6 Potential Reasons You Bulbs Are Burning Out So Quickly
It can be really annoying and get quite expensive when your light bulbs keep burning out faster than they used to. In fact, it could be the first sign of a major electrical problem.
If your light bulbs are burning out faster than they should, here are just six potential causes.
1. Sunken Socket Pad
Take out a standard bulb and look at the end you stick into the socket. That metal end is called the socket pad. It's what delivers current to the bulb. Unfortunately, the socket sometimes gets pushed down too much, which means it won't make proper contact with the bulb. The resulting fluctuations in power delivery can burn a bulb out.
2. Too Close to Insulation
If it's recessed lighting that keeps going out, you might have a problem behind the ceiling or wall. The backs of those fixtures need to be kept a certain distance away from insulation. If they aren't, heat will build up and the bulbs will overheat and burn out. That's actually the best case scenario; bulbs too close to insulation can create a fire.
3. Bad Fixture-to-Bulb Connection
It could be that you've screwed in your lightbulb too tight. You don't need to turn it until it won't go any further as doing so can damage the connection. Even if you haven't screwed in the current bulb in too hard, you could have damaged the connection by screwing in the last bulb too tightly. Again, power delivery fluctuations can lead to burnouts.
4. Too Much Vibration
Think about the purpose of the room in which your bulbs are quickly burning out. Could there be any excessive vibrations? They can be created by anything from older washing machines to working out to ceiling fans. Those vibrations can jolt bulbs enough to damage the filament.
5. High Voltage
If the voltage supplied to your home is too high, bulbs will burn out faster all over the property. You can measure voltage yourself by connecting a simple voltage tester to a standard outlet. If the reading comes in higher than it's supposed to, you should contact an electrician.
6. Bad Wiring
Finally, you might simply be looking at poor wiring. You can check this yourself, but it's much easier to contact an electrician instead of going it alone. If any wiring is loose, power delivery isn't steady. This may be a result of poor electrical work or simply the result of age. In any case, you need to get the wiring repaired.