Why do light bulbs in lamps often burn out? Solution

Few people think about it, but an ordinary incandescent light bulb has given every modern person an extra 6 years of active life.

Before its invention, people slept on average 10 hours a day, after - only 7.5 hours.

Many of you have probably heard the story about the light bulb in the fire department of Livermore (California, USA), which has been shining there continuously since 1901.

There is even an online broadcast of this process on the Internet - THOUSAND. To date, the light bulb has worked continuously for more than 1 million hours!

A natural question arises: why don’t the light bulbs in our homes shine for so long?

For some, they burn out literally within a few weeks or even days after replacement. And there are two explanations - technical and conspiracy.

Moreover, both have the right to exist. Let's look at both in turn, and you, having already made the appropriate conclusions, can take the necessary actions and try to fix the problem.

How do incandescent lamps burn out?

According to GOST standards, the established voltage limits are the norm, and only for light bulbs are they critical. Let's explain. The temperature of the filament is 2-2.2 thousand °C. When a current greater than the rated current is supplied to the tungsten filament, its temperature increases by 10 percent.

The higher the temperature, the more intense the tungsten atoms evaporate. A darkened flask indicates the deposition of such atoms on it.

According to the degree of evaporation of tungsten, the thread becomes thinner; where there is a thinner section of it, that’s where it breaks off. The more often the tension rises, the sooner the thread breaks. The greatest current occurs when turned on, so constantly turning the lamp on/off affects its longevity the most.

In a switched-off lamp, the tungsten filament is cold, and its resistance is 3 times less than in the incandescent state. The following happens: at the moment of switching on, when the filament is cold, the resistance of the metal to current increases significantly (it is also called the starting current); in the heated state, the resistance of the tungsten spiral is stable.

It turns out that the less often the switching on/off occurs, the longer the lamp will work.

The manufacturer of incandescent lamps sets a standard that ensures a certain heating temperature of the filament and its light output. As a result, the service life is determined, for example, 1000 hours. The manufacturer is required to label the lamps directly on the product, and not on the packaging. Therefore, when purchasing lamps, you need to look at the rated voltage, which is indicated either on the bulb or on the base.

Buy lamps not for 230 volts, but for 240, or even better for 245, they will work much longer, unless, of course, they have mechanical defects, cracks or other damage.

What to do if light bulbs burn out quickly

In most cases, lamps burn out due to users violating the rules for operating networks. Also, any mechanical stress reduces the service life of the lighting source.

The best solution would be to replace conventional sources with modern LED lamps that have increased resistance to voltage surges, vibrations, and operating temperature conditions.

It is better to replace it with LED lighting.

If there is high humidity or a specific temperature in the room with the lamp, then it is necessary to select a device with an appropriate level of protection from such influences. Usually this information is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

The main reasons for lamp burnout

The first reason is often the poor quality of electrical appliances that use lamps. In this case, the problem can be solved by replacing the lamps with a more expensive price category. Brands such as Osram or Philips have a resource 3 times longer than domestic ones, however, it is possible that single copies from one batch burn out after using 10% of the resource.

Inexpensive lamps and chandeliers, more than half of the products are “disposable” devices with a certain unregulated working life. After working for several months, they are simply unsuitable for repair. Considering their cheapness, you can confidently exchange them for new ones.

You can easily determine the end of the device’s functionality by the smell of burning near the contact parts. If users continue to use them, correcting burnt contacts, melted cartridges, etc., then this is the reason for the burnout of even high-quality lamps.

Voltage surges and drops

Another category of problems of frequent burnout of power lines is the problem of the local electrical network of a house, apartment, or entrance. Periodic power surges occur due to poor-quality or outdated wiring, devices that have expired, insufficiently tightened contacts, and failures in step-down transformers.

Flickering lights in the apartment directly indicate such power supply faults. Because of this, not only light bulbs burn out, but also more expensive household appliances deteriorate. It is also necessary to take into account this nuance: at night, when people are sleeping, the electrical networks of residential buildings are not loaded, so the network voltage is increased.

To find out the true cause of power surges, you need to identify the source of the problem: a thorough check of the entire system will help not only eliminate the cause, but also avoid more serious situations when even a sudden fire in the home is possible.

It happens that voltage drops are small and visually invisible, which means it is more difficult to recognize the cause. But you can use a voltmeter or multimeter: measure voltage throughout the day, determine load peaks by time of day, track the stability of the current in intervals of 15-20 minutes.

