Why Do Light Bulbs Keep Burning Out?

Hello – we have a problem in my home with light bulbs burning out. We have at least one burn out every two weeks, and it’s usually a different room each time. My home was built in 1943, but a…

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Hello – we have a problem in my home with light bulbs burning out. We have at least one burn out every two weeks, and it's usually a different room each time. My home was built in 1943, but a lot of remodels have been done and the house is in excellent condition. About 75% of the outlets have ground “holes” in them, so I would think the electrical has been updated at some point. This probably means nothing, but the electrical box is pristine and not a jumbled mess.

Thanks for your help! I just want to make sure my family is safe from electrical fires.

Our Answer

The fact that bulbs are burning out all over your house could be indicative of a bad transformer at the street. If the transformer is causing the voltage to be higher than the rated voltage, it could account for rapid burnout.
Reach out to your utility company and request they double check the voltage at your electric meter to ascertain whether there are transformer issues in the area. If it comes back negative, then I’d hire an electrician to thoroughly examine your electrical box. The problem could lie within a defect in the panel that's not visible to you.

I’ve seen many circuit breakers that deteriorate from the inside out. It might look perfect from the outside, but dig deeper and you find out it's defective. Both of these approaches must be handled by pros. Under no circumstances should you open the electrical panel to check it out for yourself. Good luck!