Refrigerator eats bulbs

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We've had our refrigerator for close to 30 years so it's been a very good purchase for us, but ever since I can remember I've had to replace the bulb at least twice a year. I always bought the GE appliance replacement bulbs that say they are used in refrigerators, ovens, microwaves etc....

Is there any other bulb that I could try? I know it's not a big deal buying and replacing them but thought I would be nice to have one last a bit longer.
 
And is the bulb turning off when you close the door? That could explain why they are burning out quick. I'd stick a phone and record to see what happens. The switch might have a few on/off stages that appears that to be off when you open the door but its really not.
 
I had what 'sounds' like a similar issue with refrig lights on our older unit. New ones would work for awhile then flicker or just stop working completely. However on inspection couldn't see where the bulb filament(s) had burned out.

Began to look at the actual original screw in receptacle the bulb goes in. Rather than replace it, I used a needle nose pliers or a pick tool (can't remember exactly), and pulled out the bottom contact on the receptacle a tad. Voila, issue fixed. If that hadn't worked would have purchased a new receptacle, but it wasn't necessary. Oh, I did replace the door light switch initially because bulb started by flickering.

If your bulbs are 'burning out" not your issue. If not, you might give the receptacle a look see.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
And is the bulb turning off when you close the door? That could explain why they are burning out quick. I'd stick a phone and record to see what happens. The switch might have a few on/off stages that appears that to be off when you open the door but its really not.


Well I gave this a shot and when the door is closed the video on my phone goes dark so it must be working ok unless it's a time deal to where it comes on after a while.

Thanks, great idea.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
And is the bulb turning off when you close the door? That could explain why they are burning out quick. I'd stick a phone and record to see what happens. The switch might have a few on/off stages that appears that to be off when you open the door but its really not.


You're saying the light might be flickering when the door is shut? Otherwise, the OP can test the light by opening the fridge door and pushing the button manually.

OP, if you've got a multimeter and can finagle the leads to get a reading, check the voltage with the light on. It might be way off.

Also, are you purchasing new bulbs each time, individually, or do you have a pack that you're running through. If the latter, it might be a bad batch.

Finally, at 30 years old I'd look at a replacement. Compare energy usage between yours and new (you might need to invest in a watt-meter (pretty cheap online) to see what your actual usage is, because the sticker won't be accurate now that it's old and worn.) Your state may offer rebates for new energ-star appliances, too! We replaced our old HotPoint fridge, because it performed poorly. With the setting on normal some areas were too warm; turned it up and certain areas would freeze. We lost a lot of space due to have to keep stuff away from the "bad" areas. We upgraded to a higher-efficiency, non-energy-start model, because it was on sale and was small enough to fit where we needed it to (condo.)
 
Perhaps try a 130V bulb? A bit less light, but longer life. (Might need to hit Lowe's or a lighting-supply place-it might be marked a lava-lamp bulb.)

Also: might the motor be causing the socket to vibrate? If so, that will kill a bulb in a hurry.
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
And is the bulb turning off when you close the door? That could explain why they are burning out quick. I'd stick a phone and record to see what happens. The switch might have a few on/off stages that appears that to be off when you open the door but its really not.


You're saying the light might be flickering when the door is shut? Otherwise, the OP can test the light by opening the fridge door and pushing the button manually.

OP, if you've got a multimeter and can finagle the leads to get a reading, check the voltage with the light on. It might be way off.

Also, are you purchasing new bulbs each time, individually, or do you have a pack that you're running through. If the latter, it might be a bad batch.

Finally, at 30 years old I'd look at a replacement. Compare energy usage between yours and new (you might need to invest in a watt-meter (pretty cheap online) to see what your actual usage is, because the sticker won't be accurate now that it's old and worn.) Your state may offer rebates for new energ-star appliances, too! We replaced our old HotPoint fridge, because it performed poorly. With the setting on normal some areas were too warm; turned it up and certain areas would freeze. We lost a lot of space due to have to keep stuff away from the "bad" areas. We upgraded to a higher-efficiency, non-energy-start model, because it was on sale and was small enough to fit where we needed it to (condo.)


The switch works fine when testing it when the door is open but he had a good idea in thinking maybe once the door is closed it may not functioning correctly, what I took from it was maybe it wasn't pushing the switch in all the way and causing the light to come back on or flicker.

New bulbs and only buy twin packs.

And I agree with you on getting a new one just for the energy savings but getting the wife to buy into that is not happening, she is a "if it ain't broke it doesn't need replacing" kind of girl.

As far as testing it with a multi meter won't work for me, I don't have the onions to mess with electricity but have a friend that I think actually likes the thrill of playing with 110.

I'm headed to wally today so I'll check out a LED like Skyativ mentioned.
 
excessive vibration or even the above mention contact issue.
i have seen the arcing burn the solder out of the contact.
bulb is still good but has lost connection.
i have a 60's ge fridge that may still have its original bulb.
appliance bulbs are usually 130v ruggedized type and with the low usage in total hours should last the life of the fridge.
 
