Bulbs keep blowing in my house!

L

LmannyR

New Member
Aug 16, 2008
328
West Palm Beach, FL
Boat Info
220 Sundancer 1989
Engines
5.7 Mercruiser w/Alpha 1
A few months ago I replaced 5 out of 6 energy saver bulbs. There suppose to last like 3 years or something. The bulbs were not maybe 1-2 years old. Now 2 of them are out again. What the hell?

There are 4 in the kitchen, and the all went out a month or so ago one by one (replaced them as they went). Now one of the new ones are out too. These are also energy saver bulbs too. What the HELL!!!!!!

Last week during when adding breakers, I heard the a/c compressor breaker buzz as it turned on. Pulled it, and noticed corrosion buildup, and replaced it. Could corrosion on the breakers cause my bulbs to go like this?

Anything I should look for?


thanks!!!!
 
I have the same problem, but I haven't used any of the poisonous mercury bulbs. I use regular incandescent and I have a couple of lights that I replace every two weeks or so. I can't figure out WHY these lights kill bulbs so fast? An electrician that I talked to suggested having the power company check the negative feed. They did, everything was fine and they did some other checks as well. Everything looked good to them. I'm puzzled and don't know what to do next.
 
Sundancer said:
I have the same problem, but I haven't used any of the poisonous mercury bulbs. I use regular incandescent and I have a couple of lights that I replace every two weeks or so. I can't figure out WHY these lights kill bulbs so fast? An electrician that I talked to suggested having the power company check the negative feed. They did, everything was fine and they did some other checks as well. Everything looked good to them. I'm puzzled and don't know what to do next.
Click to expand...

FYI ~ There is no "negative feed" in AC voltage.

Incandescent bulbs can prematurley crap out for various reasons. Some of my customers that have 2 storey homes complain of bulbs burning out more frequently on the main floor as opposed to the ones on the top floor. This can sometimes be attributed to their over zealous high energy little "rug rats" bouncing and jumping hard on the floor and their crappy bulbs below simply cannot take the shock. Solution (short of putting the little darlings on a short leash) is to purchase rough service bulbs rated at 130 volts rather than the cheapies that are rated at 120 volts. The filiments in the 130 volt bulbs are far more sturdier and are braced for rough usage. Perodic power surges can also play hell on these cheap bulbs. Try the 130 volt bulbs my friend.

~ Ken
 
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electricaldoctor said:
FYI ~ There is no "negative feed" in AC voltage.

Incandescent bulbs can prematurley crap out for various reasons. Some of my customers that have 2 storey homes complain of bulbs burning out more frequently on the main floor as opposed to the ones on the top floor. This can sometimes be attributed to their over zealous high energy little "rug rats" bouncing and jumping hard on the floor and their crappy bulbs below simply cannot take the shock. Solution (short of putting the little darlings on a short leash) is to purchase rough service bulbs rated at 130 volts rather than the cheapies that are rated at 120 volts. The filiments in the 130 volt bulbs are far more sturdier and are braced for rough usage. Perodic power surges can also play hell on these cheap bulbs. Try the 130 volt bulbs my friend.

~ Ken
Click to expand...

Do I need a union person to put the bulbs in or is this a DIY job?
 
Four Suns said:
Do I need a union person to put the bulbs in or is this a DIY job?
Click to expand...

I'm not a "Union Guy" Gary, so you won't get a rise out of me on this one. I'm sure that our friend from earlier posts might offer up a sick opinion with a union slant on this though. Not unless he hasn't been scared away by now. He didn't last too long, did he?

~Ken
 
I have a couple circuits that blow bulbs all the time... there is no floor above them either. I think mine has something to do with this Lutron system as it appears that the light circuits never really turn off 100%. Some of the auto shut-off switches I have in closets are the same way... but who knows. I also have a couple switches I have no idea what they do... and I built the damn house.
 
Four Suns said:
Do I need a union person to put the bulbs in or is this a DIY job?
Click to expand...

