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  • Sparkies – lightbulb keeps blowing
  • theotherjonv
    Full Member

    I’ve had 3 or 4 bulbs blow in the last couple of weeks on one fitting. It’s a flush mounted ceiling light, I’ve been up and checked the fitting which is reasonably new, the whole house was rewired 5 years ago, there’s plenty of space around the fitting in the loft space (insulation pulled well back), etc.

    Why? Could I be that unlucky with a bad batch of bulbs? Worth replacing the fitting or something else to consider.

    BTW as part of the rewire we have a RCB installed and that doesn’t trip as the bulbs blow if that’s any help.

    docstar
    Free Member

    Dodgy or cheap lightbulbs usually the cause.

    restless
    Free Member

    I had a similar issue with one of my fittings that takes 3 halogen bulbs. . I just ended up putting lower wattage bulbs in and they seem fine now.

    Don’t know the answer to why it happens though sorry!

    teasel
    Free Member

    Poltergeist

    ph0010421
    Free Member

    Is there a dimmer switch?

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    No, standard pull cord. And there’s two fittings on that switch and only one keeps blowing.

    project
    Free Member

    dodgy bulbs,try another make or supplier.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Get some GE lamps (bulbs are what flowers come from when you plant them in your garden), there really is no substitute 😉

    UncleFred
    Free Member

    Are you getting Bulbs from b&q, had the same thing happen in the same sort of fitting, 2 had blown, replaced them and within 3 days they’d both gone again.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    have now put a low energy 9W supposed to be 50W apparent brightness in there, let’s see how that goes.

    hilton83
    Free Member

    Im a sparky have to agree the previous comments of cheapo lightbulbs being the most common cause for this.
    Halogens are terribly sensitive to being mishandled cheap or not, buy from an actual electrical wholesalers if you can,as they tend to look after their stock a little better than the shelve stackers at places like B&Q or supermarkets, the filament wire which gives off the light is prone to stretching if the lamps are shaken or knocked around too much during transit or being put on the shelves. Once that filament has stretched it becomes weak and the heat generated within a halogen lamp will be enough to take it over the edge.
    Another cause can be if the light is in a position that has a lot of foot traffic above it such as in the ceiling of an entrance hallway with an upstairs landing directly above, again the vibration from people with heavy feet (like my wife) clomping around over it.
    What would cure the problem 100% would be to fit LED bulbs, phillips make very good ones a little pricey but it would probably pay for its self within a year.
    Also i guess you mean RCD not RCB, although you can get RCCB’s and RCBO’s there is no such thing as an RCB, and around 5 years ago it wasnt common practice to protect lighting circuits with any of the above devices so it shouldnt trip with a lamp blowing. Hope this helps! A bit long winded but you should be able to sort something out from that! 😛

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    I guess i mean RCD then. When we rewired we took out the fuse box and replaced it with those little trippy switches. I always thought it was called a RCB but what’s a letter between friends 😉

    I only mentioned it because occasionally if a lamp blows it does trip the ‘fusebox’

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