Mark Price
Member
- Location
- United States
mountain cabin every visit one or two bulbs have blown sometimes the same bulb suggestions to the problem:?
I've often heard this, and have trouble understanding it. A lamp filament operates at more than 4000?; based on that, I just find it very hard to imagine that the relatively little heat created by a poor connection at the lamp base would have a serious impact....It is loose and excess heat developing there does shorten lamp life....
I kind of fee the same way - does it add that much heat to make a difference, but experience has shown that fixing those bad sockets makes a difference yet I have no real good technical reason as to why. Many times have had a multi-lamp fixture where only one socket goes through more of same lamps then others - every time have found bad connection in that socket and replaced it and problems were greatly diminished.I've often heard this, and have trouble understanding it. A lamp filament operates at more than 4000?; based on that, I just find it very hard to imagine that the relatively little heat created by a poor connection at the lamp base would have a serious impact.
Maybe the poor connection is more likely to cause flickering, which would stress the filament and shorten lamp life?
Was a good solution 15 years ago. Today it is getting harder just to find 120 volt incandescent lamps.I lived in an apartment a while back where the light inside the front door would blow every week or so.
We left the light on most of the time so it wasn't pitch black when we got home from work.
Ruled out vibration by putting in a CFL - those kept blowing too.
Didn't want to buy an LED bulb only to have that blow too.
Every time I metered the voltage, it was around 125.
Eventually, got a contractor pack of 130V bulbs off of Amazon for about $10.
Put one of them in, and it never blew again!
So, I'm guessing the voltage was spiking, probably a loose neutral somewhere. The landlord was a moron, and I was moving out anyway, so I never investigated.
I'd recommend getting the 130V bulbs, and then checking for loose wires somewhere if you've got the motivation.
Just have to know where to look and what to ask for. Rough Service bulbs are easy to get and most are 130V.Was a good solution 15 years ago. Today it is getting harder just to find 120 volt incandescent lamps.
Just have to know where to look and what to ask for. Rough Service bulbs are easy to get and most are 130V.
If flicker is bad enough to be noticeable customers would complain about that, otherwise they flicker anyway at 60Hz but is a fast enough rate it isn't noticeable but also isn't a full off/on flicker either.I agree with the loose connection at the socket. Ive never heard of the extra heat theory, but assumed it was causing flickering and wearing out the filament. I also change out many of these. Usually the wires connecting the socket is a little toasted. Also I've had customers use those screw shell photo controls. There is a time when it is just enough light to make these flicker some times and I have found that they are rough on bulbs sometimes.
If flicker is bad enough to be noticeable customers would complain about that, otherwise they flicker anyway at 60Hz but is a fast enough rate it isn't noticeable but also isn't a full off/on flicker either.
The heat at the socket melts the solder used on the bottom of the lamp, breaks the seal, and oxygen enters the lamp. The filament burns up very quickly as soon as you have oxygen inside of the lamp.I've often heard this, and have trouble understanding it. A lamp filament operates at more than 4000?; based on that, I just find it very hard to imagine that the relatively little heat created by a poor connection at the lamp base would have a serious impact.
Maybe the poor connection is more likely to cause flickering, which would stress the filament and shorten lamp life?
Best explanation I have heard for this.The heat at the socket melts the solder used on the bottom of the lamp, breaks the seal, and oxygen enters the lamp. The filament burns up very quickly as soon as you have oxygen inside of the lamp.
Except that the solder on the bottom of a light bulb is not the air seal. The extruded glass piece inside the bulb that supports the filament standoff is the bottom of the envelope.Best explanation I have heard for this.
I have to say I doubt solder would seal glass very well and should have seen that. Maybe still a possibility that the real seal sees too much heat and is compromised though.Except that the solder on the bottom of a light bulb is not the air seal. The extruded glass piece inside the bulb that supports the filament standoff is the bottom of the envelope.