Author Topic: domestic lights (Read 3590 times)

Si · « **on:** 20 May, 2010, 02:10:42 pm »

In one room of my parents house the light bulbs keep blowing. They've had new light units fitted and made dobly sure that the bulbs used are OK with these units but still they continue to blow. The bulbs can last for anything from a couple of weeks to a few months before blowing.

Any ideas as to why this should be?

cheers.

urban_biker · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 May, 2010, 02:14:02 pm »

What type of bulbs are they? CFL bulbs can have some problems when they are in enclosed shades like bathroom lights etc.

Biggsy · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 May, 2010, 02:38:48 pm »

Bulb life is shortened every time the light is turned on, as well as by every minute it's left on.

An ordinary incandescent bulb is often only rated for 1000 hours anyway. That's just 42 days of continous use.

Greenbank · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 May, 2010, 02:48:30 pm »

Also caused by spiky/dirty power which could have a whole host of causes:-

a) The incoming supply affected by nearby environmental things (train lines, nearby sub-stations or switching gear).
b) The wiring/fusebox inside the house

Since it's just affecting one room in the house I'd suspect it may be related to the wiring/fusebox for that loop.

Si · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 May, 2010, 03:31:06 pm »

cheers. they are bog standard old fashioned non-low energy bulbs - 60w I think. they are definatly blowing far far more often than bulbs in other parts of the house that have similar use.

The room is in an extension that the previous owner built himself....lord save us from enthusiastic amateurs eh? I do keep telling them to get an electrician in but that would entail spending money

Little Jim · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 May, 2010, 03:37:08 pm »

Quote from: Bodger on 20 May, 2010, 03:31:06 pm

The room is in an extension that the previous owner built himself....lord save us from enthusiastic amateurs eh? I do keep telling them to get an electrician in but that would entail spending money

Yeabut something isn't quite right. As the rest of the house seems OK, and as it was not installed by a qualified electrician it would defo be worth getting it checked. Yes, it will cost money (but so do light bulbs) and it will certainly be cheaper if it stops the house catching fire.

urban_biker · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 May, 2010, 03:37:59 pm »

How about installing CFL replacement bulbs. These contain their own electronics which might smooth out any power surges ( or may not) but its worth a try first as a cheaper alternative to an electrician.

border-rider · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 May, 2010, 03:43:35 pm »

It might be something as simple as a knackered switch, which is arcing either when on or when turned on/off.

Have they been trying different makes of bulb ? We have in the past found a bad batch of one make/supplier which lasted no time at all; change to a different make and they lasted fine.

I doubt there's much in the environment that would shorten bulb life, unless they're very close to a very major overhead power line.

Biggsy · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 May, 2010, 03:59:43 pm »

Is it a cool room? Could that have anything to do with it? The difference in temperature of the filament when off compared to on?

Or I suspect that the light is in fact used more (or switched on and off more often) than other lights in the house, even if you think the usage is similar. That's more likely than anything else.

hellymedic · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 May, 2010, 04:56:10 pm »

Do you really think a difference of 10°C will make any difference to the life of a filament that is around around 3000°C in normal use? I don't but IANAn engineer.

Zoidburg · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 May, 2010, 04:58:25 pm »

Does it have a consumer unit or an old fashioned box?

Si · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 May, 2010, 05:03:13 pm »

room is fairly normal, heat wise.
bulbs are a variety of makes (getting harder to find the non LE ones) and are pearls. I'll tell them to try the LE ones if they won't get a specialist in.

I don't think that it's the switch - IIRC there are separate switches for the three lamp units in the room and they all have the problem.

Not sure what the difference between a consumer unit and an old fashioned box is?

Quote

Yes, it will cost money (but so do light bulbs) and it will certainly be cheaper if it stops the house catching fire.

this is what I say but you know what elderly parents can be like!

Zoidburg · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 May, 2010, 06:48:43 pm »

Quote from: Bodger on 20 May, 2010, 05:03:13 pm

Not sure what the difference between a consumer unit and an old fashioned box is?

