Updated 10/10/23 by 1000Bulbs Staff

Although incandescent light bulbs typically have lifespans from 1,000 to 3,000 hours, many people have light fixtures in their home that burn through light bulbs at a much faster rate.

If you've had to replace light bulbs in the same fixtures time and time again, this week's entry is for you. While light bulbs that burn out are sometimes the fault of defective products, often this blame is misplaced.

Why not rule out other causes and possibly save yourself the expense of a new light? Below are a few reasons light bulbs routinely burn out.

Light Bulb is Improperly Connected to the Light Fixture

Although this might sound like a “face palm” reason, it happens. You could be screwing in your light bulbs too tightly.

If you rolled your eyes at that, keep in mind that even if you didn't screw a light bulb in too tightly, someone else may have at one point in the fixture's life and ruined the fixture-to-bulb connection.

In this case, it's time to purchase a new fixture.

However, the fixture-to-bulb connection might also be disrupted due to the particular brand of light bulb you're using. Sometimes, cheaper light bulbs have little or no solder on the contact point of the bulb. Verify your bulb's operation in another fixture to see if the issue lies with the light bulb or fixture.

Excessive Vibration of Fixture Causing Light Bulbs to Burn Out

Light fixtures that are subject to excessive vibration can also cause lights to burn out too quickly.

Fixtures may undergo excessive vibration under a variety of circumstances, but common causes can include a wobbly ceiling fan or a fixture that's placed beneath a kid's room or an exercise room.

To fix this, consider using a rough service bulb or upgrading to a 130-volt long-life light bulb both of which have thicker filaments that can handle the stress.

You may even consider an LED bulb, like one of these, since a light-emitting diode doesn't have a filament to begin with (not to mention LED bulbs are more energy efficient).

Light Bulbs are Overheating

Even if you purchased a light bulb in the right wattage, the bulb could still burn out from excessive heat. This is usually the case if you're using a light bulb that is too large for your lamp or light fixture, or when you are using the wrong light bulb in an enclosed fixture.

Although a larger light bulb with the right lamp base type may readily screw into a fixture, a fixture that's designed to operate a smaller bulb may not be able to adequately disperse the heat created by a larger bulb. If you think this may be your problem, make sure you're using the right size bulb for your fixture, or try using a bulb with a lower bulb wattage instead.

Your bulb could also overheat if you're using it in covered recessed lighting that is simply not getting enough ventilation. This could be caused or exacerbated by lots of dust on the bulb or in the fixture's wiring.

In this case, you would need to double check your bulb to make sure it's approved for use in an enclosed fixture. If it is and the problem persists, you may need to replace the affected recessed light fixtures.

One way to check to see if your bulb is getting too hot is to check the area around the light socket where the bulb meets the fixture and the insulation surrounding the wiring for signs of heat damage, even if the bulb does not itself appear damaged.

Your Home's Voltage is Too High

If bulbs keep burning out in several different fixtures within your home in the span of a few months, then the problem may be that you have too much electricity entering your home.

Although we've been taught that electricity flows into our homes at a steady 120 volts, that's not always the case. Sometimes a house is actually a little overpowered.

For nearly everything else in your house that runs on electricity, this isn't an issue, but for light bulbs, it can seriously shorten their life spans.

If you think high voltage may be the problem, purchase a voltage tester to check the voltage of your home. Fluctuation is normal, but if you see a voltage that hovers above 125, chances are you've found the culprit.

In most cases, the best thing to do is swap out your 120 volt light bulbs with 130 volt bulbs. But if light bulbs keep burning out in many of your fixtures, it may be a more long-lasting solution to call an electrician for advice about correcting your voltage supply.

Poorly Installed Light Fixture or Loose Wiring

If you've tried everything else and are still sailing through light bulbs, it may be because your fixtures or even your electrical wiring was poorly installed.

Cut the power to your light fixture, remove it from the junction box behind it, and check to make sure all of the wire connections are nice and tight. Loose connections can result in wildly fluctuating current through the light fixture, which can kill a light bulb in days.

If your electrical wiring is tight and your fixture is well connected yet your light still isn't working, your problem most likely lies elsewhere.

Looking For More Solutions for Your Incandescent Light Bulbs?

Have you already ruled out these causes and you still find your bulbs burning out regularly? We'll confer with our lighting experts and help you figure it out!

Tell us about your situation below in the comments or contact one of our knowledgeable US-based account managers by calling 1-800-624-4488.

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