# Do Blinker bulbs suck?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-blinker-bulbs-suck/279479>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 12, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-blinker-bulbs-suck/279479 "2004-12-12T19:01:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Qwerty\_not\_Dvorak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/bcef8e/32.png) [@Qwerty\_not\_Dvorak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwerty_not_Dvorak)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-blinker-bulbs-suck/279479/1 "2004-12-12T19:01:21Z")

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Ok so this is part of our yearly christmas light ritual. The standard “mini” bulb strings of lights don’t like to blink. They’ll glow and get hot enough to discolor the glass (vaccum tube style) but they usually need a good thumping or two each time they are used 'else they dont set the strand to blink, only on constantly. Is this common or maybe I just have crappy power?

Ps it’s the Bi-Metal bar type blinker bulbs I’m referring to

Default State:  
/|~| On

Blinking State:  
|~| Off