Bonnie Peebles wrote:
I swapped out my incandescent lights for the spiral fluorescent
lights. They are rated for 5 years (some maybe 7years) at 4 hours
usage per day. In both my old house and in my new home, I am not
getting anywhere near that. My longest one, the one least used lasted
2 years.

Fluorescent light lifetime is affected by how often it gets switched on
and off. They're most effective when used for lights that stay on for a
long time once they're turned on.

It only takes the equivalent of about 20-30 seconds worth of electrical
power to turn on a fluorescent, but the more frequently you cycle them
the faster they die.

Chris