Yep … had an LED in mine for a couple years. … most of my CF have been phased out by LED …
 
Originally Posted By: Sayjac
I had what 'sounds' like a similar issue with refrig lights on our older unit. New ones would work for awhile then flicker or just stop working completely. However on inspection couldn't see where the bulb filament(s) had burned out.

Began to look at the actual original screw in receptacle the bulb goes in. Rather than replace it, I used a needle nose pliers or a pick tool (can't remember exactly), and pulled out the bottom contact on the receptacle a tad. Voila, issue fixed. If that hadn't worked would have purchased a new receptacle, but it wasn't necessary. Oh, I did replace the door light switch initially because bulb started by flickering.

If your bulbs are 'burning out" not your issue. If not, you might give the receptacle a look see.


We had some lights in the house that constantly went through bulbs. I did just this to all of them and the bulbs last years now.
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
And is the bulb turning off when you close the door? That could explain why they are burning out quick. I'd stick a phone and record to see what happens. The switch might have a few on/off stages that appears that to be off when you open the door but its really not.


You're saying the light might be flickering when the door is shut? Otherwise, the OP can test the light by opening the fridge door and pushing the button manually.

OP, if you've got a multimeter and can finagle the leads to get a reading, check the voltage with the light on. It might be way off.

Also, are you purchasing new bulbs each time, individually, or do you have a pack that you're running through. If the latter, it might be a bad batch.

Finally, at 30 years old I'd look at a replacement. Compare energy usage between yours and new (you might need to invest in a watt-meter (pretty cheap online) to see what your actual usage is, because the sticker won't be accurate now that it's old and worn.) Your state may offer rebates for new energ-star appliances, too! We replaced our old HotPoint fridge, because it performed poorly. With the setting on normal some areas were too warm; turned it up and certain areas would freeze. We lost a lot of space due to have to keep stuff away from the "bad" areas. We upgraded to a higher-efficiency, non-energy-start model, because it was on sale and was small enough to fit where we needed it to (condo.)


An intermittent incandescent bulb will definitely wear out quickly. Those who suggest checking the integrity of the connection (be safe!) are giving good advice.

As for the rest ...

DO NOT replace a perfectly good appliance to "save energy". There is absolutely no way to save $600 to $2200 on electricity over the expected life of that new refrigerator. The environmental cost of A) disposing of your old 'fridge, and B) manufacturing a new one ... means you've generated far more CO2 merely by your purchase and replace that could ever be saved from CO2 generated in higher electrical efficiency.

People make the mistake of calculating the new appliance's energy use, but fail to subtract that from the current appliance's energy use for the net benefit. That net benefit is the figure to determine how many years it takes to recover your investment. And then ... you don't really save much until that payback period has passed. At which time Do-Gooders will be harassing you to replace the 'fridge "to save energy" as newer models will inevitably be marginally more efficient yet.

The MOST efficient refrigerator you can buy in 2017 is rated to use 296 kwH. That is a small, 9.9 cu ft model.
If you want a 'fridge that the average couple can use, say 18 cu ft, it's 362 kwH. Top freezer models.
If you want a bottom-freezer model, the most efficient one you can buy today uses 370 kwH, and is only 11.1 cu ft.
If you want a bottom-freezer 18 cu ft model, the most efficient one you can buy today uses 528 kwH (18.9 cu ft) and costs $US 6,419.00 [Liebherr brand].
If you want a bottom-freezer fridge of reasonable cost and size, the most efficient one you can buy uses 637 kwH, a Samsung 24.6 cu ft 3-door model.

Energy Star rated refrigerators did not exist prior to 1996 (the first Energy Star program covered computers and monitors, in 1992).

However, a refrigerator of average size manufactured at the introduction of Energy Star used less electricity than a 100 watt bulb (2.4 kwH per day). At 10c a kwH that's 24 cents per day or $87.60/year. At 15c a kwH that's $131.40/year.

Taking the most efficient 18 cu ft top-freezer fridge you can buy today, it uses (from above) 362 kwH /year. At 10c that's $36.20/year, at 15c it's $54.30/year.

So ... 87.60 - 36.20 = $51.40. You save fifty bucks a year on power at 10c a KwH. An $800 fridge takes 16 years to recover your cost in power of replacing your old fridge today. $131.40 - 54.30 = $77.10. An $800 fridge takes 11 years to recover your purchase price in energy savings at 15c a kwH.

And that's if you buy a fridge that most North Americans would not buy, except maybe for the rental suite. If you buy something your wife actually wants, those numbers get very, very long indeed.
 
Try some bulb grease. Maybe the contacts are corroded, which will cause the voltage to be inconsistant to the bulb, spike.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
DO NOT replace a perfectly good appliance to "save energy". There is absolutely no way to save $600 to $2200 on electricity over the expected life of that new refrigerator. The environmental cost of A) disposing of your old 'fridge, and B) manufacturing a new one ... means you've generated far more CO2 merely by your purchase and replace that could ever be saved from CO2 generated in higher electrical efficiency.

