AC to DC Lamp converter

Years ago I remember a small lamp socket converter that fit right into the socket and converted the AC to DC increasing the life of the lamp bulb.
We seem to fry our 3-way bulbs too quickly even with a surge protector.
Are these converters still out there or any suggestions?

 

I have never heard of what you are talking about. Any converter would not fit in a typical light socket space and still leave space for the bulb.

Further, any such converter would have to have two converters to work with a three way bulb.

 

Never heard of DC making bulbs last longer. Do you have a reference for that.

 

It's a diode. It cuts out half the power. Any bulb lasts longer on half the power. But of course it's pretty dim too.

 

You could measure your voltage on that leg. If it is high, it can shorten the life of your bulbs. As an alternative, you could use compact flourescent, or halogen bulbs. These have much longer life than regular bulbs and the compact flourescents also save energy. When you buy compact flourescents, I would buy a name brand (ge, sylvania, etc.). Consumer reports said that the "lights of america" bulbs were subpar in life and output.

You could also put the lights on a dimmer at a little under full output. This should add to its life considerably, without reducing output much.

 

I recall those drop in diodes. Looked like a blue button with a silver contact on each side. Those I tried tended to overheat and I had to pry them from the socket. Not worth the effort.

 

Use a dimmer switch. Should give the same result.