Old light sockets burning CFL bulbs out

[Ryan_C]

It seems I have a some old light sockets that seem to want to give me problems with the new cfl bulbs. Some of these sockets are in the garage, and they are the 60s-70s standard ceramic socket that is surface mounted. These sockets seem to make a cfl burnout fairly quick, and it seemed like they actually stopped working up until this past summer when I have a friend help me clean up in my garage, and he got annoyed that there was hardly any light, so he went and found a incandescent bulb and screwed it in and worked. Maybe its the cold, maybe its the socket. My plan though is to eventually install 8-10 T8 fixtures and have them hardwired, but that seems to far into the future. I am not so certain I can do this one on my own. I have already bought 2 of the fixtures though.

So 2 other sockets that have really given me problems would be the outdoor lamp post light and the shower light.

The shower light is in the shower right above and just decides to turn off and turn back on whenever it feels like, this is on a switch that also turns on the exhaust fan. Fan works the whole time, but light turns off and on all the time at any or many different increments.

The outdoor lamp post light socket faces upward and the case is not water tight. I am betting that the dampness is the cause for the cfl bulbs to burn out so quickly, but is there anything I can do to stop any of this from happening?

I am almost thinking that there is something wrong with the wiring connecting socket. Can anyone troubleshoot what I have going on?

Thanks!

p.s. We are almost ready to buy a new outdoor lamp post, but I almost don't want to do it if the bulbs keep burning out. It will seem like we never fixed the problem.

 

[Gary S]

I've had some cheap sockets that don't have the center contact bent up high enough to make good contact if the bulbs aren't consistently deep enough. I have been able to deal with it by reaching down into the socket (Power OFF!!!! Check power with a known good meter!!!!!) with a hooked tool and bent the center contact higher. Another way I've found to make it work is to put a ball of solder on the lamp center contact to raise it higher. Again, be careful because too much heat could kill the bulb.
Sockets with lots of use are more likely to have a bent down center contact so that variances in the bulbs can cause problems.

 

[NitroPress]

+1 on Gary's answer. Carefully bending the center contact back up into the contact zone will fix many a mysterious light bulb problem.

 

[Falcon67]

CFLs should not care about the socket, but may care about circuit controls. If the outdoor lamp has a motion or light sensor on it, it may not be compatible with CFLs. It may "work" but may also cause short bulb life. The cheap security motion sensors just don't work.

 

[Stuart in MN]

It may also depend on how the bulb is oriented, CFLs can be affected by heat - is it hanging straight down, sideways or standing up? Also, is there a globe around the bulb or is it just bare and out in the open?

 

[Wiredude44]

Ryan The shower light is a recessed can type that has a thermostat type protector that shuts lamp off from high temp. then back on once things cool off

 

[Zeke]

^^^ Try a standard incandescent in that shower. If it doesn't throw the temp switch open twice as fast, ignore the temp factor. CFL's aren't that hot.

CFL's are obsolete anyway. They should have never made it to market with LED's coming on their heels. I'm sorry I bought any.

 

[BillK]

The outdoor lamp post light socket faces upward and the case is not water tight. I am betting that the dampness is the cause for the cfl bulbs to burn out so quickly, but is there anything I can do to stop any of this from happening?

Ryan,
The "post" lamp by my garage door is the original one from 1978 when my house was built. It has a photo eye that turns it on at night. I would have to bet that the cfl lamp that is in there is at least 7 or 8 years old and I have never had an issue with it.

I think you have a connection problem like the others have said. We have a couple of decorative wall lights in out rec room that do the same thing, even with regular bulbs. I have to tweak the center contact every once in a while to get them working again

 

[Greatbear]

Are these fixtures recessed or otherwise have an enclosed diffuser or shade around them? This, coupled with burning the CFL base up will kill most of them in short order. The heat given off by the bulb itself adds to the small amount of heat produced by the electronic ballast. If the bulb is inside a totally enclosed fixture, or recessed inside an inverted housing, the heat buildup will eventually kill the electronics. Higher quality lamps can sometimes take the additional heat, but there are too many low cost CFLs that use marginal electronics. Most times the electrolytic capacitors inside the ballasts give up from the heat. These are some of the most expensive parts of a typical CFL, and where the manufacturers skimp on quality to keep costs down.

If you have issues with lamps flickering or needing to be screwed really tight in the socket, the contacts could be corroded and worn. Cleaning these (with power removed at the breaker) helps. Since just about all incandescent lamps (and a few CFLs) use solder as the center contact, over time this transfers to the contact in the socket. It makes poor connections, and the resulting intermittent connection can play havoc with CFLs, which don't like short cycling.

 

[Norcal]

Read the information on the CFL packaging, most will state that they are not to be used in completely enclosed fixtures such as recessed shower fixtures. Heat is a issue.

 

[wssix99]

Read the information on the CFL packaging, most will state that they are not to be used in completely enclosed fixtures such as recessed shower fixtures. Heat is a issue.

+1

Also, most are not rated for damp locations.

 

[Ryan_C]

I have inspected over half of the sockets I have had problems with, and it looks like the little tab in the middle is the culprit. I cleaned them off, and pulled them out a little. This sure seemed to do the trick!

I don't have any electronic eyes on any outdoor lights, but would really like to get some soon some time, since we sometimes forget to turn off outdoor lights.

The shower light hangs down and is inside of a can with a cover. I actually just added a CFL to this light once I got the tab bent out. Works just fine now. I don't think there is any type of overheat protection built in though. I do have a bedroom ceiling fan that has a CFL completely enclosed. Its a higher wattage GE like a 26 watt. No issues for a couple years now.

Thanks for all the suggestions and insight!!!

I have found the GE Daylight 6500K seem to light up the quickest for not being an instant on bulb. For the money I think these GE are best if they will fit your application, and even hotter if you can find them clearanced out at Target!

 

[fivefoot20]

If the CFLs continue to fail, check the polarity at the socket (the "shell" should be the neutral and the contact should be the hot). I have gotten a few service calls to older homes and found sockets wired backwards--which doesn't bother an incandescent lamp in the least, but apparently dramatically shortens the life of CFLs.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

If you do install the T8's, when you go to buy the bulbs, get bulbs rated at 6500K, not the 4100K rated ones. You will not regret getting the 6500K rated ones. I just put them in my shop. Now I have to replace the 4100K Linda has in her horse barn when she saw the differance in light quality. Lowes has 8ft T-8 tandem fixtures for $39.95, (4) (4ft) bulbs and if you buy the contractor bulb packs the bulbs cost me $2.50 each, $50 total cost per fixure plus tax and they put out approx. 128 Watts of bulbs, 10,400 Lumens each fixture and draw 1.1 - 1.2 amps each fixture.