Reasons why your bulbs keep blowing
What you need to know:
Often, we buy bulbs with the hope that they will last for a long time. Then they blow after a week or even less, what could be the reason?
Jonathan Mugisha, an electrician from Excel Property Agency says that bulb blowing is one of the main problems people face and they fail to realise the main cause.
This can happen continuously until you hire an expert to resolve it. He explains the main causes:
Buying wrong bulbs
Mugisha says that buying bad quality of bulbs could be one of the reasons why bulbs blow. The labels may indicate that the bulb can last longer but still blow in a short period of time.
“A bulb rated for 10,000 of 50,000 hours might last less than that if it is switched on and off many times of the day,” he says.
He adds that electricians should be aware about the type of bulbs they are buying and where they are going to be used because some areas have high voltage and when you buy wrong bulbs which are weak, it means they are going to blow shortly.
“Look for the right quality of bulbs before wiring because some areas have lower voltage so when you buy string bulbs they blow out,” he says.
Loose connection
Mugisha says that a loose connection can also result into bulbs blowing because the connections will be on and off. If the bulb is loose in the socket, it can get shocked by power especially when power goes off and comes back.
“A loose wire connection can also blow bulbs. Make sure that you turn off the power and check the wires to make sure they are steadily attached to the screw stations,” he says.
He says that the bulb socket itself may also be worn out and this could cause connection problems and here you have to replace the socket immediately because regularly loose connections at the socket or with the wire can burn out the bulb quickly, as well as because of flaming.
“Loose connections increase the electrical struggle and the heat passing through the wire of the bulb, which also shorten its life because of the pressure. Loose connections are mainly caused by wrong electricians who do shoddy work,” he says.
Depressed socket tab
Mugisha says that if the socket tab in the bottom of the socket gets pushed down too far, it can fail to make contact with the bulb. The problem here is not that the bulb has burned out, but that it no longer makes electrical contact with the socket and this can be cause by depressed socket tab.
“You have to make sure that you unplug the lamp or turn off the power then use a wooden stick to bend the tab up about two inches and then you fix back the bulb back in and see if it works,” he says.
He adds that if it fails, there is no need of doing repair. Instead, you should buy a new bulb socket or the entire package of wire bulb and socket.
High voltage
He says that if the supply voltage to your home is too great, bulbs will generally burn brighter and burn out much faster. You can test for voltage at a standard of 240-volt electrical outlet, using a mustimeter or a voltage tester.
“Be sure you know how to do this safely because the power will be on. If a test reveals a voltage higher than 240V you should look for an electrician to take a look at the problem, or contact your electric utility provider for recommendations,” he says.
Mugisha adds that high voltage can also be caused by worn-out transformer which will either produce excess voltage or little compared to the recommended voltage. If it’s a general problem, you can contact the utility office nearby to resolve the matter.
