Lamp failure

[nizak]

Got a call to a small retail store that had a section of track lighting that quit working. The track had 9 60W par 30 floods. Store manager said when he left the night before he turned off the track and to his knowledge all lamps had been on.

When he went to turn it on the following morning it did not work. I checked voltage at switch and at ceiling canopy attachment, 121V. Ended up finding all 9 lamps were out. Switching for this track is in a 3 gang box with two other switches all powered by the same 20A circuit. The other lighting(1) switch- 3 3 lamp t8 florescent troughers and (1) switch- 6 wall sconces with 9W CFL lamps.

Any thoughts as to how all lamps could have gone out? Other lighting served from 3 gang box all working.Could some type of surge only be selective to damaging the par 30 lamps? Equipment ground to track was in place. Thanks.

 

[Smart $]

Sounds like one of those mysteries that will never be solved until something actually smokes and leaves evidence.

 

[Sierrasparky]

They burned out.

 

[templdl]

Got a call to a small retail store that had a section of track lighting that quit working. The track had 9 60W par 30 floods. Store manager said when he left the night before he turned off the track and to his knowledge all lamps had been on.

When he went to turn it on the following morning it did not work. I checked voltage at switch and at ceiling canopy attachment, 121V. Ended up finding all 9 lamps were out. Switching for this track is in a 3 gang box with two other switches all powered by the same 20A circuit. The other lighting(1) switch- 3 3 lamp t8 florescent troughers and (1) switch- 6 wall sconces with 9W CFL lamps.

Any thoughts as to how all lamps could have gone out? Other lighting served from 3 gang box all working.Could some type of surge only be selective to damaging the par 30 lamps? Equipment ground to track was in place. Thanks.

Since the service is decided it to (2) 120v L-N circuits the line of each circuit being 240v a part does the lamp failure favor one of the L-N circuits? If your answer is no then this would probably eliminate a neutral issue.

 

[rt66electric]

similar problems..

similar problems..

I have come across similar problems...
I think it may be the quality of "new bulbs"

Replacing the old incandescent bulbs with CFL or LED seems to resolve these issues.

 

[nizak]

All 9 going out at the same time? Unfortunately, the style of track head only allows for a par 30 short neck flood to be used. There is a decorative ring that fits at the end of the lamp and it is partly held in place by both the outside diameter of the lamp and the length of the lamp.

It would be interesting to know what brand of lamp was originally used at install(store is 8 years old). Difficult to get any info, been a number of tenants in that space over the years.

 

[Sierrasparky]

Not surprising that a store clerk would claim all the lights went out at the same time. Probably some were out and no one noticed until all were out.
I tell the clerk to date the lamps so you know how long they actually last.
Last time this happened they forgot and the dates were there the lamps were many months old and on 24/7

 

[Shawn pavich]

I did a service call a few years back all the landscape lights went out 120 volt lighting,all the lighting had power, HO said they would last for a few weeks and then would blow the light bulbs, in the sub panel all the multi branch CKT were on the same phase, the neutral was carrying the sum off the load instead of the imbalance between the loads. Fixed the subpanel never got a call back I don't really know if that can blow a light?

 

[Sierrasparky]

I did a service call a few years back all the landscape lights went out 120 volt lighting,all the lighting had power, HO said they would last for a few weeks and then would blow the light bulbs, in the sub panel all the multi branch CKT were on the same phase, the neutral was carrying the sum off the load instead of the imbalance between the loads. Fixed the subpanel never got a call back I don't really know if that can blow a light?

That should not have caused the lights to go out.

 

[jumper]

Not surprising that a store clerk would claim all the lights went out at the same time. Probably some were out and no one noticed until all were out.

Happens a lot in my experience.

 

[kwired]

I did a service call a few years back all the landscape lights went out 120 volt lighting,all the lighting had power, HO said they would last for a few weeks and then would blow the light bulbs, in the sub panel all the multi branch CKT were on the same phase, the neutral was carrying the sum off the load instead of the imbalance between the loads. Fixed the subpanel never got a call back I don't really know if that can blow a light?

If incandescent lamps, it probably actually increases lamp life as voltage will likely drop more then if you did balance the load across the neutral.

Not surprising that a store clerk would claim all the lights went out at the same time. Probably some were out and no one noticed until all were out.
I tell the clerk to date the lamps so you know how long they actually last.
Last time this happened they forgot and the dates were there the lamps were many months old and on 24/7

That is my best guess. There was some light when they last ran it and they never realized it was only 1 lamp that was working at that time.

 

[Fitzdrew516]

Without knowing anything else I could throw out a wild guess of maybe a current limiter issue.