# Why do my lightbulbs blow so often (really often)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-lightbulbs-blow-so-often-really-often/223401 "2004-01-08T12:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![USNSPARKS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9fc348/32.png) [@USNSPARKS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USNSPARKS)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-lightbulbs-blow-so-often-really-often/223401/21 "2004-01-09T00:17:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eleusis \* > \*\*Pardon me if I missed this, but how are you monitoring the voltage? > > I got a nifty [Radio Shack multimeter](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F008%5F002%5F000&product%5Fid=22%2D812) for Christmas which can interface to a PC via serial cable, and monitor and log the voltage, current, frequency, etc… \*\* Where are you sticking the probes? Into a wall outlet? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-lightbulbs-blow-so-often-really-often/223401/22 "2004-01-09T00:30:25Z")
Nowhere yet - I just got it and haven’t played with it much. Why, would that be a Bad Thing? It says: AC voltage range: 0 to 750V in five ranges AC current rage: 10 to 10A in six ranges Frequency counter: 10Hz to to 4MHz in five ranges ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-lightbulbs-blow-so-often-really-often/223401/23 "2004-01-09T01:14:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by USNSPARKS \* > Try putting a 100W bulb in a goose neck lamp pointed down rated for 60W and see how long it takes for the bulb, minus the screw in base, to explode out of the lamp. \*\* OK, let me re-phrase: I’ve never heard of premature filament failure caused by using a bulb in a hot environment. I assumed the OP wasn’t experiencing _exploding_ light bulbs, because it was not mentioned. Still and all, though, have you heard of light bulbs exploding in those Easy Bake ovens? Or, for that matter, in real ovens? I haven’t. Have you exploded a light bulb in this way yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-lightbulbs-blow-so-often-really-often/223401/24 "2004-01-09T02:18:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lagged2Death \* > \*\*OK, let me re-phrase: I’ve never heard of premature filament failure caused by using a bulb in a hot environment. I assumed the OP wasn’t experiencing _exploding_ light bulbs, because it was not mentioned. > > Still and all, though, have you heard of light bulbs exploding in those Easy Bake ovens? Or, for that matter, in real ovens? I haven’t. Have you exploded a light bulb in this way yourself? \*\* I know the concept of “overly-hot” bulbs sounds nuts, but it’s true. They have shortened life spans. The ceiling fixtures in my last house’s basement had no openings to vent the heat. Consequently, the bulbs burned out very quickly. My guess is, yes, bulbs by their design burn hotly, but the heat needs to dissipate. Same principle as a car engine. ---
**Author:** ![Kymodoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8797f3/32.png) [@Kymodoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kymodoce)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-lightbulbs-blow-so-often-really-often/223401/25 "2004-01-09T09:25:20Z")
Thanks for all the replies… and sorry to those who are sick of this thread, but there are a couple of questions posed in the replies, and I still don’t think I have the answer yet… I am monitoring the voltage using two UPS’s and checking these for calibration with a voltmeter. I have successfully used this method at my work premises to demonstrate to the electricity company that there was an over-voltage problem there (they had to build some kind of new hardware at their sub-station, they weren’t happy!). At least all my UPS’s stopped tripping two or three times a day… 20 UPS’s all beeping at once got a little tiresome! Voltages here in the UK are (I believe) stated to be 230V +10%, -6%, ie 216.2V to 253V (which seems a huge range to me, but that’s what I have found to the the stated range). My domestic supply, whilst I have been monitoring it, has stayed within this range. I need to check my records at home, but from memory I think voltage is typically between 228v and 242v. As for the query relating to how long the bulbs are left burning versus their expected failure rate, this is a good question. I am afraid I have not had the time (or inclination honestly!) to mark the bulbs with their installation date, record their numbers of on/off cycles and burn time, and compare this with the manufacturers mean lifetime figures… All I can say is, that I am of the definite opinion that the failure rate in this house is A) far far higher than in any previous house I have occupied and B) far higher than that claimed by friends and neighbours. **AcidKid** ; I like the idea about some kind of hardware in the house causing voltage irregularities which may be stressing the bulbs… but I don’t know what it could be. I just have a regular domestic fridge and cooker, no compressors, generators or other heavy duty kit. Many thanks for the suggestions about using tougher bulbs and I shall be trying these out… I would still like to know the underlying cause though! To move the discussion on… my thoughts are that, given the house-wide and fitting-independent nature of the problem, the cause may lie in the way the electrical supply is connected to the property. The consumer unit is old (~30 years I guess), and not a modern RCD/MCB unit. Could this be the cause, and if so, how? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-lightbulbs-blow-so-often-really-often/223401.md?page=1)