- Location
- Massachusetts
Re: incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
Originally posted by Charlie:
Yes, I am sure
incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
- Thread starter flyingjon
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hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Re: incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
Here's a little something that I have noticed over the years.
1. When the bulb has no room to expel the heat they seem to blow out sooner.
2. when someone installs a higher watt bulb in a fixture especially one that is enclosed the bulbs burn out sooner.
3. if the fixture in in a location that has vibration like a outdoor fixture located next to a door that might slammed shut the bulbs blow out sooner.
4. over voltage might be an indicator of weak or bad neutral connection.
5. no name cheep brands
6. high occurrence of transient spikes.
With the proper testing and line monitoring most of these could be ruled out but the cheep bulbs is what I find most of the time. made in china are the biggest ones that fail.
Here's a little something that I have noticed over the years.
1. When the bulb has no room to expel the heat they seem to blow out sooner.
2. when someone installs a higher watt bulb in a fixture especially one that is enclosed the bulbs burn out sooner.
3. if the fixture in in a location that has vibration like a outdoor fixture located next to a door that might slammed shut the bulbs blow out sooner.
4. over voltage might be an indicator of weak or bad neutral connection.
5. no name cheep brands
6. high occurrence of transient spikes.
With the proper testing and line monitoring most of these could be ruled out but the cheep bulbs is what I find most of the time. made in china are the biggest ones that fail.
charlie tuna
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
Re: incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
i have had many meetings concerning voltage problems with fp&l and they always refer to the 10 per cent - plus or minus limitation. where we see many problems is on the high side when office buildings are "off line" or "after hours".
i have had many meetings concerning voltage problems with fp&l and they always refer to the 10 per cent - plus or minus limitation. where we see many problems is on the high side when office buildings are "off line" or "after hours".
- Location
- Massachusetts
Re: incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
Charlie T. That is what I imagined was happening.
After reading many of your posts I figured you would have been involved with voltage issues with your customers.
I also imagined that a POCO rep might throw out that plus or minus 10% either by mistake or trying to mislead you and the customer.
I meant no offense with my "Are you sure comment?"
Bob
Charlie T. That is what I imagined was happening.
After reading many of your posts I figured you would have been involved with voltage issues with your customers.
I also imagined that a POCO rep might throw out that plus or minus 10% either by mistake or trying to mislead you and the customer.
I meant no offense with my "Are you sure comment?"
Bob
justwondering
Member
Re: incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
Sometimes it is the simple things....more usuall than not there is nothing wrong and the bulb is just burnt. I answered similar call complaing of burnt out light, checked fixtures and neutrals and voltages then found the light to burn 24/7 and figured 3 months was about right. I suggested changing all bulbs and keeping track of the time between reoplacement. I heard another electrician came a few weeks later and found several of the sockets in the new fixtures to be "loose" he replaced them made more money and property management company was none the wiser.
Sometimes it is the simple things....more usuall than not there is nothing wrong and the bulb is just burnt. I answered similar call complaing of burnt out light, checked fixtures and neutrals and voltages then found the light to burn 24/7 and figured 3 months was about right. I suggested changing all bulbs and keeping track of the time between reoplacement. I heard another electrician came a few weeks later and found several of the sockets in the new fixtures to be "loose" he replaced them made more money and property management company was none the wiser.
charlie tuna
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
Re: incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
iwire,
thanks for the information, my dealings with the power company concerning power quality indicates they are very "non-commital" on anything. you have to have them backed into a corner before they admit "we have a problem"! i will definetly bring this to their attention at the next meeting!
iwire,
thanks for the information, my dealings with the power company concerning power quality indicates they are very "non-commital" on anything. you have to have them backed into a corner before they admit "we have a problem"! i will definetly bring this to their attention at the next meeting!
charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
Re: incandescent bulbs, short life. Voltage problem?
Something to keep in mind about any large company (more than 500 employees) is that the work is compartmentalized. That is to say that the majority of the service people do not know the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission. The marketing people do not know how line work is done. The engineers know the standards to be able to write work orders to install overhead and underground lines but generally do not know the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission. The power quality people know how to measure the anomalies and make load charts but do not know the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission. The power quality engineer and, generally, the engineering supervisor is intimately involved with the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission.
What I am saying is to investigate the public utility commission to see what is in writing and applies to the serving electric utility. At that point, you will know more about the permitted variations than the majority of the electric utility employees. That is not to run down a particular group or the utility, it is to point out that all (most) of the employees are experts in their job. I assure you that very few have a clue about what you do or what the rules filed with the utility commissions are, or . . .
Something to keep in mind about any large company (more than 500 employees) is that the work is compartmentalized. That is to say that the majority of the service people do not know the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission. The marketing people do not know how line work is done. The engineers know the standards to be able to write work orders to install overhead and underground lines but generally do not know the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission. The power quality people know how to measure the anomalies and make load charts but do not know the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission. The power quality engineer and, generally, the engineering supervisor is intimately involved with the rules that are filed with the pubic utility commission.
What I am saying is to investigate the public utility commission to see what is in writing and applies to the serving electric utility. At that point, you will know more about the permitted variations than the majority of the electric utility employees. That is not to run down a particular group or the utility, it is to point out that all (most) of the employees are experts in their job. I assure you that very few have a clue about what you do or what the rules filed with the utility commissions are, or . . .
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