Excessive Fixture Vibration illustrates this well, as seen in a wobbly ceiling fan with a light fixture. This occurs when a light fixture loses its balance, causing vibration that jostles the filament in the bulb and shortens its lifespan. (Hence, garage door light bulbs often burn out quickly!) You can address this issue by trying rough service bulbs, which feature heavy-duty filaments to better endure vibration.

A Depressed Socket Tab is another concern. The small metal tab at the bottom of a light bulb socket serves as the “hot” connection delivering electrical current to the bulb. If the socket tab is pushed down too far, it may fail to make proper contact with the bulb. To resolve this, simply unplug the lamp or switch off the power to the fixture, use a wooden popsicle stick to gently bend the tab up about 1/8 inch, then restore power and test it.

A Flickering Bulb often indicates a loose bulb in the socket. Tightening the bulb usually fixes this issue. Alternatively, there might be a loose wire connection. Turn off the power and inspect the connection on the fixture. Contacts in the center of the socket may wear or corrode over time; if so, consider replacing the socket or the entire fixture.

A Tripped Circuit Breaker or Blown Fuse can also be a major cause of non-functional bulbs. The fixture cord might be shorted, a plug may be defective, or the light socket itself could be shorted or defective. In any of these scenarios, replace the faulty parts before resetting the breaker or replacing a fuse.

An Overheated or Burnt Bulb is often the result of using a bulb with a wattage higher than the fixture’s maximum rating. This generates excessive heat, shortening the bulb’s lifespan and potentially damaging the fixture wiring insulation. Avoid such problems by using bulbs with appropriate wattages. Energy-efficient options like LEDs have significantly lower wattages compared to standard incandescent bulbs while providing equivalent illumination.