Outside lights burning out

[BearCuda]

Hey electricians, I have a dilemma. It used to be that whenever I needed to change my porch light bulb, that I keep on all night, that the bulbs would last for 4 or 5 months. Now, for the past year or so, maybe longer, it seems like they only last a month at best. I've tried different type bulbs with the same result. Could my porch light circuit be putting out too much amperage and blowing them early? How do I test it and what kind of numbers should I be seeing on a multimeter? The lights are the only thing on that circuit?

I see an outside light at work, whose bulb I changed myself, stay on for about a year now. It is rarely if ever turned off. What gives?

 

[DIC]

I had the same problem. My bulbs would sometimes last only a few days. I think when somebody slams the door it shakes the filament and kills the bulb. I put in a heavy duty droplight bulb and it has not gone out since.

 

[BearCuda]

I had the same problem. My bulbs would sometimes last only a few days. I think when somebody slams the door it shakes the filament and kills the bulb. I put in a heavy duty droplight bulb and it has not gone out since.

Maybe I'll try that next, thanks

 

[m.breen]

I'm thinking LED's.

 

[Kevin C]

I'm thinking LED's.

I went LED on all my outside lights, especially the hard to reach ones. Fast payback on lights that are on all the time. On a $10 LED, the payback should be about 9 months (60 watt incandescent, 8 watt LED, 8 hours a day, $0.10 KWH)

 

[mudflap]

I had the same issue with my front porch light. Bulbs only lasting 2 months. a couple years ago i switched to a compact flourescent, havn't had to change it since.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I have been maintaining the floodlights on our factory for 25 years. Floodlights lasted reasonal amounts of time until the electrical supply across the street started selling Chinese import floodlights. They did ok for the first year, lasting about like the previous ones. For the last few months, they are lasting about 3 to 4 weeks maximum. The only bulbs I have found locally are also imports, so I installed and date marked a full set and am waiting for the life results.

 

[G_P]

I had the same problem. My bulbs would sometimes last only a few days. I think when somebody slams the door it shakes the filament and kills the bulb. I put in a heavy duty droplight bulb and it has not gone out since.

This is exactly what is causing it. I changed my porch light to CFL and it has not given me one problem. Incandescent bulbs would last a few months at best.

 

[BMcC]

I had the same issue on my porch and garage lights. Sometimes the incandescent bulbs would last a long time, and other times I'd be replacing it every week. I don't know if its weather related, surge related, vibration related, or what. I did replace them about a year ago with 40 watt (equivalent) LED bulbs, and I haven't had any issues since. Hopefully I don't jinx myself by posting this...

 

[BearCuda]

I don't think vibration is the problem. The lights are several feet away from the door frame and neither I nor my wife ever slams the door or closes it hard.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I went LED on all my outside lights, especially the hard to reach ones. Fast payback on lights that are on all the time. On a $10 LED, the payback should be about 9 months (60 watt incandescent, 8 watt LED, 8 hours a day, $0.10 KWH)

What kind of LED are you getting for that price? Where? Would it also make a good garage door opener light?

 

[paranoid56]

HD has cree leds for around 10 bucks for the 60w equivalent ones. i have a bunch of them and they work great.

 

[jkwilson]

Incandescent bulbs have gone to **** the last few years, and they are going to stop importing them at the end of the month, so it's time to change to a different bulb.

 

[Kevin C]

HD has cree leds for around 10 bucks for the 60w equivalent ones. i have a bunch of them and they work great.

Those are the ones I got... Kind of an OCD addiction, cause they work so well. As far as openers, if it can run a CFL, using an LED should be fine. If the opener supports it, its a great place to use one.

 

[Gary S]

I switched to CFL 9 years ago and put in photocells to control them. Now, they turn themselves on and off every day and run just about forever. The ones I installed 9 years ago have an average of 30,000 hours on them. The worst one failed at about 5,000 hours, and the best one is at about 50,000 hours and still working every night.

 

[Norcal]

HD has cree leds for around 10 bucks for the 60w equivalent ones. i have a bunch of them and they work great.

For those in the PG&E service area, PG&E (the ratepayers in reality) is subsidizing the Cree LED lamps at HD. $7 & some change each.

 

[Kevin C]

For those in the PG&E service area, PG&E (the ratepayers in reality) is subsidizing the Cree LED lamps at HD. $7 & some change each.

So I could buy all of them up at the local Home Depot and then sell them on E Bay?

 

[zilla68]

incandescent lights are already stopping production according to an article I read, once the stock is gone its gone.

 

[Norcal]

So I could buy all of them up at the local Home Depot and then sell them on E Bay?

I have heard that some "leakage" like that has been figured into the program, but have nothing in writing to back that up.

 

[Zeke]

Being lazy I just ordered 100w, 60w and 40w off Amazon. What I think I know is incandescent bulbs will always be available in 'decorative' styles, appliance bulbs and generally anything called a specialty bulb.

They will be available from private sellers from Mexico and maybe Canada. I think if you can pay the shipping, you can get anything you want now and in the future.

I only use incandescent in table lamps as all mine are dimmed for the warm color. At less than rated voltage they last for years and years. I'm lit up like a parking lot every night living in the ghetto city.

One thing that kills outside bulbs is extreme temperature changes. Some get hit with rain when hot and die right there.