6 Top Reasons Your Light Bulbs Keep Blowing

Did you know the average lifespan of a standard light bulb is only about 1000 hours? If you never turned the switch off, that’s only about 40 days – so there’s no reason to be alarmed when you hear one go ‘pop’ and into light bulb heaven. But what if light bulbs keep blowing? If you’ve ruled out bad luck and coincidence and you suspect something may actually be wrong, that can be alarming – and your instincts are also correct. If a light bulb keeps blowing in the same place over and over again, that’s a warning sign that something more serious may be going wrong.

What’s up with your blown light bulbs?

If you’re dealing with a light bulb blown over and over again, here’s what might be going on:

1. A loose connection

The problem might be the light bulb connection itself rather than a wider problem. Better still, maybe you’re just not screwing it in far enough each time. Maybe the socket needs replacing – or maybe the entire fixture. But with a bit of luck, that’s the problem rather than a much bigger one.

2. High voltage

One of those potential bigger problems is related to voltage. The nominal electrical supply standard across Australia is 240v, although it can vary by 10v or so from place to place. If it’s a little too high, the only initial symptom may be a slightly hotter and brighter bulb – and more frequent blow-outs. You can test your outlet voltage with a cheap voltage tester, and if the reading is suspiciously high – call your local electrician near me.

3. Cheap light bulbs

Much more reassuring would be the realisation that you’re just not spending enough on your bulbs. Perhaps you absolutely love the low, low price of your bulbs but you’re finding out why the price is so low – because they’re really not very good.

4. Bad vibrations

The Beach Boys sang about good vibrations, but bad vibrations could be the reason for those constantly blown light bulbs. Are the misbehaving bulbs attached to or near a ceiling fan, for instance? Or a constantly-in-motion garage door? Light bulb filaments are very delicate, so look into whether a more robust product is compatible with the fixture in question.

5. Wrong wattage

Have you simply bought an inappropriate bulb for the fixture in question? The information on the packaging should match up with the label on the fixture itself – and a mismatch could explain why your bulbs are constantly blowing out.

6. A bigger problem

So now for the bad news – something a little more serious could be occurring within your electrical system. Maybe it’s power surges, or perhaps its electricity arcing. Then again, you could be dealing with an overcurrent issue that can be traced back to the breakers or switchboard, or the fixture, circuit or entire home could be suffering from degraded, damaged or incorrectly-installed wiring.

Blown light bulb? Give us a shout!

Whatever’s gone wrong, don’t let those blown light bulbs keep you on the dark side! Your Electrical Expert can be at your Brisbane, Gold Coast or nearby location in a flash with fast, affordable and fully-licensed and guaranteed same-day electrical services of every kind. Remember: when your light bulb keeps blowing, simply dial Your Electrical Expert – and we’ll be right there!