In a standard household 220 V network, a deviation of +/-10% is usually allowed - this is 200-240 V. If there is an increase in this limit by 7 volts, then it is worth calling the company that services this electrical network. Specialists, having responded to complaints, will reduce the output voltage in the distribution board of the electrical substation. The cause of lamp burnout will be eliminated.

You can also eliminate the cause on your own by replacing the contacts in the socket, or using a screwdriver to bend the contact tab. It is necessary to de-energize the home electrical wiring by first turning off the circuit breaker or package switch in the panel.

Contacts

There is a common expression among electricians - “tired metal”, which refers to the wear and tear of the metal strands in the wires. The contacts, in this case, weaken and begin to burn, and the carbon deposits do not allow electricity to pass through, and the normal flow of current is disrupted.

Voltage surges are observed in a local group of devices connected to the same network line. Problem areas can be identified visually by darkened contacts (usually in junction boxes), and can be solved by replacing the wiring and switches in this section of the network.

Cartridge material and contacts

Loose contact in the cartridge is a problem that can be completely solved on your own.
In the process of replacing another burnt-out lamp, you should carefully inspect the base and the inside of the socket.

Particular importance should be given to the presence of areas of darkening or the appearance of characteristic soot.

When using a screw-type cartridge, it is enough to turn off the power supply and make sure there is no voltage, then using a flat-head screwdriver with a rubberized handle, carefully bend the central tab contact, which is located in the inner part. This way it is possible to improve contact with the light bulb and minimize the risk of frequent burnout.

It should be noted that manufacturers produce ceramic and plastic cartridges, but the second option has a limited power of 60W. Such low performance is the main reason for strong heating, deformation of the case and detachment of the contact.

External causes of lamp burnout: lamp socket

The reason for the burnout of the LN may be the electric cartridge, or rather the material from which it is made. This does not apply to ceramic cartridges, but to plastic or carbolite cartridges. Such cartridges are often limited to 60 watts.

But even at low power, plastic cartridges overheat, their body becomes deformed, cracks, and then the electrical contact in them disappears. At the same time, a crackling sound appears in the chandelier or lamp, and the lamp begins to blink unpleasantly for the eyes.

The manufacturer may have designed such cartridges for the rated voltage, but the inrush current clearly spoils them. When buying lamps, you need to keep this in mind.

If, nevertheless, you decide to make such a purchase (perhaps because of cheapness or for background lighting), then do not screw lamps more than the rated power into such lamp sockets, but rather install low-power lamps of 12-18 W.

Switch

The cause of frequent lamp burnouts may be a regular switch. As you use it, the contacts wear out and sparking appears. The new contacts are coated with silver, which wears out over time due to the exhausted commutation life.

At first the lamp will blink, and then, the next time it is turned on, it will burn out. In this case, we can only talk about replacing the switch; It is not advisable to change contacts, to unknown ones.

How can you determine that the problem is directly in the switch? This can be found out by connecting a shunt jumper, bypassing the contacts. If the lamp stops blinking, then the cause of the lamp burnout is in the switch.

When replacing it, you need to pay attention to the suitable wires: if they are blackened, it means that the contact fastening bolts were not tightened enough. When installing a new switch, you should tighten the wire fastenings more firmly.

If after replacing the switch the problem is not solved, then you need to check the strength of the connections of all wires in the apartment panel and distribution boxes, as well as in the terminal blocks of chandeliers and lamps in which the light bulbs burn out.

Aluminum+copper contact connection

One of the reasons for burnout may be connections of wires with dissimilar cores. The contact connection between aluminum and copper quickly weakens, oxidation of the twist occurs, and then the current stops passing altogether. If such dissimilar wiring still needs to be combined, then there are special connectors for this that allow you to combine aluminum wires with copper.

When installing new wiring in your home, use only copper wires.

Vibrations and temperature

Vibration may be the cause of lamp burnout. Frequent shocks or mechanical impacts that cause vibration in a room where there is incandescent lighting cause them to quickly burn out. The way out of this situation is this: incandescent lamps simply need to be replaced with another type - LED or CFL (compact fluorescent lamps).

Premature failure of an incandescent lamp also occurs due to ambient temperature. In the cold season, outdoor lamps become too cool when turned off, and when they are turned on, there is an increased load on the filament due to reduced resistance. The inrush current becomes too high, which causes premature burnout.

