the NW at the moment a lot of recabling and updating is being carried out
by the network suppliers and this is leading to power outages and surges.

I strongly recommend IF this continues you ask a competent electrical
engineer or your local electricity supplier to check your incoming supply
voltage.
( Most electricity suppliers will do this free of charge if you ring the
fault line)

Hope this helps
Bigyun

 

[Mike]

I have also had this problem in the past and found
that the bulbs that were blowing were all bought
in own brand multipacks from a high street
supermarket.
I bought some higher priced branded ones which
so far have worked ok.

 

[BigWallop]

Hi

Does anyone have any ideas on why all of a sudden I have a spate of
lightbulbs popping when I turn on the switch? It's been happening for about
two weeks and I even had an exploding bulb in my cooker hood - it actually
shattered and left the base in the bulb holder!

Our house is only two years old so the electrics should be okay - the
circuit breaker trips everytime a bulb pops so I know that's working fine!

Thanks

Wendy

If they are all replaced at roughly the same time, then they will probably
burn out at roughly the same time. Any GLS (general lighting system) lamp
has a normal life expectancy of 1000 hours operating time, so if you have
replaced them all at one time, then you could expect them all to blow
roughly around the same time.

If, however, you find that any lamp is only lasting for a very short period
of time, working out approximately how long each lamp is being used, and you
find that they are blowing well within a reasonable life span, then get your
electricity supplier to monitor your supply voltage for any surges which
happening in the supply line, because this will damage other appliances as
well as just blow the lamps.


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[Wendy]

Thanks for your replies, that's really helpful.

Wendy

 

[BobS]

Why not take the opportunity now to change your ordinary bulbs for the
energy saving type - they last much longer and most electricity suppliers
sell them at a discounted price. BobS

 

[mike]

I bought my lights from the big diy store(orange colour) only because they
have managed to force all other lighting stores out of business and there
isnt anywhere else.
They were cheap, you know, the 4 lights on strip of bent metal kind of
thing.
so far I`ve replaced all the bulbs at least 3 times in about 2 years
work this out,
2 sets of lights £60
24 replacement bulbs £166.80
perhaps we didnt get quite the bargain after all.

mike

 

[James Salisbury]

I bought my lights from the big diy store(orange colour) only because they
have managed to force all other lighting stores out of business and there
isnt anywhere else.
They were cheap, you know, the 4 lights on strip of bent metal kind of
thing.
so far I`ve replaced all the bulbs at least 3 times in about 2 years
work this out,
2 sets of lights £60
24 replacement bulbs £166.80
perhaps we didnt get quite the bargain after all.

mike

Cheap way of extending the bulb life, most bulbs fail due to the surge at
turnon. Fit a dimmer that you have to TURN to turn on and the lamps go from
dim to bright
, it will greatly extend the life of the bulbs.

 

[mike]

Cheap way of extending the bulb life, most bulbs fail due to the surge at
turnon. Fit a dimmer that you have to TURN to turn on and the lamps go from
dim to bright
, it will greatly extend the life of the bulbs.

I went back to the store I got the lights from, the manager told me that a
guy had invented a light bulb that would last for about 70years, but the
electric companies bought out the patents for billions to stop them being
made. He said they now make them to last for approx 12months.
I just wonder what the chairmen of the relevant companies who made this
decision would think if we fitted their boilers to last 12 months, or
fitted tv`s, radios, cookers, toasters.
I`m sure they would be quick to kick up a fuss.

mike

 

[Gavin Gillespie]

I went back to the store I got the lights from, the manager told me that a
guy had invented a light bulb that would last for about 70years, but the
electric companies bought out the patents for billions to stop them being
made. He said they now make them to last for approx 12months.

Most light bulbs will last for 70 years, the trick is to not turn them
on ;o)

I heard this story about 25 years ago, and I think it is just an old
managers tale.
If it was possible to make an 'efficient' lamp last 70 years, at
reasonable cost, someone else would have found a way to do this, and
get around any patents.

 

[x x]

Good Idea Bob! I used to hate the energy savers because they took time to
bright up and cast a horrible light. But they are much improved now and
SMALLER and they also do them in a WARM LIGHT version. I am going over to
them wherever I can use them. I just bought one for my outside light which
is a daylight sensitive energy saver bulb comes on at dusk and goes off at
dawn - no special light fitting needed.

Tang

 

[tim.noakes]

Most light bulbs will last for 70 years, the trick is to not turn them
on ;o)

I heard this story about 25 years ago, and I think it is just an old
managers tale.
If it was possible to make an 'efficient' lamp last 70 years, at
reasonable cost, someone else would have found a way to do this, and
get around any patents.

I suspect there's something of an Old Manager's Tale here. Firstly, a patent
has a maximum life of 17 years - so if this was originally the case there'd
be an opportunity now for some cute Korean to nip in and start making these,
even to the original patent specification.

Also, there are slightly 'longer' life filament bulbs about. Try
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/cat.jsp?cId=100408&ts=01537

Unfortunately they don't seem to do a normal 'pearl' type bulb in long life,
but the candles etc are interesting. Not much of a saving though, the 3500
hr bulbs are - surprise surprise - around 3 x the price of the 1000 hr ones.

Cheers

Tim

 

[dorothy.bradbury]

Actually I think GE do have a very *very* long life lightbulb,
as do Philips - but there is no point in selling them due to the
vast loss in revenue (which is huge) from selling light bulbs.

Yes the NW is suffering a lot of spikes & brownouts. Quite
a lot of 267vac & 274vac being seen - continuous is 247-252.

Cap down v Cap up can have an impact on bulb life re cooling.
There is an internal fuse in a bulb, but cap-down the failing
element tends to fall on it and thus Type-B MCBs trip faster.

There is a "square" or such like relating life to temperature, so
if you drop the output via voltage/temp you boost life far higher.