Longest-lasting light bulbs
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the longest lasting incandescent light bulbs. Before the development of LED light bulbs, which have extremely long lifespans, incandescent bulbs which lasted more than a few years were quite uncommon and attracted significant media attention.
The world's longest lasting light bulb is the Centennial Light
located at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California
. It is maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. The fire department claims that the bulb is at least 110 years old and has only been turned off a handful of times. The bulb has been noted by The Guinness Book of World Records
, Ripley's Believe It or Not!
, and General Electric
as being the world's longest-lasting light bulb.
While it might seem astonishing that so many longest-lasting light bulbs have been so infrequently turned off, this is the precise reason for their longevity. Most of the wear and tear that leads to burnouts in incandescent light bulbs is caused by turning them on and off, not by burning them. Each time the bulb is turned on and off, the filament is heated and cooled. This causes the material of the filament to expand and contract, in turn causing tiny stress cracks to develop. The more the light is turned on and off, the larger these cracks grow, until eventually the filament breaks at some point, causing the light to burn out.
. The bulb, known as the Eternal Light, was credited as being the longest-lasting bulb in the 1970 edition of the The Guinness Book of World Records
, two years before the discovery of the Livermore bulb. It was originally at the Byers Opera House, and was installed by a stage-hand, Barry Burke, on September 21, 1908, above the backstage door.October 7, 2011 The theater was demolished in 1977 and the bulb was transported to a museum located in the Livestock Exchange Building. Since its installation in the museum, it has only been turned off once — by accident — before being put on its own, unswitched, circuit.
hardware store on Second Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets. It was installed in 1912, according to store owner Jack Gasnick. Apparently Gasnick tried several times to discredit the Centennial Light in Livermore. In 1981 he wrote to Dear Abby
and claimed that the Livermore bulb had burned out, although it had not. In 1983, he wrote to Guinness and claimed that the Livermore bulb was a fraud. In his opinion as a trained electrical technician, the socket for the bulb was incorrect for its age. He also pointed out that there were no carbon deposits on the inside of the glass, unlike his bulb, which was filthy. He then declared his bulb to be the world's oldest, seemingly unaware of the bulb in Fort Worth.
It is not known what happened to Gasnick and his bulb. The store, and the entire half-block on which it stood, were torn down in 2003 to make room for a 31-story tower of million-dollar condominiums.
. The bulb is not attached to any special electrical supply, and when the power goes off, so does the bulb.
Electrical Shop in Ipswich
, England. Given its shape and design, it was thought to date from the 1930s. It burned out in January 2001.
designed a bulb that was supposed to last forever, called the Eternal Light, and turned it on on October 22, 1929. The bulb is located in the Memorial Tower at the Edison Memorial Museum
in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The tower fell down in 1937, but the bulb's power was supposedly uninterrupted, according to General Electric, and continued to burn while a second tower was constructed. According to museum curator Jack Stanley, the bulb is fake, consisting of a hollow bulb illuminated by a series of automobile headlights mounted in the display's base.
The world's longest lasting light bulb is the Centennial Light
Centennial Light
The Centennial Light is the world's longest-lasting light bulb. It is at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California, and maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. The fire department says that the bulb is at least 110 years old and has been turned off only a handful of times...
located at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
. It is maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. The fire department claims that the bulb is at least 110 years old and has only been turned off a handful of times. The bulb has been noted by The Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
, and General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
as being the world's longest-lasting light bulb.
While it might seem astonishing that so many longest-lasting light bulbs have been so infrequently turned off, this is the precise reason for their longevity. Most of the wear and tear that leads to burnouts in incandescent light bulbs is caused by turning them on and off, not by burning them. Each time the bulb is turned on and off, the filament is heated and cooled. This causes the material of the filament to expand and contract, in turn causing tiny stress cracks to develop. The more the light is turned on and off, the larger these cracks grow, until eventually the filament breaks at some point, causing the light to burn out.
Second longest-lasting light bulb
The second longest-lasting light bulb is in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. The bulb, known as the Eternal Light, was credited as being the longest-lasting bulb in the 1970 edition of the The Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, two years before the discovery of the Livermore bulb. It was originally at the Byers Opera House, and was installed by a stage-hand, Barry Burke, on September 21, 1908, above the backstage door.October 7, 2011 The theater was demolished in 1977 and the bulb was transported to a museum located in the Livestock Exchange Building. Since its installation in the museum, it has only been turned off once — by accident — before being put on its own, unswitched, circuit.
Third longest-lasting light bulb
The third longest-lasting light bulb was above the back door of Gasnick Supply, a New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
hardware store on Second Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets. It was installed in 1912, according to store owner Jack Gasnick. Apparently Gasnick tried several times to discredit the Centennial Light in Livermore. In 1981 he wrote to Dear Abby
Dear Abby
Dear Abby is the name of the advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name Abigail Van Buren and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name....
and claimed that the Livermore bulb had burned out, although it had not. In 1983, he wrote to Guinness and claimed that the Livermore bulb was a fraud. In his opinion as a trained electrical technician, the socket for the bulb was incorrect for its age. He also pointed out that there were no carbon deposits on the inside of the glass, unlike his bulb, which was filthy. He then declared his bulb to be the world's oldest, seemingly unaware of the bulb in Fort Worth.
It is not known what happened to Gasnick and his bulb. The store, and the entire half-block on which it stood, were torn down in 2003 to make room for a 31-story tower of million-dollar condominiums.
Fourth longest-lasting light bulb
The fourth longest-lasting light bulb is located in a fire house in Mangum, OklahomaMangum, Oklahoma
Mangum is a city in Greer County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,010 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Greer County....
. The bulb is not attached to any special electrical supply, and when the power goes off, so does the bulb.
Fifth longest-lasting light bulb
The fifth longest-lasting light bulb was in a washroom at the Martin & NewbyMartin & Newby
Martin & Newby was the oldest shop in Ipswich, Suffolk until it closed down in June 2004. The business was established in 1873 and was based around 5 departments: Ironmongery, Electrical, Domestic, Gardening and Tools...
Electrical Shop in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, England. Given its shape and design, it was thought to date from the 1930s. It burned out in January 2001.
Edison and the Eternal Light
Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
designed a bulb that was supposed to last forever, called the Eternal Light, and turned it on on October 22, 1929. The bulb is located in the Memorial Tower at the Edison Memorial Museum
Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum
The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, also known as the Menlo Park Museum / Edison Memorial Tower, is a memorial to inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison, located in the Menlo Park area of Edison, New Jersey...
in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The tower fell down in 1937, but the bulb's power was supposedly uninterrupted, according to General Electric, and continued to burn while a second tower was constructed. According to museum curator Jack Stanley, the bulb is fake, consisting of a hollow bulb illuminated by a series of automobile headlights mounted in the display's base.