You might...but you better check to make sure your local Building and Zoning Department doesn't require an Electrical Equipment Change Out Permit.:thumbsup:
 
Four Suns said:
I have a couple circuits that blow bulbs all the time... there is no floor above them either. I think mine has something to do with this Lutron system as it appears that the light circuits never really turn off 100%. Some of the auto shut-off switches I have in closets are the same way... but who knows. I also have a couple switches I have no idea what they do... and I built the damn house.
Click to expand...

My next door neighbor and i have noticed voltage drops and nearly new Air Conditioning Compressors trip out the high temp breakers on several occasions. I reported it to Florida Plunder and Loot...they sent a crew out to install a 48 hour voltage/amperage recorder on both of our meters. They found that both of us as well as others in our community were having occasional drops to 200~205 volt at the service entrance within the measurement period. I asked what the utility could do for us and got the "deer in the head lights" look with the answer "We'll turn it over to engineering". That was 3 months ago. I have a Trane 5 ton Multi Speed unit with a "soft start" capacitor and hit the line with about 38 amps at start and run at about 25 amps.
I am thinking that we are sharing a winding breakdown problem in the transformer that is shared by 6 homes. My neighbor and I both have 250 amp service. I don't look for this problem to be resolved any time soon.

Having said all of that, I realize that over time the utilities components wear out and must be replaced. Seems like any time these bastards have to upgrade the service they have to go whine to the Public Service Commission for a rate increase.

I sure wish I could get a rate increase every time I have to replace or repair a piece of equipment I use in my business.:huh:
 
sprink56 said:
My next door neighbor and i have noticed voltage drops and nearly new Air Conditioning Compressors trip out the high temp breakers on several occasions. I reported it to Florida Plunder and Loot...they sent a crew out to install a 48 hour voltage/amperage recorder on both of our meters. They found that both of us as well as others in our community were having occasional drops to 200~205 volt at the service entrance within the measurement period. I asked what the utility could do for us and got the "deer in the head lights" look with the answer "We'll turn it over to engineering". That was 3 months ago. I have a Trane 5 ton Multi Speed unit with a "soft start" capacitor and hit the line with about 38 amps at start and run at about 25 amps.
I am thinking that we are sharing a winding breakdown problem in the transformer that is shared by 6 homes. My neighbor and I both have 250 amp service. I don't look for this problem to be resolved any time soon.

Having said all of that, I realize that over time the utilities components wear out and must be replaced. Seems like any time these bastards have to upgrade the service they have to go whine to the Public Service Commission for a rate increase.

I sure wish I could get a rate increase every time I have to replace or repair a piece of equipment I use in my business.:huh:
Click to expand...

That will do it Sprink. Lower the voltage and the amperage will rise causing all sorts of problems. Then the opposite will cause a whole different set of problems when you start to experience voltage spikes.
 
I was just messing' with you guys to see if you were paying attention. Actually, he stated the ground wire could be loose. It wasn't or didn't show up in the check by the utility.

Gary, as far as the union goes, you know as well as I do they can't rotate the house while I hold the lightbulb! But they will still bill me for the hours they tried!
 
Four Suns said:
I have a couple circuits that blow bulbs all the time... there is no floor above them either. I think mine has something to do with this Lutron system as it appears that the light circuits never really turn off 100%. Some of the auto shut-off switches I have in closets are the same way... but who knows. I also have a couple switches I have no idea what they do... and I built the damn house.
Click to expand...

Not to add fuel to the fire Gary, but your buddy "twomad" will probably suggest that you built your house on weekends with non-union scabs. :grin: Is your "Lutron System" alluding to dimmers?
 
