My house eats lightbulbs

Has anyone ever had this problem? I'm really getting sick of it and am wondering what is going on.

I moved in in October and I've replaced the lightbulbs 3 or 4 times each. Every single week several burn out.

What am I doing wrong? (Right now I am sitting in a dark living room with no light because both lights blew out at once)

sounds like a short somewhere? but dont take my word on it Im no electrictian

Are you using old school incandescent bulbs or the newer fancier florescent light bulbs?

I'm just using cheap incandescent lightbulbs. But the package says they should last 2 years. They're lasting maybe a month tops in most the light fixtures. I'm noticing a few of the lights don't ever go out but the ones in the living room have gone out at least 4 times since I moved in.

It could be many things. Loose wiring is the most likely issue. Improper voltage is another. In both cases, you need electrical tools to diagnose it. So I'd recommend calling an electrican.

I'd do two things. First off get fluorescent bulbs for normal ambient lighting - they last way longer and usually have a hour guarantee that's worth something. For reading/drawing lights get your normal Incandescent bulbs and throw them in a lamp on a surge protector. Second would be to call your power provider and let them know you've been experiencing pretty bad surges - not bad enough to explode appliances (yes, that can happen) but bad enough to blow out lightbulbs on a regular basis. At least here they send a guy out to check for problems - they've found a couple methlabs/grow ops in my area because of such reporting. It may mean that they find nothing on their side - or maybe they can fix the issue.

I would try compact fluorescents. I've been using them for years and CFLs seem to last forever. Just be sure you get the bright white light variety (I made the mistake of getting ones that aren't). They give off light more similar to incandescents.

If incandescent are failing that fast CFLs won't last that long either.

I'd bet you're getting an overvoltage on start up. Does it affect any lamps plugged into a surge protector?

You know, I don't have any lamps plugged into a surge protector come to think of it. The lamps I had just plugged in to the wall are all dead.

Ditto the advice of calling an electrician. Maybe ask your landlord if the last tenants had a similar problem?

I would try CFL, at least in one or two to see how they do....

We live in a very rural area and power surges on the main line were chewing through light bulbs, we switched to CFL two years ago and not one has burned out, we were not going through quite as many as you, but at least a few a month or more...

If you replace say, two and they blow quick too then I would definetly be concerned about something in your electrical system...

When I first read the title, I thought it said, "My horse eats lightbulbs." I thought I should stay away from this thread. No, seriously, you ought to ask an electrician or call the utility company. There are some problems that can cause a fire. There may be too much voltage coming in. I think it should be between 115 and 125 volts, not more. Maybe the utility company can come put a meter on it and check for you.

I would definitely have a professional out to evaluate what's going on. That does not seem normal .

Going through bulbs so quickly normally means you having something wrong with the electrical in your house. I'd call an electrician and have them check it out.