Most incandescent light bulbs last about 1500 hours. I looked it up on Google. So how can you account for how long the sensor bulbs on the side of my house are lasting? My nephew Micael installed then over forty years ago and they are still faithfully coming on at the stroke of dusk and turning off at dawn.
Michael was a bright child but in our current school system,he would have been classified as academically challenged. Although he had a learning disability, from early childhood he showed an unusual interest and skill in all things that had to do with electricity. In this throwaway society, he would take apart broken appliances and repair them. He was known as the Electric Wizard in his apartment building. The saying was, “Give it to Michael. He will fix it.” When New York City had a major blackout in 1965, the half serious joke was that Micael caused it. This self taught electrician, in his early twenties started his own lucrative business installing lighting fixtures and burglar alarm systems. Early on in his career, he installed my two exterior sensor lightbulbs. I’m not good at doing the math, but for over four decades, I continue to report to Micael, “Yes, your bulbs are still doing the job.”
The fixture still functions like new. I still function like somewhat new but sadly, my nephew’s cognitive and physical skills are diminishing. Michael has developed an inoperable brain tumor. I worry my fixture will outlive Michael.
Ethyl H.
May 2020
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