Light fixture makes bulbs explode

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Avery4

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Weird and unbelievable problem I know, but my light fixture pops and buzzes and literally after a few minutes makes the bulb shatter. Any ideas what can cause this? The problem is quite intermittent so a voltage check at the socket shows a normal 117 volts. I was able to get a video of it. How do I upload it?
 
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Post the video to Youtube and then embed the link.

I'd start by checking all the connections with the power off. Check connections at the fixture, and the ones upstream.

Worst case replace the fixture if it's not expensive or otherwise difficult to replace.
 
Originally Posted By: Avery4
Weird and unbelievable problem I know, but my light fixture pops and buzzes and literally after a few minutes makes the bulb shatter. Any ideas what can cause this? The problem is quite intermittent so a voltage check at the socket shows a normal 117 volts. I was able to get a video of it. How do I upload it?


That's a CFL. Can you try it with an incandescent bulb to see if it's the bulb?
 
Originally Posted By: Avery4
I tried with other bulbs also. Same problem.

1) Even with incandescents?

2) What kind of VOM are you using to check the voltage? Analog or digital?
 
I had this. Bad connection. The 117 volts is a red herring; no load.

An incandescent bulb could plausibly handle this better but the obvious answer is to get it fixed.
 
No dimmer. I swapped the switch with another one I had in my house. No difference.
 
The problem was the same with an incandescent bulb. I used a digital multimeter.
 
For me my method of troubleshooting would be:

Try CFL bulb in different socket of same light fixture (from video looks like multiple sockets). If problem goes away there is a poor connection on the original socket (undervoltage as well as overvoltage will destroy a CFL). Probably as cheap to replace fixture as the socket.

If same problem persists I would try an incandescent light as someone suggested earlier . If seems normal it may be a bad batch of cfl's (you can try some of the batch in a known good socket). If seems too bright or dim you might have a loose neutral on a multi wire circuit. If this is the problem you would need to start taking measurements in the panel and other areas of the circuit. This might be where you need to call a pro if not comfortable, but basically you would need to tighten all connections in the circuit (especially the ones with the white wire)
 
Ditto the above. I would check the wires in the panel too. I've had loose wires on the hot side to the circuit breaker. You can feel the circuit breaker and if it's hot, you probably have a loose wire. If you're not comfortable doing it, you should call an electrician, the panel is probably 220 and at 100 amps, easy to get killed if you're not careful. First step would probably be to replace the light fixture, bad sockets happen too.
 
I missed the part where you tried an incandescent. With incandescent if it is blowing it sounds to me like a multi wire circuit with a loose neutral. Are you having trouble on any other circuits? When you have a loose neutral in a multiwire circuit one circuit may output 50volts and the other 190 volts depending on the load (example only, but you could see how it could be dangerous). If you have some experience and feel confident that you can shut off the power (and verify with a meter that the power is shut off) this is where you would want to start checking connections in the boxes and panels. Not to be an alarmist, but if you're not comfortable checking the connections I would still shut off the circuit breaker for this circuit until you can have someone look at it. This could be a dangerous problem.
 
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Originally Posted By: tvaughn0712
I missed the part where you tried an incandescent. With incandescent if it is blowing it sounds to me like a multi wire circuit with a loose neutral. Are you having trouble on any other circuits? When you have a loose neutral in a multiwire circuit one circuit may output 50volts and the other 190 volts depending on the load (example only, but you could see how it could be dangerous). If you have some experience and feel confident that you can shut off the power (and verify with a meter that the power is shut off) this is where you would want to start checking connections in the boxes and panels. Not to be an alarmist, but if you're not comfortable checking the connections I would still shut off the circuit breaker for this circuit until you can have someone look at it. This could be a dangerous problem.

Agree.

Have a professional check the circuit. You don't want to get electrocuted.
 
I had a lamp with an intermittent problem like that. It was the lamp socket. The shell that the the bulb screws into was made of aluminum and crimped to the brass terminal with a steel rivet. It was starting to arc due to mismatched metals. If your socket is aluminum based, replace it with a steel based one.
 
Originally Posted By: pcoxe
I had a lamp with an intermittent problem like that. It was the lamp socket. The shell that the the bulb screws into was made of aluminum and crimped to the brass terminal with a steel rivet. It was starting to arc due to mismatched metals. If your socket is aluminum based, replace it with a steel based one.
+1 An arc in an AC circuit can do strange things.
 
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