I encountered a strange problem recently. I live in Canada (120V). My appartment is around 60 years old. Recently in my kitchen light didn't work. The bulb was an "energy save bulb". Replaced with another used "energy save bulb" it wasn't work properly. I took the both bulbs to another holder in another room both lights work perfectly. Measured the voltage in kitchen light holder & it was good, 122V. I tried with a tungsten bulb & it was working good. Againg tried with the above mentioned "energy save bulbs" It had same problem. No light& when I screw them on holder sometime blinks.

Now I put a new "energy save bulb" in my kitchen & it works good. Anybody have any idea.....?

 

the "bad" bulb is probably not making contact correctly in the "bad" socket.

 

corroded screw base / socket, or glass envelope loose in screw base.

 

Does the original energy saver bulb operate properly in another socket?

 

too many possibilities: the socket could be on a dimmer; there could be a diode in the circuit; bad contact; bad wiring; intermittent bulb / wire / socket / switch; bad rating, ...

or just plain bad luck.

 

Does the original energy saver bulb operate properly in another socket?

he says it does....

 

So he did.

 

And look for fried wires while your doing it.

This may sound stupid, but MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF on that line. That way you can live to post the results.

 

And look for fried wires while your doing it.

This may sound stupid, but MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF on that line. That way you can live to post the results.

this could most definitely be a possible case.

a quik short - i had underground wire (romex that was not in-ground rated. and was there for 40+ years) that would not allow the bulb in the lamp post to light. i put a meter on the lamp socket it read 120v ac, but no bulb would "light". i knew there was a splice made about 40ft away underground, but that connection proved ok. so i must have been reading line to earth by way of neutral or bare being exposed and wet underground, but too much impedance to get enough current to flow through the bulb. finally did some digging near the lamp post and found a section where the neutral had burned up (must have rotted enough to cause impedance to rise enough and then finally burn open) and the bare was just broken.

 

Thanks for the replies. I Skipped some sequences.

The wires are too old. It has 2 joints. I changed the holder it had the same results. I put the old/bad bulb on a table lamp & connected to the holder via a "holder to plug" connector. The both bad lights didn't work. Unplugged the lamp from there & brought another plug It was working fine. Brought it back to kitchen, again didn't work. On the same setup(holder connector, table lamp) replaced the bulb with a tungsten bulb.... working good. Replaced with a new energy save bulb ...working good. Now the old energy saver bulb is the washroom & working fine.

The bulb holder & Bulb's connector are not rusted. Looks very good. There is no Dimmer or any other things

Bill Marsden: I wouldn't die even I touch the live wires. Thats why we have here 120V on high expence.

 

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