Sprink,

The utility has to maintain the voltage within some nominal level to your service entrance. I know in PA we are at +- 5% of nominal. 200-205V I would imagine is well below that nomial level. You are going in the right direction. FPL should have at least asked the folks off your transformer if they have the same issue. What that tells you is that the problem is at the transformer or the seconday or buss bar in the transformer. If only you have the issue then it your service lateral or more likely they have concentric neutral on your service and it is starting to corrode. Common problem up here. The next step after the recording voltmeter is to put a beast of burden on the service to check the neutral that will tell you if its starting to go south on you.... Keep on them as you are right the utility won't move fast and that engineer you talked to is working on a LOT of the same cases and unless your playing golf with their regional director or higher your not going to get the utility to change anything...quickly..
 
electricaldoctor said:
I'm not quite sure what kind of a lighting control system that you have Gary, but perhaps this link will help you out with your problems.

http://www.lutron.com/cms400/default.aspx?app=hlc
Click to expand...

I have a HomeWorks 8 series system:

http://www.lutron.com/homeworks/8series.asp?s=&t=

The wiring in the house has all the lights/plugs/etc having home-runs to DIN blocks and then a series of relays (connected to a computer system) turn the circuits on and off. I learned that the "relays" don't really turn things all the way off... So it's like a big honkin' computerized dimmer system and the lights really never turn off all the way. I would think that single point dimmers don't turn lights off all the way either (if they are cranked down)....
 
Four Suns said:
I have a HomeWorks 8 series system:

http://www.lutron.com/homeworks/8series.asp?s=&t=

The wiring in the house has all the lights/plugs/etc having home-runs to DIN blocks and then a series of relays (connected to a computer system) turn the circuits on and off. I learned that the "relays" don't really turn things all the way off... So it's like a big honkin' computerized dimmer system and the lights really never turn off all the way. I would think that single point dimmers don't turn lights off all the way either (if they are cranked down)....
Click to expand...

You are absolutely correct Gary. Single point dimmers are not 100% off when turned all of the way down ... thus depleting the life expectancy of the actual dimmers and the bulbs that they control. Not exactly a power saver either. They can also be hot to touch as well and they have to be physically turned off and not turned down to be 100% off.

I am not familiar with your system Gary, but it certainly sounds like your dimmers could still be on. As far as relays are concerned, they are either on or off making or breaking the circuits ahead of your dimming system.

I will look into your "Homeworks 8 Series" system and see if I can come up with a probable cause for your bulbs early demise. Do you have a mix of incandescent & fluorescent lighting that is being dimmed? If so, what ones are giving you the problems?

~Ken
 
Yo GW

You better get yourself one of those union electricians to troubleshoot your problem, so he can call in a union engineer who can call in a union consultant to point out that this job wasn't done with union labor and now they're gonna file a grievance with the union.

Or, of course, you can let electricaldoctor troubleshoot the problem and then union man will file a grievance with the union about that. Then you can tell union man to shove his union someplace where the sun doesn't shine and then drive his boat up there afterward. Then he can call a union proctologist to remove the boat.
 
mistercomputerman said:
Yo GW

You better get yourself one of those union electricians to troubleshoot your problem, so he can call in a union engineer who can call in a union consultant to point out that this job wasn't done with union labor and now they're gonna file a grievance with the union.

Or, of course, you can let electrical doctor troubleshoot the problem and then union man will file a grievance with the union about that. Then you can tell union man to shove his union someplace where the sun doesn't shine and then drive his boat up there afterward. Then he can call a union proctologist to remove the boat.
Click to expand...

It's too bad "twomad" the union sympathizer went away. I was really curious as to what made him tick. I know that he was ticking some of us off for sure. What happens in life to make somebody get that way? :huh: I can only assume that this union mentality is typical for some reason. Where the hell do they think that these jobs come from anyways?? He probably believes in the tooth fairy as well!!

Gary, I sent you a PM about your problem.
 
Only if the tooth fairy is a member of the IBOFWAOIB (International Brotherhood of Fairies, Witches and Other Imaginary Beings).
 
I have done high end dimming systems in mansions and IMHO most are designed wrong and are a huge waste of money. I use halogen lamps (bulbs grow in the ground) and a good quality 120v dimmer and I have had one failure in over 7 years. The comment regarding 130v lamps is correct! If you can find 130v lamps, the filament is tougher and will last longer as in rough service lamps.
 
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