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The guy who announced out of the blue that it was his 37 year anniversary and then snapped at the person who congratulated him was clearly bringing it up just to start a fight. And that kind of person isn't somebody I would take relationship advice from.
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Our shitty Chicago basement (oh, excuse me, GARDEN) apartment had light fixtures that seemed to run through bulbs way too fast -- at the time, we chalked it up to the ambient crappiness of the place, but now I'm sure it was faulty wiring. Especially since the landlord did such a poor job managing the place.
Thanks Meghann's dad!
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Chad -
My sister had knob and tube wiring in her house when she bought it this past summer. Her insurance company wouldn't give her a policy without a promise to get rid of the old wiring within 60 days of moving in. She hired an electrician who did it room-by-room (so she and her boyfriend could still live relatively comfortably in the rest of the house) and I think it took about a month, maybe a bit longer. She was dreading it, but when all was said and done it was really quite painless.
For the record, her house was built something like 200 years ago and retrofitted with the knob and tube wiring.
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Meghann's dad does indeed sound like an awesome guy. Nothing like having the resource of someone who has honed his craft over decades from whom to get advice.
And as for the marriage thing, anyone that is that bitter about marriage, and is not divorced, is clearly an idiot. Either get a divorce or shut your cake hole. Don't go around telling people to never get married because you are unhappy. Not everyone is as retarded as that guy obviously was.
That light bulb issue may explain why I can't put more than 2 bulbs in the 3-4 bulb light fixtures in my apartment.
Of course, I am not going to do anything about it since the last time my landlord brought someone in to fix something I was left with a pedestal sink that is not fully attached to the wall.
For the lighting question...
Another thing you should have an electrician check out is the voltage across the socket. If the voltage is significantly lower than it should be (think of it as if the old wiring were using up some of the voltage), then the current going through the ballast (the electronics part of the CFL) is much higher than it should be. High currents for too long in electronics kills them.
The equation would be Voltage/Current (amps) equals a constant.
Ironically, incandescents last much longer at reduced voltages. (A drop from 120 volts to 110 volts effectively doubles the life... \"Double Life\" bulbs are actually rated for 130 volts, and they're run at 120 volts.)
P.S. - That's just another possibility than what Mr. Marco was describing.
cerealfan- that's an old cheap-landlord trick. You can buy 240 volt lightbulbs that fit is standard sockets. They'll run a half their rated wattage, and last forever. Their color temperature is a nice dingy yellow \"warm\" color. I've had landlords that put in 25 watt, 240 volt bulbs in, meaning you get 12.5 watts of gross light in your hallway...
Well, that's all well and good, but how do you find a union contractor in an at-will state (i.e. South Carolina / Georgia)?
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Wow, Meghann's dad sounds like a super awesome dude.