CFL troubles with fixture

[Dragster Racer]

I have a ceiling fan in our bedroom with a three bulb light fixture. One of the three outlets runs through cfl's. Throw a new one in and it seems to work for a few months. Now if I tap it a few times, the bulb will tend to light. Weird. Anyone run into this? I had this trouble in a bathroom fixture as well, and it seemed to go away on its own.

 

[pattenp]

Bad or loose base contact connections in the socket.

 

[Astro-t]

The electrical connection on lamp are aluminum not brass. Aluminum vibrates when electrons flow through it, thus loosing connection! Real old lamps and fixtures had brass base connections. Some higher end fixtures still do!

 

[Dragster Racer]

Seems hard to find anything well built today it seems. Thank you...

 

[teamextreme]

Aluminum vibrates when electrons flow through it, thus loosing connection!

Dude, seriously? Vibration does not cause loose connections found in aluminum. The significant expansion and contraction caused by heating and cooling causes joints to loosen over time, particularly when connected to a dissimilar metal (copper). Aluminum does not vibrate when current flows through it.

 

[iceman510]

Well, theoretically everything is always vibrating above absolute 0, and the electrons are moving, but you're right about the expansion/contraction.