Is it normal for number plates bulbs to get hot?

If you look at the pic below you can just see it looks like it's slightly burnt the holder (it is more visible to the eye), It's the same on both sides.

Easy answer is yes they can and do get hot.

Halogen bulbs produce heat. Heat is applied to the rod which turns heat energy into light energy so there will also be heat around the source. This is kind of why you shouldn't physically touch bulbs as the heat can heat up the oils from your hands which can damage the glass. 

6 minutes ago, zain611 said:

Halogen bulbs produce heat. Heat is applied to the rod which turns heat energy into light energy so there will also be heat around the source. This is kind of why you shouldn't physically touch bulbs as the heat can heat up the oils from your hands which can damage the glass. 

Sort of correct. The oils on your fingers create a hot spot on the glass.

I was just wondering if this is something I should worry about or just leave it?

I don't think you should worry about it. I think you can buy the holders or if you want to upgrade, autobeam have their own holders with the LEDs built in and I'm sure they are bright. I have heard the number plate lights shouldn't be too bright otherwise you might get stopped. 

8 hours ago, ToXIcG said:

I was just wondering if this is something I should worry about or just leave it?

Nah it'll be reet lad.

A traditional style bulb gets hot because

you know how a fuse works - if too much power flows through it then it heats up to red hot and then  gets even hotter and melts thus disconnecting the power (all very quickly).

The filament in a light bulb is acting a bit like a fuse wire in a kind of short circuit created by putting the bulb between positive and negative connections. The filament heats up to red hot and further to white hot but it does not melt because the gasses inside the glass bulb stop it going that far. (if you broke the glass on a bulb and then used it, the filament would burn out in the blink of an eye just like a thin fuse wire).

The glass bulb gets hot because of the heat coming from the white hot filament within it.

Short answer, is that heat is a byproduct of light. Even LED festoon bulbs have heat sinks on them now.


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I forgot about LEDs. There are different cooling systems some LEDs come with which help them give a high lumen output compared to non cooling LEDs and halogens. Normal LEDs without a cooling system have around 600 lumens whereas one with a cooling system is around 4000 to 12000 lumens which is over ten times brighter. The types of cooling systems I've seen are fan cooled, copper braided (braids of copper protrude out the Base of the bulb) and one I've seen from nighteye which is a flower design which somehow dissipates the heat.