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Bulb-Eaters.......

3K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  Dooi 
#1 ·
I run into these light fixtures all the time, for the past 20 years.

There'll be one, that just eats bulbs.

Incandescent, florescent, whatever.

I put a new ballast into an older fixture in a walk-in closet. Kept eating bulbs.

So I put a new fixture in. It eats bulbs. Changed out the ballast in the new fixture, still eats them.

I've checked voltage, looked for vibration, checked the bulb sockets, all appear to be fine.

The entire house is protected by surge arrestors. Nothing else in the house has any problems, to the best of my knowledge.

Another, new installation in a garage. Florescent. Bulbs die about once a month. New ballasts, all the usual checks.....Nothing.


Been researching this topic for 20 years, and I still haven't figured out why some fixtures or locations just have problems. :rolleyes:
 
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#3 ·
I don't know what the problem is either, but these LED bulbs have turned into the biggest screw you I've seen... they're supposed to last years, and after replacing them all, it feels like I'm replacing them at the same rate as incandescents... :rolleyes: :censored:
 
#9 ·
kidding aside...

had this problem several years ago in a school...

architect brought in a really down to earth & VERY cool guy, electrical engineer to evaluate the problem.

all manner of voltage/line tests, recording meters etc...

verdict was vibration, from mechanicals...

some isolation dampers were installed and the problem went away...

EE said vibration could come from a long ways away & cause the problem which could making the diagnosis more complicated...
 
#19 ·
This might not be relate to this problem but in controls there can be a similar event. When I've built building control panels that have running lights to show equipment's status (incandescent) a relay was often used to isolate the bulb from EMF spikes when an operating control opened.
The control could manage the spikes but not the bulb.
On some systems a varesistor was placed across the load to lessen spikes.
Not suggesting this as a fix for your problem but spikes kill bulbs. I'd look at connections, or shared with any inductive load.
 
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