Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Light bulb failure

I have a GE microwave that is mounted above the cooktop. It has two 40 wt light bulbs to light the cooktop. The bulbs are continually blowing. Usually one will fail and the other will last a while longer. I put in new ones last night and both of the old ones were dark and the filaments were broken. This microwave has been installed since 1991. Any ideas as to why the bulbs keep blowing? Thanks for any help.

You say "continually". I don't know whether your bulbs last one millisecond, one second, one minute, one hour, one day, one week or one month.

Everybody thinks their bulbs burn out too fast.

Common causes of bulb failure are vibration, heat, overwattage, cheap bulbs, too much voltage, and voltage spikes. Common solutions are double-life bulbs, rough-service bulbs, 130-volt bulbs, and better brand bulbs. You might also get out your owner's manual and see if the manufacturer specifies some specific type of bulb. If the bulbs still keep blowing "continually" after that, there are some more serious efforts you could make.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try the 130 wt. bulbs first.

More info on this dilemma:
www.iccsafe.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000882

130-volt bulbs, not 130-watt bulbs. They usually have "130V" stamped right on the bulb. If you can't find them at the big box stores, try a smaller hardware store.

Looks for bulbs rated for "appliance" duty.

thanks everyone. I will look for the 130 volt.