R-20 lamps keep burning out

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have three lights on the outside of my garage that I replace at least once per month. I thought it was the vibration from the garage door openers. I ran them up and down several times but could not feel any excess vibration even with two running at the same time. I tried rough service bulbs and the 130 volt jobs. Nothing worked. There is another light on an adjacent wall that has been changed maybe five times in 15 years. These are all on the same circuit. Still have not solved this problem.
 
I have had exact same problem with 50W R20's in 4" cans. I think they just get too hot for the lamps. There is very little air flow around the lamp. I have switched to 13W compact flourescents. Your client will love them. Put one in next to the others and they will be sold. Much cooler, much brighter, much less energy used, and last much much longer. When they are on, you don't notice the twisted flourescent tube. When they are off its dark so you don't notice either.:D
 
LarryFine said:
It's gotta be heat, then.
Click to expand...

Goes back to the insulation issue.They might be IC rated,but the heat might be enough to create a situation where the recessed can bulbs are operating at the max temp. they can stand.I`d try pulling insulation away from the can bodies and see what happens.
 
allenwayne said:
Goes back to the insulation issue.They might be IC rated,but the heat might be enough to create a situation where the recessed can bulbs are operating at the max temp. they can stand.I`d try pulling insulation away from the can bodies and see what happens.
Click to expand...


I just read something in another post that may be worth looking into, if the inside of the recess light got painted it may be holding in excessive heat.
 
acrwc10 said:
I just read something in another post that may be worth looking into, if the inside of the recess light got painted it may be holding in excessive heat.
Click to expand...

I never even gave that a thought.Your right,it could effect the can and ability to handle heat.We all see them getting sprayed with drywall compound and then paint.Thankfully them little red caps protect the socket.Perhaps overspray violates its rating.I see a bad day ahead for drywallers and painters.
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
I never even gave that a thought.Your right,it could effect the can and ability to handle heat.We all see them getting sprayed with drywall compound and then paint.Thankfully them little red caps protect the socket.Perhaps overspray violates its rating.I see a bad day ahead for drywallers and painters.
Click to expand...

Not much more different than overspray on panel buss bars.Contamination is contamination 110.12 C, so it`s wouldn`t be a rating issue but an NEC issue.
 
allenwayne said:
Not much more different than overspray on panel buss bars.Contamination is contamination 110.12 C, so it`s wouldn`t be a rating issue but an NEC issue.
Click to expand...

Do we apply this to our wires in the boxes too ? This could get costly for drywallers and painters.Can you think of how long it would take to tape all of these ? OUCH.
 
IMO over spray on a housing is no different than over spray on device boxes, it is a non issue, assuming the required labels are still showing and any sockets where protected.
 
iwire said:
IMO over spray on a housing is no different than over spray on device boxes, it is a non issue, assuming the required labels are still showing and any sockets where protected.
Click to expand...


I disagree with that statement.
If the lighting can is designed, and it is manufactured to "sink" X amount of heat through the metallic shell and the shell gets painted, it most likely will not "sink" the heat away in the designed fashion.
JMHO
 
Pierre C Belarge said:
If the lighting can is designed, and it is manufactured to "sink" X amount of heat through the metallic shell and the shell gets painted, it most likely will not "sink" the heat away in the designed fashion.
JMHO
Click to expand...

I can buy that. :)

I just have my doubts that many cans are designed to sink a certain amount of heat or that if they are the design is that close to boader line to result in paint changing the outcome.

My thought is that there would be a 'do not paint' label on the can if the design is that close.
 
Is is possible that an IC rated can can operate at it's maximum design temperature and meet all the UL testing requirements, but... that temperature will be out of range in accordance with the lamp manufacturer's maximum filament operating temperature? Wow, that's a long sentence. This could dramatically decrease the lamp life.
 
I've seen many of these can lights where the thermal cut out opens and the HO thinks there is a serious electrical issue.

I was at a friends house the other day and the he was telling me the cans in his kitchen would turn off then on 5 min. later. He told me it was because they were only on a 15A breaker! The 15A just wasn't delivering enough power. (It wasn't tripping, by the way).
He was going to put them on a 20A and that would solve the problem. :confused::shock:

I explained to him what was happening, he installed lower wattage bulbs and hasn't had a problem.

What I'm wondering here, and I know it's a dumb question, but are the lights actually burning out, or are they just getting cut out and the HO thinks they are dead bulbs now? Probably not the case but it may be worth a look. :)
 
Dave58er said:
I've seen many of these can lights where the thermal cut out opens and the HO thinks there is a serious electrical issue.

I was at a friends house the other day and the he was telling me the cans in his kitchen would turn off then on 5 min. later. He told me it was because they were only on a 15A breaker! The 15A just wasn't delivering enough power. (It wasn't tripping, by the way).
He was going to put them on a 20A and that would solve the problem. :confused::shock:

I explained to him what was happening, he installed lower wattage bulbs and hasn't had a problem.

What I'm wondering here, and I know it's a dumb question, but are the lights actually burning out, or are they just getting cut out and the HO thinks they are dead bulbs now? Probably not the case but it may be worth a look. :)
Click to expand...

they are burning out.

I have noticed also that some of the IC cans have gone from being made of steel to being much thinner aluminium this would shed heat faster.
 
iwire said:
I can buy that. :)

I just have my doubts that many cans are designed to sink a certain amount of heat or that if they are the design is that close to border line to result in paint changing the outcome.

My thought is that there would be a 'do not paint' label on the can if the design is that close.
Click to expand...

Never mind the do not paint label, how about how much insulation can I stuff on top of this can... ALOT of people are going with BLOWN in insulation these days... How does a lighting manufacture overcome these types of installations?
 
I'm going for a long shot, but I would check the brass tabs inside the socket itself, it people are overtightening the bulbs, when they replace them they may not make a great connection. Because we all know bulbs are not created equal, this would create a small ARC and burn the solder off the base of the bulb, thus the bulb loses its vacuum and the rest is history... just a wild shot thrown at you...
 
stickboy1375 said:
I'm going for a long shot, but I would check the brass tabs inside the socket itself, it people are overtightening the bulbs, when they replace them they may not make a great connection. Because we all know bulbs are not created equal, this would create a small ARC and burn the solder off the base of the bulb, thus the bulb loses its vacuum and the rest is history... just a wild shot thrown at you...
Click to expand...

That is one I would never of thought of. If it is I will buy you two beers.
 
The solder may be softening, but I can assure you that the bulb vacuum is not dependent on the solder for its seal. You've never had a screw base break off of a bulb and the bulb still worked (until the wires either broke or twisted and shorted)?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top