Why do the light bulbs in my ceiling fan keep burning out so quickly?

Question

My ceiling fan has a light attached.  The light bulbs keep burning out.  I put a new bulb in and a week later it is burned out.  This happens to all three of the lights. Any suggestions as to what can be the problem?

Millie · Answer

I don't know too much about electrical circuitry, but I think I would take the fan down, as I am thinking there is a short in it! Shorts can cause fires. Please be safe!

Sti2242965 · Answer

Could be a number of things I think, I'm no electrician either but have had similar problems, moisture being one I am sure, and if the bulbs did not sit snug in the fittings then they would arc across the connection (I dont know if that blew them ) , also maybe different surges of power hitting them when the fan is on and off?? As Millie mentioned too about shorts, moisture and/or touching wires can cause this, I have had this problem also, as when I took the fitting down I could see and smell the burnt plastic on the wires

Sheila · Answer

Is there a cfl bulb in it?  These bulbs don't like the vibration of the fan.

Jimmy R · Answer

Make sure your using bulbs made for Fans , the biggest killer is the Vibration Caused by the fan running , even if you are not able to see any Wooble there is still movement caused by the motor  Shakes ,, Also make sure the center contact in the bulb receptacles is not pushed all the way down in the base, , it should sit like a 1/4 inch off the bottom ,, an if that doesn't help it's possible the fan an or the Lamp is wired Backwards ,, An as stated above Voltage Spikes will do this as well , an ole time analog voltmeter is far better to test this than the digital ones  in my experience,,,

Dan Pieniak · Answer

I second Jimmy R's suggestion..... There are bulbs specifically made for ceiling fans. The filament has more support for the vibrations.

Chuck · Answer

I 3rd the motion.

Audrey Trubshaw · Answer

That happened to me in the ceiling fixture of my craft room. I called a handy man who found rust in it somewhere up there. He replaced the gizmo that you screw the bulb into and now it works fine. It is dangerous to leave it that way, maybe could start an electrical fire.

Phil a · Answer

I've used regular bulbs in fans and they've lasted for many years. I've since switched everything over to LED to save energy and reduce heat. Audrey makes a good point. A dirty or loose bulb to socket connection can cause hot spots in the socket. If you hear a sizzling sound when you move the bulb around, that could be an issue. You didn't mention whether you use the pull chains or a remote control on the fan and lights. A failing remote can cause issues. Are any other bulbs in the house burning out? If not, the problem is probably limited to the fan. If yes, you have an electrical problem. If your fan isn't buzzing loudly or jumping all over the place when on, vibration seems unlikely as a cause. I would check the voltage. Light bulbs are over designed to handle a bit more than their rated voltage. If you have a crossed electrical circuit, you could have more voltage at the light sockets than the bulbs can handle for very long. Do they seem brighter when in the fan than they do in another lamp? If you don't feel comfortable checking the voltage, call a handyman or a friend that can and will. Extra high voltage is not only an inconvenience for burned out bulbs, it can be a safety issue. BTW... when changing screw in bulbs, turn them in until they make good electrical contact and then back them out a 1/4 turn or so. This helps prevent them from becoming stuck in the socket and breaking when you try to remove them.

B J Alexis · Answer

Is the fan on a dimmer switch? An electrician told me that a dimmer on a fan with lights could cause a burnout of the fan motor, maybe on light bulbs also? I've had lights in some of my fans for years, but no dimmer switches and seldom a burnout.

Jan Munroe · Answer

An electrician told me that there are certain bulbs made for downward facing chandeliers and fans..if there is a picture showing the bulb upside down. that is the one to buy. He has me go buy stove bulbs for a fixture I had installed in a rental.

Diana Deiley · Answer

First and foremost, shut it off and call an electrician. Safety first! Protect yourself and your family. It may only be a loose wire, but it could be something else. Best of luck.

Joanne DeYoung · Answer

I know bulbs for fans are suggested as they stand up to shaking.  By the way, are your fan blades balanced?

Betsy Woolford · Answer

You should also not use bulbs with a higher wattage than the light fixture calls for. If you use 75 watt bulbs in a 60 watt fixture, the bulbs will blow out sooner. LED lights are a good choice, too.

NancyMaria · Answer

I would check to see if the fan is out of balance (put tape on each and see if they line up when working) and shaking the bulbs to death. Also lots of long-life bulbs can not be used on a dimmer switch. Check that you can change speeds on the fan blades, if you can't the wires are backwards.

Sti2242965 · Answer

Never occured to me that the bulbs would have filaments in (we don't use them in UK anymore, in the main) Probably easily broken by vibrations

Linny · Answer

Sounds like your wires are crossed, and pulling to much electricity. Call and electrician!

Mary · Answer

I am still waiting for my electrician to call me back. I did make a 1/4 turn on the light bulbs, we'll see what happens with that.

Mary · Answer

Thank you all for your kind suggestions....Much appreciated.

JOHN · Answer

also, they make 'appliance and ceiling fan' bulbs, which take the vibration better

Phil a · Answer

If the electrician finds the voltage in the lamp sockets higher than normal, have him check the Neutral grounding post in the Breaker Panel for loose Neutral Return wires (usually white or with white tape on one end). If one of the Neutral Return wires is loose and not making good contact, this can cause some very weird electrical problems, including higher than normal voltages in circuits. I've run into this problem where the loose / disconnected Neutral wire in a ceiling light caused issues in another outlet in a different circuit.

Metty Design · Answer

This just happened to my daughter, her electrician told her, it's not the wiring. He told her to buy LED bulbs and it won't happen again.

Mary · Answer

1/4 TURN did not work. Burned out again... Electrician is coming over the week-end. Hope he can resolve the mystery for me.

Phil a · Answer

The 1/4 back turn is to prevent the bulbs from becoming stuck in the socket so they can be easily removed when needed, not to prevent the bulbs from burning out. If an appliance (rough service) bulb fails after a few weeks, then it is not vibration. It must be a voltage issue. LED bulbs can take higher voltage than nominal up to a point. The electrician can tell for sure if it's a voltage issue. If your voltage is over 125 vac in that lamp you have a wiring problem in that circuit.

Chi33722000 · Answer

I am having the same problem with my Hunter ceiling fans. How was this problem resolved?

Sebastiano Di Ravello · Answer

some bulbs cant be used with dimmers, as i found out

Johnavallance82 · Answer

Call in an electrician to give definative answer and to check out all is safe!

Why do the light bulbs in my ceiling fan keep burning out so quickly?

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Why do the light bulbs in my ceiling fan keep burning out so quickly?

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