On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 10:52:33 -0400, "Peter E. Orban"
wrote:

Hi Everyone,

We replaced most of our incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent bulbs about a year and a half ago (it was before the NA
blackout last year). The bulbs are holding up fine, except in the
bathrooms, and I am wondering what could be the reason.


There could be several reasons for the high failure rate.

Are the problem bulbs the same type as the ones in the rest of the
house? I've noticed a huge difference in reliability from model to
model. Some experience electronic failures long before the tube fails
and others keep working even after the tube has become too dim to be
useful. Price can be a good indication of quality, but not always.
I've got a pair of $1 IKEA branded lamps in an enclosed fixture that's
turned on for at least 12 hours a day. It's been over a year and
they're still working fine.

Another thing that can kill them is excessive heat. Lamps that are in
enclosed fixtures will fail much sooner than ones that are completely
in the open. I'm sure moisture doesn't help either.

Finally, they don't like being turned on and off a lot. Since
bathroom lights tend to be used for short periods many times a day
this could be a factor.
Andy Cuffe