The same lamp in the ceiling light constantly burns out

Greetings to all! A problem arose: in the ceiling in the kitchen there was spot lighting with 220 V halogen lamps - 5 lamps in a row. Regularly (once a month - sometimes more often, sometimes less often) the same lamp burns out - the last one in the row and wiring. Once the lamp in front of her burned out - the rest are fine. I also changed the halogen lamp to an energy-saving one, but it burns out maybe a little less often, but regularly. Experts, can you tell me what the reason might be?

Most likely the contact on the cartridge is crappy, maybe the cartridge itself is crappy, in general something is definitely crappy

When replacing a lamp, do you handle it with your hands or gloves? Not many people know that halogen lamps should not be handled with bare hands.

Kostyan Chelyab wrote: When replacing a lamp, do you handle it with your hands or with gloves? Not many people know that halogen lamps should not be handled with bare hands.

The chandeliers even come with a glove.

Kostyan Chelyab wrote: Not many people know that halogen lamps should not be handled with bare hands.

I heard about this, but never understood why. I've heard two versions: 1) Moisture and grease from the fingers remain, which negatively affects the lamp. (how?:confused 2) Formation of microcracks in glass.

Not to everyone. And IMHO, not for installing lamps, but in order not to stain the mirror surface. And she is such a size that

In places where they blurted out with their fingers, fat remains. There will be increased heating in this place. Halogen lamps operate at higher temperatures than conventional lamps. Well, in a place of increased heating, glass may melt. Something like this. Correct me if I wrote something wrong.

Maybe for two reasons

Shitty cartridge and therefore poor contact
Transient processes in a circuit where there are capacitances and inductances and sharp voltage pulses (can be many times higher than the mains voltage). It very much depends on the turn-on phase and especially the turn-off phase if there are inductors connected to the network. If case 2,
place a 1-2 microfarad 600V bipolar capacitor in parallel with this light bulb

see what the result will be.

we were taught that if there is a problem in the circuit, then 95% of the problem is in the contacts, go through the chain, stretch the connectors, clean the contact pads of the cartridge

ARKHI wrote: we were taught that if there is a problem in the circuit, then 95% of the problem is in the contacts, go through the chain, stretch the connectors, clean the contact pads of the cartridge

You were taught correctly! Problem 1 contacts. As a rule, any problem lies on the surface. When troubleshooting, you need to start with the simplest. As one of my sys admin friends said. “If the computer does not turn on, check whether you have plugged it into the outlet?

After the first lamp burned out 2 weeks after connection, it was replaced with a fluorescent one and the contact socket was replaced. After that, less often, but still burns out periodically. Unfortunately, LEDs do not fit into these lamps (they are just a little short in width). There may be a problem in physics, because... In my bathroom, the last lamp in the row burned out in a similar way. Question from Vadim-1 about the capacitor - is it possible to install it on a fluorescent lamp?

Most likely you have some kind of large inductance on the same line (most likely an underloaded transformer). The moment you turn off such a load on it and, accordingly, in the circuit that is connected to it, the voltage briefly and sharply increases (can be tens or hundreds of times higher than the voltage network), and the capacitor will smooth out such a peak. In addition, it will reduce interference on the power supply network and the reactive component of power, which is also not bad. It can be installed at any load (any lamp)

Vadim-1 wrote: a capacitor will smooth out such a peak. In addition, it will reduce interference on the power supply network and the reactive component of power, which is also not bad. It can be installed at any load (any lamp)

Can you tell me more about the capacitor?

And another question: will a capacitor help with poor contact? Maybe it makes sense to plug a capacitor into a chandelier where the lamps often burn out and not bother with replacing the sockets?

el_dm wrote: Can you tell me more about the capacitor?

And another question: will a capacitor help with poor contact? Maybe it makes sense to plug a capacitor into a chandelier where the lamps often burn out and not bother with replacing the sockets?

The capacitor will somewhat mitigate the consequences of bad contact for other consumers and will remove high-frequency interference in the network from bad contact, but the contact itself will not correct it.

So, the reason needs to be corrected (replace the cartridge) or abandon the cartridges altogether, which is what I did by switching almost the entire apartment to LED lighting (there were a few T5 lamps left).

Besides that, I forgot the last time I bought light bulbs. I pay for electricity instead of 2.5-3 thousand as before, now it’s 1-1.5 thousand despite the fact that the lights in the house are almost never turned off.

Solution

The problem of premature lamp failure can be solved by adding a protective unit to the lighting circuit. Such a circuit can equalize small voltage drops. Only it is applicable only to incandescent or halogen lamps. This unit does not work with fluorescent and energy-saving lamps.

