Bulb burns out prematurely?
 

So we have these two pendent lights in our kitchen. For some reason, one of the two always burns out quickly (within a few weeks of bulb replacement). There's no vibration near the bulb, so that shouldn't be the cause. Is it possible that a loose connection could be the problem? Any thoughts?

It could be at fault, if the loose connection would cause it to flicker, because light bulbs usually burn out while they are being turned on.

if the connection isn't the problem, you should try one of those energy saving light bulbs that last longer. It doesn't seem to be the actual light bulb is the problem though.

Too much current can kill a bulb quickly. It could be a loose extra wire sending too much for the bulb to take...but you'd notice that because it would burn really freaking brightly while it would be alive. Maybe your luck is just awful?

it could still be vibration - -doesnt' take much to kill a regular light bulb. Try a ceiling fan bulb in there. They have stronger filaments to withstand the vibration from the fan.

And as has been mentioned it could be too much current, except that it would be weird to get too much on one arm of the chandelier, and the right amount everywhere else. That's why if it's not vibration I'd first look at the wiring. If there's a frayed wire it could be shorting rapidly and causing the bulb to die.

Well, I checked the wiring and sure enough the return was barely connected in the wire nut. Hopefully this will solve the problem, but I won't really know for a month or so. Thanks for the help.

When I lived in an apartment in NYC my ceiling spots never lasted long. The super said you needed to buy 130v ones. However I could never find any, which isn't surprising as the voltage is meant to be 110V. I think the super was talking crap but then I don't know the ins and outs of the US electricity system.

Are you using the same brand of light bulbs? I had the same problem with el-cheapo bulbs continually burning out before.

Well, I'm stumped. Another bulb went out after about three weeks. The bulbs were all brand new, not from the same package, and not even the same brand. The two pendant fixtures are only about 3 feet apart and there's nothing that vibrates near by. I was sure I had the problem solved when I found the loose wire, but I guess not. I guess it's possible that the fixture itself is faulty.

Try to find some of those old bulb-saver discs. They cut down the inrush current which is what really stresses the filament. The discs are a rectifier or thermistor in a small round tab you put in the socket before screwing in the bulb. They've helped me when I couldn't track down the cause of frequent burnouts.

You might find you need to go with a hotter bulb since the discs reduce consumption and light output slightly - ~25%.

Hmmm. We have a lot of recessed light cans in the ceiling and outside, and the ones that are sealed -- the ones that have some sort of lens over the bulb -- burn out a lot more quickly -- like, in a couple of months. I thought it was something to do with the wiring, but it turns out that bulbs in sealed fixtures get hotter (of course) and burn out more quickly. I bought some bulbs that are supposed to last 3x longer than regular bulbs, and they did; they lasted six months! Which is way below their standard rating.

You say that these are pendant fixtures: are the bulbs bare, or are they enclosed? From my experience, anything that traps heat around the bulb with little or no air circulation will reduce bulb life.

I just had this problem in my home. All my fixtures (which are like, over twenty years old, and not that good quality to begin with) went to crap. I got new fixtures for like 12 bucks apiece (frugal woman here) and not only do the lights work now, but they look much nicer.

not all electrical systems are created equal.

you may have excessive line noise or fluctuations. if you live in an apartment complex or an older home, this is the likely culprit. if it is a house you own, it may be worthwhile to have an electrician come and run a few tests.

I had that problem with one of two fixtures I installed. I couldn't figure any reason for one of the bulbs to burn out so often. I went to a different store and purchased some and haven't expeienced the problem in over a year now. I think I must have gotten into a defective batch or something.

If both fixtures are on the same switch. The problem has to do with the flow of electricity one (the one always burning out first) is recieving an inrush of current each time they are switched on and the other one is getting a lesser amount. initially. The inrush causes premature breakdown on the filaments.

Get a 130v bulb for the fixture that always burns out. Use a standard bulb for the other fixture. You can find them at a lighting or electrical supply house. Ask for the rough service bulbs. They have a heavier filament and are usually rated for 130volts instead of 120volts. I have a single fixture in my bathroom that used to eat bulbs. I even tried the fancy flourescent bulbs, it was toast in 2 months. I switched to the rough service 130v bulb. and it is still burning 3 years later.