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+-- Thread: Intermittent lights (/showthread.php?tid=7359516)
Intermittent lights - Phil S. - 12-15-2020
I have some landscape lights along my stairway that aren't sure if they want to work full time. There are about 10 fixtures with a copper tone hood over a wedge base bulb like these-
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-7-Watt-Bright-White-3000K-T5-Wedge-Base-Dimmable-12-Volt-Landscape-Garden-Incandescent-Light-Bulb-4-Pack-BPLV526-4-HDRP/309603341
The bulbs just insert into the fixture bayonet style.
Just about every time I go up the stairway one or more of the lights will be out. If I rap on the fixture like knocking on a door it usually starts working again. The lights are about 10' apart and shed enough light I can usually fumble my way to the one that is out and give it a rap to get it going, but the wife and visitors don't know that trick and just stumble up the stairs in the dark.
Any idea how I can get these to operate more dependably?
RE: Intermittent lights - arthropod98 - 12-16-2020
we've got some lights like yours, and the bulb's the same, and i had those issues. i replaced all those with LEDs -- not available anymore, but you can find some others like 'em:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014V4R6O8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
when i replaced 'em, i checked all the bulb connectors to make sure they would make good contact. then, i gave the sockets a bit of a pinch to make sure there was a decent grab on the bulb.
i was replacing those old bulbs what felt like every other day -- LEDs are just much better.
RE: Intermittent lights - Snipe Hunter - 12-16-2020
We had problems with that type of light at the old house within a year or two of installation. Corrosion at the connections and light sockets seemed to be the problem. The LEDs are not in a socket and pretty much sealed from the elements so no corrosion problems. And draw a lot less power.
RE: Intermittent lights - MarkSingleton - 12-17-2020
I had a similar issue with the old dual pin low voltage lamps in our landscape lighting.
Had. Since switching to LED, no more issues. They just work.
RE: Intermittent lights - Phil S. - 12-18-2020
So, are you guys saying that I can get wedge base LEDs that will work more reliably in the fixtures I have or am I hallucinating?
RE: Intermittent lights - arthropod98 - 12-21-2020
(12-18-2020, 09:50 PM)Phil S. Wrote: So, are you guys saying that I can get wedge base LEDs that will work more reliably in the fixtures I have or am I hallucinating?
well, probably not really if the lights are good when ya knock on 'em. that's probably more of a fine-tune-the-connections kinda thing. i've definitely seen some differences with the bulbs and their connections that need fixed up. but, if you also have bulbs just blowing (which is definitely what i had), the LEDs are pretty great.