On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 15:40:53 -0500, "Peter Reilley" wrote:
About 5 years ago I installed a bunch of fluorescent light
fixtures in my shop. They all used the 4 foot bulbs that
are rated for 34 watts. At the same time I bought a box
of 10 bulbs for spares. Now some of the original bulbs are
starting to go so I replaced them with my spares. More than
half of my spare bulbs are bad. They start OK but flicker
on and off continuously. When I hit a good bulb, they work
OK so the fixture is good.

Do fluorescent bulbs die with age even when not used?
I stored them next to a heating duct. In the winter they
are warmed to perhaps 130 degrees F. Would this have
an effect?

They are Philips Con-O-Watt Cool White bulbs.

Pete.

I asume there is a certain ammount of diffusion in and out of the buld . That would kill it in the long run. But 5 years seems like a very short shelflife. Do they
get a lot of temperature changes?
Henning