Lighting

[kevin osullivan]

Why would lights in a house go bight and burn out within weeks. This is happening on different circuits.

 

[gar]

090516-1301 EST

You need to identify your circuits as phase A and B. Are the lamps that are burning out all on the same phase? What wattage of bulb? What voltage rating on bulb? What are the nominal voltages on each phase? Can you monitor the voltage on the phase with the failing lamps with a min-max voltmeter?

Where were the bulbs manufactured?

Answers to these may point to a cause.

.

 

[480sparky]

An open neutral.

 

[kevin osullivan]

Thanks for the replies. It is happening on both A and B circuit. All connections have been checked and a multi-meter is hooked up.

Wattage - 60
Voltages - 122

 

[masterinbama]

Typical loose neutral scenario. As the load on A increases the voltage on B will increase. And as the load on B increases the voltage on A will increase. If A and B are balanced the voltage will be also.

 

[mivey]

Thanks for the replies. It is happening on both A and B circuit. All connections have been checked and a multi-meter is hooked up.

Wattage - 60
Voltages - 122

Please clarify "all connections". Have you checked the panel, meter base, and transformer? The loose neutral could be at any, or more than one, of those locations.

By going bright, do you mean right when they blow, or they get bright sometimes and eventually blow? If they get bright and eventually blow, I suspect a loose neutral as others have.

Do you have a neighbor on the same transformer with the same problem? If so, get the transformer and/or common service drop checked.

If they just brighten when they blow, it could just be the way the filament dies. This could just mean you have a bunch of cheap give-a-way lamps. If you are buying them from a regular store, I would expect them to last longer than a few weeks and you are back to a loose neutral.

I guess one other possiblity are voltage spikes but that would be less likely because your neighbors would be complaining.