UKC

Sorry for any ignorance, We have a light fitting on the landing which takes 5 x 40 watt bulbs but the bulb failure rate is quite high, circa one bulb sometimes every couple of weeks. I can only assume that the light circuit might be close to its capacity. Having said that few, if any, other bulbs on the same circuit fail.

Just wondering about the best way to investigate before I call in a sparks.

Thanks.

In reply to FesteringSore:

Are we Talking halogens?

If so, i had that Problem in Front room Light Array. Can try modern eco halogen Replacements?

In reply to Choss:


No, bog standard incandescent with screw fitting.

In reply to FesteringSore:

Modern eco, or old fashioned Type?

In reply to FesteringSore:

If the light circuitry is close to its limit (unlikely) the circuitry will fail, not the bulb. I would say it's coincidence. You'd be better off with eco bulbs though.

In reply to FesteringSore:

Are the fittings quite a closed design? Could they be overheating? This was excuse we were given by an electrician although i wasn't sure if i believed him as bulbs are surely designed to take high temps. Otherwise, are you buying cheap bulbs?

In reply to FesteringSore: We have the same problem in our lounge & dining room.

Smaller bulbs tend to go quicker in my experience, no idea why and modern longlife bulbs are no better. In theory Halogen cycle bulbs need to be up to temperature to function properly so if your supply is at the lower end of acceptable it might affect the life of the bulb.

We are trialling LED lamps to see if they are better, although they are not cheap, they 'should' last for ages.

In reply to digby:


Occasionally the MCB trips but more often the bulb fails.

In reply to Choss:

Old fashioned

In reply to FesteringSore:

If there are that many builds together you have to be looking at overheating as the problem. Try Eco bulbs. Like others have said.

In reply to FesteringSore:

change the light unit.

In reply to FesteringSore:
As gethin_allen's question, could it be cheap bulbs?
I've had a spate of quick failures (lasting less than a month) in tungsten tubes in my kitchen under unit lights. When I went to the shop where I've bought replacements for years asking about a bad batch, one of the staff said on the quiet "buy cheap, buy dear" and went on to say he would never buy bulbs from the place he works and recommended I went to another local shop in future. I took it he was suggesting they sold cheap made bulbs. A manager wandered along during discussion and he offered to replace f.o.c. three tubes as a good will gesture, so that maybe suggested what that previous chap said was right?
Would be worth going for a better bulb? I am intending to change the fittings soon anyway so probably not bother to look for a better made bulb.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

In reply to FesteringSore:

If it's on a landing does it get switched on and off all the time so its only on when someone is actually on the stairs to save energy? The lifetime of the bulb will depend on the number of times it is power cycled as well as the length of time it is on. LEDs might be a good choice if the bulb gets switched on and off a lot.

In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:

I guess its the small Edison screw or small bayonet light bulbs, candle shaped.
We have the same issue with bulb failurr being higher than you'd think notmal. You are not alone
I knpw my electrics are fine. It seems to he a problem with that type of lamp.

In reply to Kevster:
Had this problem with the candle shaped incandescents - seems to have gone away now that we have a modern low power bulb in.

In reply to All: Thanks for comments and suggestions. I'll look at them in detail after Christmas.

In reply to FesteringSore:

Probably cheap light bulbs - get some decent ones