12/30/14 6:25 PM

"Did anyone mention a possibly-loose screw connection on the bulb socket"


Or the rivet which holds and grounds the the outer threaded shell the bulb screws into causing an intermittent ground situation...

12/30/14 7:40 PM

The more modern sockets don't typically use screws for the wiring terminals, thus it's an uncommon failure point (in my experience - I cannot recall ever seeing one, but then I'm not fixing these type sockets as often as a general trade electrician). You can buy replacement sockets with screw terminals, which are required in any event in order to make it work as a replacement. As well modern sockets often not fastened to the bracket with screws but are frequently riveted, so removal is a pain and you often just replace the whole hi-hat can.

Lot's of additional failure points, bad wire-nut in the junction box, loose connections in the socket, etc... all of which do seem to point to hiring an electrician to get it fixed.

12/30/14 9:13 PM

1) it's not the bulb. this is the second bulb that exhibit the same behavior

2) the suggestion of a better ladder is a good one. still, I don't plan to climb up there repeatedly. that said, I can start with the one in the spare bathroom so I would be more prepared by the time I get "up there"

3) as the thread gets longer, some of the point listed in the initial post was overlooked by some... namely, this only happen intermittently.

I must add one more, wiggling the bulb/socket assembly NEVER restore the connection. So I personally would put my bet on this near failure being non-mechanical in nature.

12/31/14 6:55 AM

...a bad connection or ground on that circuit or even the entire house.

A few years ago, I had a problem with lights flickering and weird voltage swings in some electrical outlets. It turned out that the main service connection into the house had become loose and was no longer making solid contact. The arcing that occurred cause some significant damage in the meter box and could have potentially caused a fire. Since that was fixed, everything has been normal.

Fluorescent bulbs would be particularly sensitive to voltage swings, as low voltage can cause them to go out or fail to light.

12/31/14 2:16 PM

I happened to have had seen that once, in a different house.

That led me to believe it is NOT what I'm experiencing. If you re-read my list of symptoms, you'll see why I come to this conclusion