According to the standards of GOST 13109-97 “On voltage”, for single-phase networks of 220 volts the maximum permissible interval is 198-242 V. Taking into account the norm, the manufacturer is obliged to produce electric lamps designed for the maximum limit.

However, in reality everything is different: without violating the standard, lamps are manufactured for a nominal voltage of 230 volts. Each incandescent lamp manufacturer sets the nominal voltage for each lamp model differently. Thus, it turns out that one type of “premium class” product with an appropriate design, the other is “economy”.

There is only one way out for the population - to use products from world brands that care about their reputation in the market. This is how a light bulb business turns out.

The manufacturer produces a cheap, short-lived product, hoping that the consumer will buy it again and again. Or a well-known company produces high-quality, durable and more expensive products. What to choose is up to everyone to decide for themselves, based on their beliefs and preferences.

Details matter

When trying to understand what a burnt out light bulb means, you also need to take into account the circumstances. Here are some possible interpretations:

Did the power surge occur during a period in your life when you are doing something important? Or just before a big event? Then you should take what happened as a sign of a successful completion of the matter.
Has a light bulb burned out in a chandelier? Unfortunately, this promises financial problems. Quarrels between relatives are also possible. However, you will learn about them yourself from one of the family members.
Did the light flash while you were thinking about something? Remember the thought immediately! This is the correct one, and the flashing light indicates that this choice is correct.
Did a light bulb crack in front of a girl? Perhaps she is pregnant. If this is not possible, you should simply expect changes in your personal life.
Have your light bulbs burned out with a loud cracking sound and incredibly bright flashing? This warns that you are not focused on particularly important things. It's time to take a break from minor tasks and start thinking bigger.

And power failures that occur several times in a short period of time (in a day, for example) indicate that changes are coming in your life. You should be ready for change! But whether they are good or bad is a different question.

In any case, a burnt-out light bulb (if this is not the first time this has happened to it) is a hint that you need to listen to your heart. Perhaps you will be able to see something that was previously invisible to the eye.

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Methods for extending the life of incandescent lamps

It is worth remembering that when the voltage to the lamp decreases by 10%, its service life increases by one and a half times.

The retail chain sells voltage stabilizers that can be installed in an apartment, country house, or office. It is easy to choose a suitable model by consulting the seller. Using such stabilizers, not only will lamps not burn out as often, but you can also protect other household electrical equipment from damage.

There are also special electronic protection units for halogen and incandescent lamps that provide a smooth start. They are installed near ceiling chandeliers or wall lamps.

There is an excellent option for solving the problem of not only premature lamp burnout, but also for significant energy savings - instead of a switch, install a variable lighting controller (dimmer). It eliminates the occurrence of increased starting current and makes lighting comfortable for any occasion.

There is also a fairly effective way to extend the life of a lamp - a rectifying diode, which can be installed directly in the socket. This is a compact silicon diode KD-203A. The lamp will blink a little, but will burn for several years without interruption. This method will suit few people in residential premises, but for basements, utility rooms, and staircases it is the best option.

Why do LED lamps flicker when turned on?

The most likely reason is the relatively low quality of the LED matrix itself. Even with a “classical” power supply circuit, output voltage ripple is inevitable. High-quality LEDs in a certain voltage range have almost the same luminescence intensity, due to which any ripple is eliminated.

With “problematic” matrices, even a voltage drop of 0.5V already generates a noticeable change in brightness. In some cases, the current situation can be slightly improved by increasing the capacitor capacity, but it is still not recommended to install such light in living rooms.

If you detect a blinking LED lamp, do not leave everything to chance. In the worst case, it can cause vision problems over time. If possible, it is better to immediately return the light bulb to the seller. If this is not possible, take the time to eliminate all shortcomings.

Poor quality products

More often than not, the cause of burnout is poor-quality assembly. Such an assembly is cheap, although the external design of the light bulb is good and the packaging is bright and in a marketable appearance. On an advertising stand, they shine brighter than their analogues, which buyers pay attention to and give preference to such a product. But such a light bulb will not last the period stated on the packaging, since the resistor and capacitors in it are selected to glow at full power, which leads to a reduction in service life and burnout.

Low-quality products have poor soldering, which was carried out with violations of technology. This reason is not visible when buying a lamp, like many others. Manufacturers of low-quality goods take advantage of this.