How many 70 year olds....

[JCave]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

That's a great question, RP. I know I've seen it before. I just googled it and based on the results it does happen. Looks like it may be a series of contributing factors, like vibrations but mostly that the heat causes the metal threads to expand a little bit, and then contract when it cools. Over a period of time this adds up.

Clear winner....

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

That's a great question, RP. I know I've seen it before. I just googled it and based on the results it does happen. Looks like it may be a series of contributing factors, like vibrations but mostly that the heat causes the metal threads to expand a little bit, and then contract when it cools. Over a period of time this adds up.

I have a couple of fixtures in our bathroom which behave in a very similar way.

Each has a couple of small quartz bulbs, with a frosted glass cover. Every so often, one bulb out of the four will not come on.

1) A sharp rap on the fixture usually cures it
2) If it doesn't, a gentle tweak of the frosted glass cover might work
3) If that fails, a gentle tweak of the bulb itself is in order
4) If neither of these suffice, it's time to replace it

I've been at 2) with one of these for a couple of weeks now. 3) and 4) generally follow pretty quickly.

So, why not go straight to 4)?

Pure stubbornness. And I'm only 64.

Also, if I may add a related anecdote - first time one of these failed, I wandered into my local Ace Hardware (a proper hardware store, where it is possible to buy one bolt, two washers and a nut). When asked if I needed help, I produced the dead bulb from my pocket, and was led, without further conversation, to the exact location of the replacement.

That's never happened in Home Depot.