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Home > Archive > Electrical Engineering > January 2007 > Light bulbs keep blowing
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| Author |
Light bulbs keep blowing
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| I have a question regarding constant blowing of light bulbs.
My friend's father works in an old factory where the electricity is 480
volts stepped down to 120 for the lights. At times the voltage can increase
or decrease due to heavy equipment within the building turning on and off.
It's believed these spikes (and decreases) have contributed to the large
number of blown bulbs (the long factory type light bulbs).
My question is: is there a device that can be placed onto the light bulb
line that will reduce these fluctuations? Say something that would hold the
voltage at 120 during spikes and supply voltage during lower voltages to
reduce the number of bulbs blowing? Also, there are balaces (spelling?) in
these fixtures, so any componenent can't interfere with the balace.
Any discussions would be appreciated. Especially if anyone has theory input
to this problem since it involves many ways to possibly fix the problem.
I'd assume a capacitor will fix the decreased voltages and some sort of
regular to reduce spikes, but would one decide an adequete device and have
it cost effective? A store bought device would be the best solution, so if
anyone knows of one, please let me know.
Thanks in advance!
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| Long Ranger 2007-01-11, 3:25 am |
|
"Peter" <private@private.com> wrote in message
news:f9GdnUpOsMiHJjjYnZ2dnUVZ_rGinZ2d@comcast.com...
>I have a question regarding constant blowing of light bulbs.
>
> My friend's father works in an old factory where the electricity is 480
> volts stepped down to 120 for the lights. At times the voltage can
> increase
> or decrease due to heavy equipment within the building turning on and off.
>
> It's believed these spikes (and decreases) have contributed to the large
> number of blown bulbs (the long factory type light bulbs).
A voltage fluctuation is one thing, and if the voltage fluctuates with the
load, it is likely related to bonding of the neutral. Spikes are another
thing, and most of them are generated by your own equipment starting,
stopping, and changing speed. Everybody here probably has a favorite way, or
an opinion on dealing with spikes, and possibly sags. I say start with the
simplest solution. I have had excellent results using some rather primitive,
yet robust equipment manufactured by "Delta Surge Arrestors".
http://www.deltala.com/ These guys make surge and lightening arrestors and
a bunch of other stuff. Very cheap, very effective, and robust. A good place
to start, and to leave in place in conjunction with the more elegant things
you might try if these don't cure the problem. I have cured a couple of
friend's AC drive problems with some 35.00 parts from these folks. Drives
that used to burn out major components up to twice a year are now into
their third year without a problem. For a sophisticated "point-of-use"
filter, try something that incorporates a combo of gas discharge tubes,
chokes, and MOV protection. That about covers the spectrum for high, medium
and low level spike shunting. A high quality unit will have all three. It's
been a while since I touched on this, so I have no direction for you on
that.
| |
| TimPerry 2007-01-11, 3:25 am |
| Peter wrote:
> I have a question regarding constant blowing of light bulbs.
>
> My friend's father works in an old factory where the electricity is
> 480 volts stepped down to 120 for the lights. At times the voltage
> can increase or decrease due to heavy equipment within the building
> turning on and off.
>
> It's believed these spikes (and decreases) have contributed to the
> large number of blown bulbs (the long factory type light bulbs).
>
try a test. use a device like a Sola power conditioner
http://www.solaheviduty.com/product...oning/index.htm
on a bank of lights. put all new bulbs in for the test. put all new bulbs in
another zone as a control. see which zone has more problems.
>
> My question is: is there a device that can be placed onto the light
> bulb line that will reduce these fluctuations? Say something that
> would hold the voltage at 120 during spikes and supply voltage during
> lower voltages to reduce the number of bulbs blowing? Also, there are
> balaces (spelling?) in these fixtures, so any componenent can't
> interfere with the balace.
some sort of ballast is usually a part of a florescent light fixture.
>
>
> Any discussions would be appreciated. Especially if anyone has theory
> input to this problem since it involves many ways to possibly fix the
> problem. I'd assume a capacitor will fix the decreased voltages and
> some sort of regular to reduce spikes, but would one decide an
> adequete device and have it cost effective? A store bought device
> would be the best solution, so if anyone knows of one, please let me
> know.
>
> Thanks in advance!
it is possible that whoever is buying supplies is simply buying the rock
bottom cheapest lamp possible then scratching his head wondering why they
don't last very long. at one of my facilities the new high efficiency
fluorescents don't seem to last long. even the new electronic ballasts fail
with annoying regularity.
| |
|
| Peter wrote:
> I have a question regarding constant blowing of light bulbs.
>
> My friend's father works in an old factory where the electricity is 480
> volts stepped down to 120 for the lights. At times the voltage can increase
> or decrease due to heavy equipment within the building turning on and off.
>
> It's believed these spikes (and decreases) have contributed to the large
> number of blown bulbs (the long factory type light bulbs).
