I have two outside security lights; one by the front door and one by the side door.
I am having to replace the bulbs in them about every 2 weeks. I've tried different wattages and even different brands/quality of bulbs. Same thing. Two or three weeks then POOF! Blow out. Power surge possible? Fire hazard? Any ideas on watts :D going on? How to fix? THANKS

Are these bulbs compact fluorescent? Are you having cold weather below 32 F? If so, this is the reason. If not then there is an inductive surge anomaly most likely causing the incandescent bulbs to blow.

Most retails lamps are 120V rated. See if you can find and install a 130V rated lamp. Do not overlamp the fixture wattage rating the lamp gets screwed into. Most Outdoor floods are 90w halogen or 100 to 150W cheap 120V rated floods. (or spots) Make sure they have 130V marked on the lense. If this does not take care of the short life, there needs to be line testing of the electrical system. Nm

Exactly what type of fixture do you have and what type of lamps are you using?

Can you hind a label on the fixture listing the type lamp needed?

If these are just floodlamp type fixtures with bare floodlamp bulb, the lamp should be a PAR type lamp. Anoy other typ of bare incandescent lamp will not last out in the weather, esp rain.If they are bare bulb floodlamp, wattage should not be a problem.

Be sure these are not a type of fixture that has a ballast,such as a metal halide or HPS lamp, if using standard incandescent lamps, these lamps will burn out quickly.

If incandescent lamps, 130 volt rated is a good solution for longer life, however, if these fixtures were getting higher than 120 volts supplied, you should be having the same problem with premature burnout elsewhere in the house.

Same thing with a "power surge", other lamps in the home would be affected. A true "power surge",technically called a voltage swell,will cause lamps to burn brighter than normal. Most events perceived as a surge is when the lights dim due to a motor starting, this is a voltage sag, as the voltage is dipping lower than normal.

If these fixtures are on the same circuit, or on two circuits that use a shared neutral, a loose or open neutral for these two circuits will cause a voltage swell, raising the volts much higher than normal. Again, thou, other lamps or devices on this circuit(s) will experience the same effect.

Incandescent lamps are also affected by vibration. If the fixtures are close to doorways, and for example, you have teenagers that like to slam doors, this will cause premature burnout.

Loose or defective incandescent lamp sockets can cause burnouts. Outdoor fixtures are subjected to the elements, water and moisture can corrode and loosen socket connections. Try raising the center eyelet contact, with the power off, down in the bottom of the socket, pull it up gently to bend and raise it up a fraction of an inch, to help make contact with the bottom center contact of the lamps, to insure good electrical contact between both. If the wire connections to the socket are loose or corroded, may need to replace the sockets, and cheaper and easier to replace the entire fixture.

Hi KT,
A good thing you are here. I get carried away sometimes and overlook the main posted statement. I tried to give more credits, but not allowed. So I'll do it here. I appreciate the thoroughness of coverage and technical explanation. Slamming doors is something extra that shows a true professional observation. Thanks again. Nm:) :)

To all that responded - Thank you very much.
The fixtures use regular old lightbulbs. I can't recall if I've had this problem in warmer weather, but definitely have had this happen this past winter. Slamming door observation is genius. I'll also try raising the center eyelet contact on these.

The old regular light bulbs are not rated for outdoor, the slightest rain drop and as you said poof.

The lamps need to be PAR type.

No genius here, just years of experience in problem solving and troubleshooting, and almost seeing everything.

After seeing the pictures from hlmccarter post, NOW I have seen everything.

If they are regular light bulbs protected in a fixture, it could be the vibration. You can buy mechanics' or rough service bulbs. A better solution might be a compact fluorescent bulb. I have used them for years in my drop light. They take a much harder beating than the incandescents and last forever in a regular fixture. I like the 6/$10 ones from HD.

Labman,

Using CFL's better be outside rated or they will burn out in near freezing temperatures.
nm

I haven't checked the temperature rating of mine, but they did fine in my unheated garage in very cold weather.

Try turning on the garage CFL lights when the area is below freezing and see what happens. If the CFL's are on at night before the temperature drops they will be unaffected. :D nm

By very cold weather, I meant it was well below freezing in the garage. I turn the lights on every morning at 6 AM. They are just cheap, off the shelf CFL's.

Leave the doors open for a wind chill factor... :D nm

On that note, I was watching a show on Discovery Channel the other night, Mythbusters, and they made mention of a firehouse that had a lightbulb burning for over 100 years. The filament in it was very thick and it wasn't putting out much light, so I guess that's why it's still burning. There's even a webcam on the internet keeping an eye on it. Very neat!

How many divorced men does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
None. They lost the house in the divorce. Ha!

Standard tungsten bulbs have a high failure rate in the winter time. This is because tungsten (which becomes brittle in cold weather) gets hit with a surge current, and as it heats up, it tries to expand extremely fast. This is the point of blow out. You hardly see these bulbs burn out while your using them, as it usually happens when power is applied (probably 90% of the time).

My2CentsWorth,

You appended your comment to a post that is over three years old.

None of the responses apply any longer due to the imminent demise of the incandescent bulb next year.

If you would like to open a new discussion, please do so.

You could check the wiring reverse polarity in these screw fixtures makes a huge difference in the bulb life.

Thank you Labman, you answered my question.

I have a very similar problem. I have an outdoor solar powered light (It only comes on after the sun sets) I was averaging about 1 month between incandesant light bulb changes, before switching to compact flouresent bulbs. The light fixture has 5 sockets to it (Think old street lamp) and 4 of them have had the same bulb for over 4 years now, with no problem. 1 of the 5 keeps blowing bulbs now. I've tried replacing the flouresent bulb, and I've even tried installing an incadescent bulb. The flouresent bulbs will last a day or so, but the incadescent bulbs don't last at all. Any Ideas ? I've checked the sockets and removed debris, and checked the wiring. While it's not shiney and new, it is not any worse than the others.

@jb3237.
You may want to open a new thread, as you have posted a response on a 5-year old thread. People who may have a valid answer to your question may skip this as soon as they see the date on the first page. I recommend copy & paste.