R-20 lamps keep burning out

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acrwc10

acrwc10

Master Code Professional
Location
CA
Occupation
Building inspector
I wired a house about 5 years ago and put in Elco IC 4'' line voltage recess lights.Yesterday the HO told me that four of the lights in the kitchen the lamps don't last longer then a week, two at the most. He has bought replacement lamps from different stores and different brands. There is built in sterio speakers in the ceiling,My guess would be the vibration is a big part of the problem, non of the other locations do this,even though the speakers are through out the house. The lamps that keep going out are R-20 50watt. I suggested trying PAR20 Halogen lamps as they have a thicker glass and the filliment is encased in a second bulb inside them.My thinking is this will cut down on the effects of vibration.Has anyone else had this problem and if so how did you resolve it? All replys are welcome, Thanks.
 
Acrwc10

Acrwc10

Don't know if this will help you but. I have Halo 6"IC with 65watt lamps installed in my ceiling with speakers approx 6" away. I blast,, I mean blast my music when my wife and daughter are away and never blew out the lamps. Not alot of low end flowing out of a ceiling speaker to cause the vibration you are speaking of,, in my opionion, but what the hell do I know..

Hope this helps a little

ed
 
I would try the PAR lamps. However make sure that the fixture is rated for PAR type lamps.
 
If it is a vibration issue, I would recommend the new compact flourescents that are in an R-lamp style package. Have you checked the voltage, by chance? Could these fixtures possibly be on one leg of a multi-wire branch circuit that is having issues?
 
I am having the exact same problem right now on a project! I do know it isn't the speakers, because thay aren't hooked up yet. No kids running around upstairs to blame either...
 
mdshunk said:
If it is a vibration issue, I would recommend the new compact flourescents that are in an R-lamp style package. Have you checked the voltage, by chance? Could these fixtures possibly be on one leg of a multi-wire branch circuit that is having issues?
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I thought of the muli wire circuit but it is on a two wire #14 not to far from the panel. There are other recess lights on the same switch leg that are fine.
 
And by the way I really have a hard time believing that 4 lights a week have burned out for 4 or more years and this is the first I have heard about it.4 bulbs a week x 52weeks in a year X 4 years =832 bad bulbs. Call it a hunch but I think they are over stating the problem.I do believe that there is something going on in these four fixtures though.
 
acrwc10 said:
They are I.C. rated
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Being I C rated does not keep them from getting hot.Just shuts them down before they cause a fire.I do think your not being told the truth.Why wait 5 years and miss out on warranty.Something is wrong.Was any insulation added just recently ? Nobody has replaced bulbs 100 times before calling.
 
infinity said:
Those would be good until they complain about the room being darker.
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Change them all and if they complain,tell them it`s an eclipse :).Seriously I have never met a homeowner that would have changed that many bulbs and wait 5 years to call.I agree with jim W something has changed if the voltage is correct and the vibrations are not an issue.

Not to long ago I checked a halo can in a home where the homeowner told me that the can light just stopped working.As it turned out the can light could not have ever worked.The factory sent it out without a jumper from the lampholder to the thermal limit.
 
allenwayne said:
Not to long ago I checked a halo can in a home where the homeowner told me that the can light just stopped working.As it turned out the can light could not have ever worked.The factory sent it out without a jumper from the lampholder to the thermal limit.
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That is the Halo "super energy saver can" they cost a little more but you never see them on your electric bill.
 
Bulbs Burning Out Too Fast

Bulbs Burning Out Too Fast

I had the same problem with PAR 38 120 watt halogen bulbs burning out too fast in one particular commercial can on a 120/208 3-wire network branch circuit on a 120Y208 4-wire 3-phase panel.

What I did was to take apart the 28 year old copper wire splices, clean them up with #220 silicon carbide paper, and then respliced with new Scotchloks(R). Excessive voltage drop in the neutral splices from copper oxide buildup was creating too much voltage on 1 side of the circuit and too little on the other side.

Had this same problem in the same building where when a freezer would restart after defrosting, the shift in neutral voltage would cause the telephone system ( on a different phase of a 4-wire 120Y208 volt branch circuit ) to do an overvoltage shutdown. Resplicing the wires, replacing a defective outlet for 1 of 3 freezers, and pulling in 2 extra wires to put the telephone system on a dedicated branch circuit fixed the problem.

You can also have this same problem if two 2-wire branch circuits share the same neutral bar terminal and the terminal is just a little loose and/or the wires a little oxidized.

I also know someone who is having bad copper oxide problems with the interior wiring of a 20 year old house about 1/2 a mile east of Interstate 271 because of sufuric acid from the catalytic converters.

Mike Cole
 
mc5w said:
I also know someone who is having bad copper oxide problems with the interior wiring of a 20 year old house about 1/2 a mile east of Interstate 271 because of sufuric acid from the catalytic converters.
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Okay, you're gonna have to 'splain that one. How was that determined? Was there a university study conducted in their home? A crack team of forensic scientists? Or, just a guess?
 
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