Why are your light bulbs burning out? Umm, because light bulbs burn out? No, sorry, I'm not being fair; that's not what you're asking. But it's true, of course. So first of all, are you sure they are burning out too soon? Do you count how many hours each bulb has run? I'm half serious. If you leave indoor lights on a lot or outdoor lights stay on all night, maybe they have lived a full life. Some bulb packages still state an average life expectancy in hours.
I am only dealing with incandescent bulbs here, not fluorescent, though they are subject to many of the same causes of burnout.
Are you even sure they are burning out? Recessed "can lights" have a "thermal protector" that will stop power to the socket if the fixture overheats from hot weather, too much attic insulation, or the wrong style or wattage of bulb. Once it cools down, it will power the bulb again.
Next, did you know that besides a wattage, bulbs have a voltage rating, usually 120 volts? That means they are designed with 120 volts in mind. If the power company delivers more than that to your home (and this may be true of half of all homes), then the life of your bulbs will be less. Bulbs rated 130-volts are available for the asking, and even though they will run a little less brightly, they will stand up better to a higher voltage level and also to spikes and surges in voltage.
Other factors can contribute too. The quality of bulb manufacturing can be poor. The socket that a bulb sits in can be poor, as when rivets that relate the socket to its wires in the fixture loosen up. And the connection of these fixture wires to the wires in the electrical box can be poor. All these conditions I have just listed, however, may come about or be made worse whenever bulbs of too high a wattage are used, and not just the bulbs there now, but any used there in the past. So the light fixture itself may need replacing.
While we're at it, let's trace contributors back further. Poor electrical connections may exist at the light box, its switch box, other boxes of that circuit, the breaker, the main wires of the panel and meter, out to and including the power company's transformer. Such poor connections can still let current through to run the light bulbs, but may do so in a jagged way that stresses the filaments of many bulbs in the home, shortening their life. This irregular current may or may not be visible, as flickering or blinking, to someone looking at the lit bulbs.
One particular connection problem kills bulbs very quickly, by subjecting them to more sustained and extreme voltage than what the power company would provide. Bulbs (and vulnerable electronics) can receive to up to 240 volts if a neutral wire shared by two or more circuits loses continuity. This can happen where two circuits share the neutral, or, in the case of a main neutral wire, it can happen to the entire home. Because widespread bulb, fixture, and appliance damage is possible, several things burning out simultaneously is a symptom that calls for prompt professional attention.
In conclusion, with good observation over time, it is sometimes possible to know the cause of bulb burnout in a given case. Some experimentation and documentation may be needed. Later, a troubleshooting electrician might help, although we don't know everything either. Bulbs burn out!
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