What is it with oven bulbs?

[dogfonos]

I've used built-in electric ovens for decades and oven bulbs invariably blow long before their stated average lifespan, despite always having the lens cover fitted correctly, keeping oven and lens clean and limiting oven temperature to 220C max. I've never got 300 hours out of an oven bulb yet the average bulb life is often specified as 1000 hours. Perhaps I'm consistently unlucky? Checking out some older threads on this forum suggests many others are unlucky too.

My current built-in oven is a 7 year old Neff and I now need to replace bulb number 3. If it were simply a matter of twisting off the lens, unscrewing the bulb and fitting a new one, I wouldn't be whinging or creating this thread. But lenses get stuck and the entire bulb housing starts to twist (as happened with my last AEG oven which necessitated oven removal and some dismantling). When the lens is eventually freed, I find the bulb's metal threaded contact is detached from the glass and is jammed in the socket (happened twice now with current Neff oven). When finally removed, with pliers - tricky - I find the bulb's contact point has melted and left material on the bulb holder contact (second time this has happened - see photo). A 5 minute job becomes a half-day PITA.

I usually buy a Toolstation or Screwfix replacement bulb.
My question: is there a higher quality 240V, 40W, 300C, SES E14 oven bulb that has a chance of reaching the stated average life of 1000 hours, where the bulb glass and the threaded metal contact won't part company and the bulb's positive contact won't fuse to the holder? Am I expecting too much?

Or maybe I should just keep a torch by the oven instead.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Such is life. The lifetimes stated are averages so virtually meaningless.

I don't have a light in my oven. I seem to manage.

 

[Mr Chibs]

It's NAFF not NEFF!

I've the same with my oven, lost patience trying to get the glass cover off so I've let it be, will be interested if you get the housing out.

 

[dogfonos]

It's NAFF not NEFF!

Sadly true. And it's not just NEFF. Seems to be a design weakness in many ovens. Would love to hear from anyone who doesn't need to change their oven bulb regularly (yet uses the oven regularly).

I've the same with my oven, lost patience trying to get the glass cover off so I've let it be, will be interested if you get the housing out.

I've removed built-in ovens far too often over the years (6- 8 times?). Although I developed a successful technique, they're heavy and awkward and there's a risk of damaging the floor. And I'm not getting any younger so I won't remove the oven again. Two years ago when the last bulb failed, I still managed to screw in a new bulb despite debris left on the housing's electrical contact. Guess if I can't just screw in a new crappy bulb, I'll try a soldering iron to see if that smooths off the molten debris or, if I'm lucky, removes some of it.

I don't have a light in my oven.

Nor might I.

 

[Mr Chibs]

good luck... bulb in my microwave went this weekend too

 

[bernardgreen]

Very often the filament snaps due to mechanically "shock" when the oven door is slammed shut,

Closing the door slowly prevents the lamp being shaken,

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Many sellers are selling EU 230v bulbs, which last no time at all. I had this problem, - Make sure they say 240v.

 

[dogfonos]

try smearing the threads with silicone grease before reassembling with a new bulb.

Closing the door slowly prevents the lamp being shaken

Make sure they say 240v.

Some great tips, thanks. I'll try them all.

 

[ebee]

Lights in ovens and cooker hoods are for first time use only, once gone then never replace them. Life is too short to waste it on the lamps

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Lights in ovens and cooker hoods are for first time use only, once gone then never replace them.

The ones in our ovens lasted for many years, then when they needed replacement, I ordered some from ebay which lasted just weeks and then I realised they were EU ones, 230v.

Lights in ovens and cooker hoods are for first time use only, once gone then never replace them. Life is too short to waste it on the lamps

I then bought some Poundland ones, marked 240v and they have survived for the years since then and still good. Not difficult to replace, just slide a glass cover off, and unscrew. But they do need to be proper oven lamps, which are designed to run hot in service.

 

[Rodders53]

That damaged centre contact is now resistive... a new lamp screwed in will overheat on its centre contact, shortening the working lifetime... and repeat each time a lamp is changed. Even removing the solder will leave it resistive cf a clean new contact.

A new lamp holder is expensive and will be a pita to change, I expect.

Solder ought not have melted in normal oven use if it was a proper oven lamp design using a higher melting point solder? Unless not fully screwed in and making poor centre contact? Comments made wrt design operating voltage of the lamp used are also very relevant. Just 5% overvoltage can reduce the life to 60% of design (and increase the lumens output).

Toolstation keep oven lamps they claim are rated to 300 C use, 1000 hours (and are marked 240 V, to boot). £1.99 each.

 

[Honey Monster]

Had the same problems for 3 years.
The kitchen installer hadn't fitted the oven airflow vents in the units.
Also if you have floor to ceiling units you need a air vent fitted on the bottom and top.
No problems since fitting, lamp hasn't needed replacing.
Ps if you don't fit, the oven back will corrode prematurely and need replacement.
All thanks to the Neff engineer on a washing machine call out
The same action is required for a built in floor to ceiling units fitted with a fridge/freezer.
Note that open top kitchen units( ie not floor to ceiling and vented on the rear) only require the lower vent fitted.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I then bought some Poundland ones, marked 240v and they have survived for the years since then and still good. Not difficult to replace, just slide a glass cover off, and unscrew. But they do need to be proper oven lamps, which are designed to run hot in service.

Just to update - my 240v lamps are still burning bright, despite almost daily us of the oven..

 

[SUNRAY]

We have a Creda contour cooker, Mrs Sunray had it when we met in 1992, (I assume it was 2 years old) She moved 2-3 monts after meeting then we moved in together in November 1994 so been in 3 properties. It blew very shortly after and we blamed the move. The replacement from tescburysda or possibly B&base lasted a very long time, well until Christmas day, the warranty replacement lasted not much longer. Chatting with a neighbour they didn't know how to replace theirs (unscrew a glass shade identical to ours)I purchased a box of 10 from CPC (IIRC at about 2.5 times the price of a single from the shedmarket) We have 5 left so one for neighbour snd 4 shared between our microwave and our oven. I think 15 years average is OK.

Oh and I assume you keept the lens clean?

 

[JohnW2]

Such is life. The lifetimes stated are averages so virtually meaningless.

Just noted this one from last year ...

Indeed - and, as I often remind people, even 'worse' than that, since average lifespan quoted is invariably a median, not a mean - which means that, even if the average (median) life expectancy ins genuinely hundreds (or even thousands) of hours, that does not preclude the possibility that nearly half of them may fail within the first few minutes of use

Kind Regards, John