>
>
> My question is: is there a device that can be placed onto the light bulb
> line that will reduce these fluctuations? Say something that would hold the
> voltage at 120 during spikes and supply voltage during lower voltages to
> reduce the number of bulbs blowing? Also, there are balaces (spelling?) in
> these fixtures, so any componenent can't interfere with the balace.
>
>
> Any discussions would be appreciated. Especially if anyone has theory input
> to this problem since it involves many ways to possibly fix the problem.
> I'd assume a capacitor will fix the decreased voltages and some sort of
> regular to reduce spikes, but would one decide an adequete device and have
> it cost effective? A store bought device would be the best solution, so if
> anyone knows of one, please let me know.
>
> Thanks in advance!
I assume that you mean fluorescent tubes and ballasts?
AFAIK, these things are pretty much unaffected by poor quality supplies
- by their very nature they stabilise the voltage across the tube
itself. Only if the voltage is dropping low enough to cause the lamp to
go out should this affect lamp life, due to increased restarting (IIUC,
one start reduces lamp life by about 15 minutes).
Buy better quality tubes, perhaps?
--
Sue
| |
| MassiveProng 2007-01-12, 3:25 am |
| On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:49:13 +0000, no <no@no.not> Gave us:
>(IIUC,
>one start reduces lamp life by about 15 minutes).
I don't see a reason for this to be true, but I suppose it is
possible.
We have IR office and even hallway lights that rarely get switched on
or off by actual hands. They cycle all the time. Perhaps bulb brand
is the culprit.
| |
| TimPerry 2007-01-12, 8:25 pm |
| MassiveProng wrote:
> On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:49:13 +0000, no <no@no.not> Gave us:
>
>
> I don't see a reason for this to be true, but I suppose it is
> possible.
a new outdoor sign illuminated with 4' fluorescents. the bulbs were not
lasting 30 days. a photo controller had been installed an it turned out that
passing car and truck headlight at night were turning the sign off and
on.... not enough delay i guess. running the lights 7-24 fixed the problem.
>
> We have IR office and even hallway lights that rarely get switched on
> or off by actual hands. They cycle all the time. Perhaps bulb brand
> is the culprit.
web research turns up a variety of articles.
http://www.lightingdesignlab.com/ar...fluorescent.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp
http://tristate.apogee.net/lite/bltfluo.asp
| |
| Gavin Parsons 2007-01-15, 5:25 pm |
| Work out the load and put in a suitably sized UPS this will also provide
emergency lighting when you have a power failure
Gavin
"no" <no@no.not> wrote in message news:eo4q5e$mpk$1@aioe.org...
> Peter wrote:
>
> I assume that you mean fluorescent tubes and ballasts?
>
> AFAIK, these things are pretty much unaffected by poor quality supplies -
> by their very nature they stabilise the voltage across the tube itself.
> Only if the voltage is dropping low enough to cause the lamp to go out
> should this affect lamp life, due to increased restarting (IIUC, one start
> reduces lamp life by about 15 minutes).
>
> Buy better quality tubes, perhaps?
>
> --
> Sue
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
| |
| phil-news-nospam@ipal.net 2007-01-16, 5:25 pm |
| On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:31:41 -0500 TimPerry <timperry@noaspamadelphia.net> wrote:
| MassiveProng wrote:
|> On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:49:13 +0000, no <no@no.not> Gave us:
|>
|>> (IIUC,
|>> one start reduces lamp life by about 15 minutes).
|>
|> I don't see a reason for this to be true, but I suppose it is
|> possible.
|
| a new outdoor sign illuminated with 4' fluorescents. the bulbs were not
| lasting 30 days. a photo controller had been installed an it turned out that
| passing car and truck headlight at night were turning the sign off and
| on.... not enough delay i guess. running the lights 7-24 fixed the problem.
Point photo sensor straight up from a height with a cone shield.
Or just use a timer and an almanac.
--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / spamtrap-2007-01-16-1451@ipal.net |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|
| |
| Long Ranger 2007-01-17, 1:25 pm |
|
<phil-news-nospam@ipal.net> wrote in message
news:eojdur02e6p@news5.newsguy.com...
> On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:31:41 -0500 TimPerry <timperry@noaspamadelphia.net>
> wrote:
>
> | MassiveProng wrote:
> |> On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:49:13 +0000, no <no@no.not> Gave us:
> |>
> |>> (IIUC,
> |>> one start reduces lamp life by about 15 minutes).
> |>
> |> I don't see a reason for this to be true, but I suppose it is
> |> possible.
> |
> | a new outdoor sign illuminated with 4' fluorescents. the bulbs were not
> | lasting 30 days. a photo controller had been installed an it turned out
> that
> | passing car and truck headlight at night were turning the sign off and
> | on.... not enough delay i guess. running the lights 7-24 fixed the
> problem.
>
> Point photo sensor straight up from a height with a cone shield.
>
> Or just use a timer and an almanac.
Or, really go all out and buy an astronomic timer.
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