It is sometimes possible, if the live connection in your light switch is a little loose, for this to happen here also. This can very often be diagnosed by looking at the contact on the bottom of the bulb to see if it is pitted.Īrcing electricity effectively melts the metal it is arcing onto ( This is how arc welding works) so if the bulb contact is being subjected to arcing, tiny little indentations occur, called pitting. This will cause electricity to arc across the contact, cause too much heat and blow the bulb. The same can happen if the spring loaded connection in the bulb holder is slightly loose. When this happens it produces more heat in the fitting than is expected or catered for by the bulb, and the bulb can blow. This is because the circuit is not completed as tightly as it could be and the electricity may have cause to "arc" or jump across the contact, rather than simply flowing through it. Always go for more expensive, better quality light bulbs, its cheaper in the long run.Ī loose connection in the lamp holder can also cause bulbs to blow.
The elements in cheap bulbs are much thinner and any surge of power, however slight, simply breaks them. There are a few reasons bulbs can blow, the major one being cheaper bulbs. A wiring fault in your circuit will be picked up by fuses and MCB’s long before it gets to the bulb. This is a never ending problem which has been looked into for donkeys years. Relax!!! This problem does not mean you have a major wiring fault. Please also see our project on the New Wiring and Cable Colours.
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