People make the mistake of calculating the new appliance's energy use, but fail to subtract that from the current appliance's energy use for the net benefit. That net benefit is the figure to determine how many years it takes to recover your investment. And then ... you don't really save much until that payback period has passed. At which time Do-Gooders will be harassing you to replace the 'fridge "to save energy" as newer models will inevitably be marginally more efficient yet.

The MOST efficient refrigerator you can buy in 2017 is rated to use 296 kwH. That is a small, 9.9 cu ft model.
If you want a 'fridge that the average couple can use, say 18 cu ft, it's 362 kwH. Top freezer models.
If you want a bottom-freezer model, the most efficient one you can buy today uses 370 kwH, and is only 11.1 cu ft.
If you want a bottom-freezer 18 cu ft model, the most efficient one you can buy today uses 528 kwH (18.9 cu ft) and costs $US 6,419.00 [Liebherr brand].
If you want a bottom-freezer fridge of reasonable cost and size, the most efficient one you can buy uses 637 kwH, a Samsung 24.6 cu ft 3-door model.

Energy Star rated refrigerators did not exist prior to 1996 (the first Energy Star program covered computers and monitors, in 1992).

However, a refrigerator of average size manufactured at the introduction of Energy Star used less electricity than a 100 watt bulb (2.4 kwH per day). At 10c a kwH that's 24 cents per day or $87.60/year. At 15c a kwH that's $131.40/year.

Taking the most efficient 18 cu ft top-freezer fridge you can buy today, it uses (from above) 362 kwH /year. At 10c that's $36.20/year, at 15c it's $54.30/year.

So ... 87.60 - 36.20 = $51.40. You save fifty bucks a year on power at 10c a KwH. An $800 fridge takes 16 years to recover your cost in power of replacing your old fridge today. $131.40 - 54.30 = $77.10. An $800 fridge takes 11 years to recover your purchase price in energy savings at 15c a kwH.

And that's if you buy a fridge that most North Americans would not buy, except maybe for the rental suite. If you buy something your wife actually wants, those numbers get very, very long indeed.


The point of replacing the refrigerator is to save electricity, not to save the environment so the cost of getting rid of a refrigerator isn't that much when they usually take it away when you buy a new one. Also in some areas, electric costs are much higher, my effective electric rate is more like 22 cents a kilowatt so the numbers differ depending on the area. Also for those who spend $800+ probably aren't doing it for electric savings. Also reducing the demand on the electric grid also pays dividends, they don't have to spend millions building new power plants for the normal increased load that happens regularly.

You also forgot to factor in the cost of the light bulbs...
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to try a little electrical grease first and if that don't work I will try an LED.

My wife also reminded me today that she bought the frig in 1984 before we met so it's older than I thought. When we bought the house in 1989 we were dirt poor but she didn't want to buy cheap appliances so we bought a gas stove, washer and dryer all Maytag. The only one we've had to replace was the washer, so she made good choices.

I had to look but the frig is a Gibson Frost Clear and does say Energy Saving on it so they must of had something going on before the energy star thing. I can see both sides of the argument about replacing it but keeping it wins, it will be interesting to see how long it lasts unless it outlasts me
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to try a little electrical grease first and if that don't work I will try an LED.

My wife also reminded me today that she bought the frig in 1984 before we met so it's older than I thought. When we bought the house in 1989 we were dirt poor but she didn't want to buy cheap appliances so we bought a gas stove, washer and dryer all Maytag. The only one we've had to replace was the washer, so she made good choices.

I had to look but the frig is a Gibson Frost Clear and does say Energy Saving on it so they must of had something going on before the energy star thing. I can see both sides of the argument about replacing it but keeping it wins, it will be interesting to see how long it lasts unless it outlasts me
smile.gif





What is the exact size and model? There are several sites out there which say electric usage from that era is between 1400-1800 kwh. Modern ones use around 400. Even one 10 years ago was probably around 600, so while they're always getting more efficient, the older they are, the more of a real energy hog it was. The numbers change drastically if you're cutting off over 1000 kwh, at 15 cents, that's still $150 a year, payback on a $400 frige is in 3 years. Heck if you had bought one 10 years ago even at 600, it would have paid for itself by now. At 22 cents, that's over $220 a year.

https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fus...amp;submit.y=10
 
there are other benefits. a new fridge tends to be much quieter than the old fridge and more consistent in temp.
there are also all those other whizbang features that you may not know you wanted until you havee it.

it will also play nicer when it cycles on or off. A 30 yearols fridges implies your wiring is likely also ar least 30 years old. the older fridge causes a big disturbance to your electrical when it goes on. while you may not notice these thousands of mini brownouts and surges can affect electronics as well as lightbulb lifespans.
 
https://www.energystar.gov/products/appliances/nows_time_flip_your_fridge_and_save

https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator

the energy efficiency for fridges i recall they say by rule of thumb doubles per each decade both from improvements and wear on the fridge. its disingenuous to use a 1990 stat as a substitute for a pre1984.

if you are in exponential territory where numbers double the calculations start changing dramatically.

plus you might as well get a new frisge so you can enjoy it for the next 30years.
 
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