I see that the light bulb in Livermore California has celebrated its 110th anniversary of continuous use this past Saturday, June 18, 2011.
Low pwer will do that. Bulb lifetime goes as the 12th power of current. Thermionic emission from the filament eventually eats a gap in the filament, which is why your bulbs burn out. the flip side is that, if you keep the current low, the bulb will last a heckuva long time.
I have a 75 watt, glare free, long life
Harmony House light bulb in my toilet.
I have been living in the same apartment
for over two years now
and that bulb just keeps burning away.
I believe that it is fond of me.
– “Affectionate Light Bulb,” by Richard Brautigan
Right. They have that 60-watt bulb turned down to 4 watts. At that rate, it could burn for another hundred years. But at that dim, how could you tell if it’s burning or not?