Consumer unit - modern RCD/trip switch thingy.

Fuse Box - Bits of fuse wire, possibly even a nail - dodgy as fook and thankfully seen less and less apart from in the homes of crazy cat ladies.

tonycollinet · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 May, 2010, 09:17:09 pm »

Or in my case, crazy cat men???

Nothing wrong with fuseboxes. I've been living in houses with fuseboxes for 47 some odd years, and I haven't been killed once (as far as I can remember)

Zoidburg · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 May, 2010, 09:20:32 pm »

Quote from: tonycollinet on 20 May, 2010, 09:17:09 pm

Or in my case, crazy cat men???

Nothing wrong with fuseboxes. I've been living in houses with fuseboxes for 47 some odd years, and I haven't been killed once (as far as I can remember)

Yes but all those houses burned down.

Biggsy · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 May, 2010, 09:30:04 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 May, 2010, 04:56:10 pm

Do you really think a difference of 10°C will make any difference to the life of a filament that is around around 3000°C in normal use? I don't but IANAn engineer.

Now you put it like that... no! Though I don't know the finer points of filament behaviour.

tonycollinet · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 May, 2010, 10:28:09 pm »

Well unless this room is a figment of my imagination - at least one of them is still up.

Pancho · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 May, 2010, 06:18:39 am »

Hmm. I have a similar thing in a bathroom - except that the mean time to failure is between 1 and 30 seconds. There are half a dozen filament bulbs (screw in, flat fronted spots) - a couple of these are fine but the rest just blow as soon as you put a new one in and turn it on. As they cost about £2 a go, I gave up and so we bathe in half darkness.

Jacomus · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 May, 2010, 09:56:44 am »

Our bathroom light has done this ever since we moved in, our landlord even left a big box of lightbulbs for us in expectation of the issue.

As soon as we had finished those bulbs (didn't take long) the nice people at nPower sent us a box of energy saving bulbs.

No more problem. Energy saving bulb totally cured it.

JStone · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 May, 2010, 10:09:04 am »

Are they ceiling lights? We had a similar problem recently with recessed ceiling lights in the kitchen, where the ES bulbs were very sensitive to vibration from people in the room above. I ended up having to replace the units with ones taking GU10 bulbs, which - touch wood - have been fine ever since.

Si · « **Reply #20 on:** 21 May, 2010, 11:17:47 am »

Quote from: tonycollinet on 20 May, 2010, 09:17:09 pm

Nothing wrong with fuseboxes. I've been living in houses with fuseboxes for 47 some odd years, and I haven't been killed once (as far as I can remember)

apart from trying to find replacement fuse wire. Maplins have given up on it now. Our £ shop does it every now and then but getting more infrequent.

As for the fuse box or modern replacement - I'll have a look next time I go round.

Zoidburg · « **Reply #21 on:** 21 May, 2010, 04:42:30 pm »

Maplins won't have it but if you have an olde fashioned village hardware/ironmongers near by they may well have it.

hellymedic · « **Reply #22 on:** 21 May, 2010, 05:22:54 pm »

Quote from: Zoidburg on 21 May, 2010, 04:42:30 pm

Maplins won't have it but if you have an olde fashioned village hardware/ironmongers near by they may well have it.

There's always that new-fangled Amazon who are selling fuse wire for £<3 with free shipping.

Zoidburg · « **Reply #23 on:** 21 May, 2010, 05:24:10 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 21 May, 2010, 05:22:54 pm

Quote from: Zoidburg on 21 May, 2010, 04:42:30 pm
Maplins won't have it but if you have an olde fashioned village hardware/ironmongers near by they may well have it.

There's always that new-fangled Amazon who are selling fuse wire for £<3 with free shipping.

Support your local grumpy old bugger seelling tin baths my dear.

Don't feed the beast.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 May, 2010, 12:23:39 pm »

GE do mini MCBs which will slot in the place of fuseholders. Much safer.

Author Topic: domestic lights (Read 3590 times)

border-rider

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