Light bulb blew while charging

[prebson]

I just had my charger installed (the Schneider one) and was charging my car for the first time last night. I went out to the garage in the middle of the charge and when I turned on the lights for the garage, the incandescent light bulb above the car blew out. The bulb itself didn't burst but there was a loud pop and then it was out. Do you think it had anything to do with charging at the same time - build up of static electricity or some such? The bulb is probably a good ten years old and isn't used much (we have separate bulbs on the garage door opener).

 

[klapauzius]

They just blow out from time to time. Its a random process. Might have just been coincidence.

 

[keydiver]

For the fun of it you could check the voltage on that 120 VAC line while you're charging. It *might* be possible for there to be a load imbalance if the neutral to your garage were weak, but since the Schneider unit doesn't use the neutral that shouldn't be possible. Probably just a coincidence. Bulbs blow.

 

[JohnnySebring]

Maybe the vibrations from the work to install your Schneider shook up the old bulb :idea: Time for an energy efficient bulb anyway. :idea: :idea:

My TED Schneider system works very well. The TED made me aware of my electrical use and I was able to cut back more kWh then my Leaf uses. I replaced lots of lamps with CFL and LED types to start.

 

[jkirkebo]

Maybe the vibrations from the work to install your Schneider shook up the old bulb :idea: Time for an energy efficient bulb anyway. :idea: :idea:

My TED Schneider system works very well. The TED made me aware of my electrical use and I was able to cut back more kWh then my Leaf uses. I replaced lots of lamps with CFL and LED types to start.

Do not get CFL lamps for non-heated garages in colder climates. They take forever to get to full brightness when it's cold.

LEDs are ok when cold, but if the bulb is seldom used a regular bulb is the best value anyway.

 

[JohnnySebring]

a 10 year old bulb is probably seldom used. I have some nice LEDs for my every time i come and go garage lights but they are $$$ even at COSTCO.

 

[SanDust]

You have to assume this was completely random. The bulb is on a completely different circuit so the EVSE won't affect it any more than it would a bulb in some other room in the house.

Now if you put in a new bulb and it blows then you may start wondering if you have a problem.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Do not get CFL lamps for non-heated garages in colder climates. They take forever to get to full brightness when it's cold.

LEDs are ok when cold, but if the bulb is seldom used a regular bulb is the best value anyway.

There are CFL bulbs specifically designed for use in cold weather; they start quite well at 0ºF and get to full brightness in a few seconds. The packaging should say something about outdoor or cold weather use.

 

[gbarry42]

You probably never had much reason to go out in the garage and turn the light on before you had an EV But static electricity has nothing to do with light bulbs. So, that leaves surges. What keydiver said is correct, however the test for something like that is just too easy to do. Change the bulb, turn it on, and start charging the car. If the light doesn't get brighter, then it's not the EVSE.

 

[highcountryrider]

Centennial Bulb

They just blow out from time to time. Its a random process. Might have just been coincidence.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Do you think it had anything to do with charging at the same time

in a word; no

different circuits, different voltages, different everythings. now you could be cheap like me and put standard bulbs in there (i have 4 of those 22 watt CFLs. bought them at Costco for less than 25 cents a bulb last spring)

or you could go out and buy single single filament bulbs designed for garages at $10 EACH. those bulbs are designed to work where temps tend to be low. those filaments tend to blow when cold because the surge in electricity causes it. its like pouring cold water into a hot glass or vice versa.

so, unless you get those "special" extremely overpriced bulbs, then it happens.

me?? ya, i just get a lot of exercise replacing cheap bulbs. FYI; those 5,000 hour CFLs last about 2-3 years. so waaay less than half their expected lifetime. but i bought 15 of them at Costco and still have 8 in a box unopened.

 

[prebson]

Thanks for all the replies. I have CFLs throughout our house for every lamp except maybe one or two. I just never got around to doing these because they were working and I don't really have a way to get to them - no step ladder that is tall enough.

 

[Nubo]

I just had my charger installed (the Schneider one) and was charging my car for the first time last night. I went out to the garage in the middle of the charge and when I turned on the lights for the garage, the incandescent light bulb above the car blew out. The bulb itself didn't burst but there was a loud pop and then it was out.

The pop was probably from an electric arc that briefly formed, bridging the gap across the just-broken filament. Not widely known is that incandescent bulbs have a built-in "fuse". If left unchecked, the "burnout arc" could easily draw enough current to trip a breaker.

"why burnout is sometimes so spectacular":

http://donklipstein.com/bulb1.html#wbs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;