Why does the bulb burn out and how to deal with it?

For a long time have passed those times when for illumination only incandescent lamps, popularly known as "Ilyich's bulbs", were used. Today in any department of electrical goods, in addition to the "classic", you can see a huge number of energy-saving, halogen and LED lamps, differing in power and size, the shapes of bulbs and cartridges.

Efficiency and profitability of these products are really pleasing, but here the service life still leaves much to be desired. Therefore, the question of why the bulb burns out, does not lose its relevance.

Lamp Selection

In addition to external factors, such as faulty wiring, voltage drops and so on, directly affecting the service life of lamps, the technologies by which they are produced play an important role. The fact is that the algorithm of operation of different types of lamps differs, which determines their working life. When selecting lighting devices, it is first of all necessary to pay attention to their technical characteristics in order to understand how well this or that light source will work.

Incandescent lamps

These products are available in the form of glass sealed flasks filled with vacuum or inert gas. A tungsten spiral is placed in the flask, which, when heated by electric current, emits light and heat. The light output level and the service life of incandescent lamps depend on the temperature of the heated spiral.

As the temperature rises, the brightness increases, but tungsten evaporates faster because of this, forming a mirror coating on the inner surface of the flask. Because of this, the luminous flux decreases. Over time, the tungsten helix becomes thinner and at a certain point melts in the thinnest place. That's why the bulb burns out. On average, the service life of incandescent lamps is 1000 hours.

Halogen lamps

The principle of operation of power supplies of this type practically does not differ in any way from the operation of incandescent lamps. The difference is only in the presence of small additives of halogen (chlorine, iodine, bromine, fluorine) in the gas-filler, which prevent the bulb from becoming turbid. Tungsten, evaporating from a spiral, moves to the walls of the bulb, where the temperature is lower than near the spiral. There it comes in contact with halogen and in the form of a tungsten-halogen compound moves back to the hot spiral, where it decomposes. This process helps to restore a part of tungsten, due to which such lamps can last about 4000 hours.

The only reason why the bulbs of this type often burn out, and new ones, is the failure to comply with the rules for their installation. The fact that the fingers touch the surface of the flask is strongly discouraged. The left fat print, baking on the glass, provokes the formation of cracks and premature failure of the lamp. Install halogen lamps using a packing film or a dry, clean cloth. If the prints are left, it is necessary to erase them carefully.

Energy-saving (compact fluorescent) lamps

In the bulb of such lamps there are tungsten electrodes coated with a mixture of oxides of calcium, barium and strontium. As a filler, an inert gas with a small amount of mercury vapor is used. The internal surface of the bulb is coated with a phosphor. This special substance converts ultraviolet radiation, formed under the influence of stress, into ordinary light.

Such lamps are characterized by minimal energy consumption, efficiency, reliability and a long service life of 8000 hours. Before the appearance of LED lighting, energy-saving ones were very popular among consumers. Although many also raised the question of why the light bulbs in the apartment burn out quickly, if they are designed for such a long service life. And this is due to the fact that these devices do not tolerate frequent on / off. In other words, the harder the owner tries to save electricity and lamp life, the faster it goes out of order. Another reason why the bulb burns energy-saving, are all the same fingerprints left by the user when screwing.

LED lamp

In these lighting devices, light sources are light-emitting diodes. Such lamps do not have glass bulbs or filaments. They have a number of indisputable advantages, which the above options do not have, namely:

• Economical energy consumption;
• Compact size;
• No heat effect during operation;
• A huge working resource (25 000-100 000 hours);
• Availability of standard cartridges;
• Ecological compatibility (there are no harmful or dangerous components in the structure);
• Resistance to low temperatures;
• The presence of a radiation spectrum that is close to natural;
• No flicker;
• No need for high voltage.

A huge period of operation of such lighting devices is due to the fact that there are no filaments in them, therefore, there is nothing to burn out. However, they, unfortunately, are not eternal. So why do LED bulbs burn out? This is explained by the fact that such products are produced using the simplest technology, which involves the use of a simple ballast converter, while a full electronic adapter can provide long-term work.

At the moment of ignition of the lamp the ballast converter is not able to cope with a powerful current surge, passing it to the LEDs. Because of such throws, the crystals and the phosphor that covers them are rapidly destroyed. Considering that the rated current can exceed the required index by 1.5 times, it is not difficult to understand why the LED bulb burned out.

External factors affecting the service life of lighting devices

Undoubtedly, the rules of operation, quality and working life of each type of lamps are directly related to their service life. However, there are many outside factors that affect the duration of the "life" of lighting devices. Among the most common negative external factors, for example, include voltage drops, emergency wiring, faulty switches and cartridges, etc. Below we will consider why the bulbs in a chandelier often burn out and what are the methods for solving this problem.

Unstable voltage

Unfortunately, the quality of voltage in domestic power networks is very far from ideal. Because of the frequent and severe differences, not only light bulbs, but also household appliances fail. High voltage is the most common reason why light bulbs burn out in a chandelier. This is especially true for incandescent lamps. To protect yourself from this scourge, you can in two ways: pick up the right lamp or stabilize the voltage.

Most often in shops you can find incandescent lamps designed for 220-230 V. If there are frequent jumps, it is recommended to look for 230-240-volt light sources. Another way out is the replacement of incandescent lamps with fluorescent instruments, which are not affected by high voltage. The ideal solution is to install a suitable voltage regulator model. This device can save from burning out not only lamps, but also household appliances.

Substandard cartridges

If you are wondering why a light bulb burns out in the same lamp, the problem is most likely hidden in the cartridge. If it is ceramic, it is enough only to clean contacts. But most often cartridges are made of plastic, and not always from quality. Such products are designed for lamps whose power does not exceed 40 W. If you screw in a larger lamp, the plastic cartridge will quickly crack, and the contacts will burn. As a result, the lamp will become stronger and will eventually burn.

Damaged plastic cartridge should always be replaced, preferably a ceramic model.

Broken switch

Burned contacts in the circuit breaker can also cause frequent lamp burnout. In this case, you need to disassemble and remove the switch, clean all contacts and ensure their reliable connection. If the switch has obvious defects in the form of fuses in the junction of the contacts, it is better to replace it. Instead of a conventional switch, you can install a dimmer that will allow you to adjust the brightness of the lighting while protecting the lamps from power surges.

Bad contacts

Unreliable connection of the chandelier wires, weak contacts on the flap or in the junction box - all this will affect the lifetime of not only lamps, but also all electrical equipment in the apartment. Avoiding troubles will help periodic revision of all contacts. Aluminum contacts require special attention, because they soften spontaneously due to the softness of this metal.