Lights Keep Blowing

[Budlet]

My two sons moved into a flat a couple of years ago which was fitted with energy saving bulbs. These have, over time, been replaced with LEDs but they keep blowing on a regular basis. They now have no lights working anywhere at all. Could this be because they should have replaced the energy saving bulbs with the same, or could it be a problem with the wiring? The sockets are all working fine and no fuses have blown on the box.

[ummmm]

In my experience LED lighting is absolute rubbish.

[dannyk13]

All my lights are LED's and no problems.

[bhg481]

Sockets and lights are on separate circuits, so a problem with one will not affect the other. There is no reason why LED bulbs should be any more of a problem than the earlier energy saving bulbs and they should be less of a problem that tungsten bulbs due to the lower current draw. I'm assuming the LED bulbs are conventional mains bulbs ie, the usual bayonet or screw fit and not fed via an external transformer. If there is an external transformer involved there could be a problem with that.

[The Builder]

Picking up on bhg's point, if they're low voltage, fed from a transformer, then most likely the transformer(s) is faulty.

Thankfully, there's a move away from 12v lighting at last. Even 12v LEDs can be fickle.

Mains LEDs are like everything else. They can vary in quality. Plenty of cheap imports around now. It's always best to go for a known or recommended make.

Good LEDs can last for thousands of hours without problem. Maybe check the wiring to each fitting. A loose connection anywhere can seriously reduce the life of any lamp.

[KARL]

Further to bhg and Builder, although low voltage LEDs will work for a time on AC, they are likely to need DC to properly survive. This means fitting the appropriate transformer. Mains voltage LEDs, as said, will generally outlast filament bulbs and do about as well as fluorescent ones or perhaps even better. That said, the sweeping claims made at the outset when introducing these to the market have not been met. We have LEDs throughout, some mains and some low voltage - overall we are very satisfied, even with nearly all of the cheapest ones from China via eBay (some/many of which I suspect of being batch rejects or else not quality tested).

[Ryzen]

Replace them with a reputable make..i.e Meggerman..Crompton..Phillips....then see how you go.If the problem persists then get things checked out.If they bought the flat then they should have a valid EICR cert and if its rented the landlord should have one.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

We have 12 LED lights just in our lounge and they were forever blowing and costing us a fortune. An electrician friend told us not to touch the bulbs at all when putting them in place as the grease from fingers heats up quickly and causes the bulbs to blow. We now use a soft cloth or a paper towel to hold them and we have used a lot less bulbs. Nothing to do with the wiring.

[pixie374]

I have literally had an electrician round in the last 2 days, as all the lamps in the bedrooms keep blowing. He suggested a good make of LEDs as there is nothing wrong with the actual sockets or supply.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Just give it a try Pixie and don't touch the bulbs. We had tried every make of bulb we could find but they were always blowing. Some of them come with a wrapper round each tube so just keep that on until installed. We got our friend round to check the fittings and the wiring but they were all ok.

[Ryzen]

Most reputable makes carry at least a 2 year warranty...so keep the receipt and take it back if it fails early.

[pixie374]

I certainly will try that, BD, I hadn't thought of it- thank you x I know now the electrics and sockets are fine at least.

[pixie374]

Ok, thanks xx

[EDDIE51]

Bakers Dozen is correct , you are advised not to touch the actual glass of the bulb at all. Oil on your skin will eventually 'burn in' to the bulb glass and cause premature failure ! Use a small piece of cloth or paper to hold the bulb and avoid 'skin contact' !

[EDDIE51]

^ My Brother is an electrician , he always has cheap cotton gloves to hold energy saving bulbs . saves the oil in your skin getting on them and 'burning in ' which causes premature failure !

[pixie374]

I ever knew that, but will certainly bear it in mind now. Thank you xx

[Zacs-Master]

I thing some people are getting confused between low voltage halogen lamps (which shouldn’t be handled) and low energy ones, which come in many forms.

[pixie374]

... never... sorry. Have a dog chewing my foot. Lol.

[Zacs-Master]

Think.

So do I.

[gingejbee]

^^^as ZM has said.....halogens run hot (and shouldn't be handled), LED lamps run barely warm.

[KARL]

Maybe that's why my LEDs very rarely fail - I handled all of them with bare hands, some more than once. On the other hand I think Zacs has it (15.55), halogen tubes are particularly sensitive to touch and can blister in a few hours from new, each blister being the result of a fingerprint. LEDs are not so happy within a tight downward facing shade if there is no venting around the base of the bulb because then they can eventually heat up more than is good for them although their normal operating temperature is the lowest of all forms of lighting.