Replies

1. 
   rjw | Nov 28, 2002 04:31am | #1

   Is it just the one lamp, or is it something that happens throughout the house or to lamps on that circuit?

   If it is a house-wide problem, it could be a serious problem with the system neutral.  If it's to all lamps on the circuit, have an electrician check it out.

   ________________________________________________

   "I may have said the same thing before... But my explanation, I am sure, will always be different."  Oscar Wilde

1. 
   suzy | Nov 28, 2002 04:56am | #2

   hi,. bob.  it is just this one lamp. thanks

1. 
   suzy | Nov 28, 2002 06:11am | #4

   these are plain, ordinary bulbs.  i have had this lamp for about 5+ yearrs, and have not had a problem until  now.  a bulb that i put in a few weeks ago just blew. and i thought  maybe it was the lamp.  but maybe it was a lousy new bulb.  will put another one in and see what happens.  thanks

1. 
   4Lorn1 | Nov 28, 2002 07:11am | #5

   You could do a search on the forum and get several extended explanations and possible resolution paths but here is the short version that works for 90% of these problems: Replace the fixture.

1. 
   suzy | Nov 28, 2002 07:33am | #6

   yes, you are correct, but i happen to like the lamp a lot!  i know that i read a few years ago about sanding down contacts of some kind in lamps to fix this problem, and it has intrigued me ever since.  i was kinda hoping to learn how to it. just as an experimetn, and to put a new skill into my ....bag of tricks, so something.

2. 
   4Lorn1 | Nov 28, 2002 08:11am | #7

   Find a shop that specializes in lamp parts, some of the big boxes have the parts also, and buy a new socket and either install it yourself or have them do it. Most will do it for a reasonable price. It you are not mechanically inclined you might want them to do it as these things can get fiddley without the right tools, techniques and experience.

   Get a socket with brass or ceramic shell and a brass or chromed, not aluminum, female thread for the bulb base. Expect to pay a bit for them. Also If you do the wiring yourself, and maybe if you don't, make sure the neutral prong, the wide one is connected to the marked, stripe or ribs, conductor in the zip cord and this goes to the shell in the socket not the prong in the middle. Getting this wrong makes the shell, very close to your hands when you change a bulb, live.

3. 
   toast953 | Nov 28, 2002 08:39am | #8

   Suzyt, what wattage bulb(s) are you using? And, have you tried using 130 volt, light bulbs? Best of luck Jim Jensen

4. 
   jarhead | Nov 28, 2002 03:07pm | #10

           Want to clean the contacts? Try using a pencil eraser. First un-plug the fixture, then using the eraser end of the pencil and rub the contacts inside the socket. This is less intrusive than sanding paper. You may after this procedure, bend the tang upward a little to ensure a better contact with the bulb when it is installed.

                                   Semper Fi

5. 
   suzy | Nov 28, 2002 04:51pm | #11

   hey, cool, edarst.  thanks.  i will try that!!

2. 
   goldhiller | Nov 28, 2002 05:26am | #3

   Any chance that you're running some of those so called frosted torpedo or flame-tip bulbs? In this area, many of the big box stores are selling these "frosted" bulbs which have some type of white plastic film on them to resemble frosted glass. They burn out in short order because the film traps the heat in and does in the filament. It's usually apparent if this is the case as you'll see the plastic film separating from the bulb when it dies and you remove it from the fixture.

   Also IME lamps/light fixtures whose glass shades are "choked down" seem unable to dissipate heat fast enough and this too can shorten the life of the bulb.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
3. 
   MarkH128 | Nov 28, 2002 02:17pm | #9

   Try a different type of bulb if you don't think there is an overheating problem with the fixture. You can try the halogen bulbs which shed a good white light and usually last a long time, appliance bulbs or ceiling fan bulbs which are usually well constructed and 130v rated, compact fluorescents if there is enough room and ventilation, standard 130v bulbs, rough service bulbs for auto mechanics, etc.

   One thing I have found is bulbs from china, poland, austria, holland, and some other foreign countries may have lower quality control and are unreliable. Don't buy any no-name bulbs. Phillips incandescents have given me poor service in the past, I pretty much use GE and Sylvania anymore, but still buy Phillips occasionally.

   Make sure the wattage of the bulbs does not exceed the rating of the fixture.

4. 
   BossHog | Nov 28, 2002 05:10pm | #12

   Couple of things come to mind.

   First - Try using another lamp there for a while, and see if the problem is really with the lamp, or if it's a wiring problem.

   Second - Try a "rough service" bulb - The kkind that are meant for garage door openers and drop lights.

   Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

1. 
   4Lorn1 | Nov 29, 2002 02:29am | #13

   Be careful using halogen bulbs in portable or table lamps. If you look at the fine print on many of the halogen bulbs, even some that show a picture of a table lamp with a shade on the front, they warn against using it in close proximity to lamp shades. Halogens run hotter than regular incandescent bulbs and can set shades on fire. They can also overheat some fully enclosed fixtures.

   The other thing to consider is that for the longer life feature of a halogen to work the bulb must operate for fairly long periods of time so they can come up operating temperature. In a location where the light is turned on and will stay on for long periods of time the halogen will have a longer life than an incandescent bulb. In situations where the bulb will be turned on frequently, bathrooms and halls come to mind, the halogen will not get to full operating temperature, the tungsten will not be redeposited on the filament and the bulb will last no longer than a regular bulb.

   For longer life and energy savings I like the compact, spiral and encapsulated florescent bulbs. The only down side to these is that some don't have a pleasing color rendition index (CRI), colors and skin tones don't look right, and these also last longest when operated for longer times so they can even out the mercury concentrations in the tube.

1. 
   BillHartmann | Nov 29, 2002 05:58pm | #14

   Most of them now have a CRI of 80-85 and a lot of them come in different color temps. I have used the Panasonic Capsule 28 bulbs with reflectors for outdoor lights. They come in both 2800k and 5000k

   http://www.efi.org has the large selection of differnt brands, sizes, and styles including dimable and 3 way bulbs.

1. 
   4Lorn1 | Nov 30, 2002 05:26am | #15

   Your right. They, the CRI of florescent lamps, have improved greatly in the last few years and newer phosphor mixes promise even more improvements in the future.

   I read an article on a newer, 5 years or so, sulfur lamp that may, one day, lead to near perfect CRI at extremely high efficiencies. So far only experimental and applicable to large facilities it may be the future.

5. 
   MNAnderson10 | Nov 30, 2002 10:28am | #16

   How many light bulbs have you gone through recently? Have you moved it into a area that it my be bumped into while it is on more often. If it was just the one bulb it was likley just a crudy bulb, they like to put alot of those out there.