Here are some experiences and a request for do it yourself repair in regard to compact fluorescent bulbs of the two inverted U tubes type. 1. Rarely will you come across long-lasting ones if you buy them for cheap like three for US$1.50; by long-lasting I mean at least over three months. 2. You might be lucky to have bought such bargain ones which last over three months, but when you buy the same brand next time around, don't be surprised they don't last as long as the earlier ones. My suspicion: once they get the good name, they switch to cheap manufacture to make more profit. 3. If you want a long-lasting one, lasting for over a year, then be ready to pay for at least US$1.50 each, but make sure there is a guarantee of return if it burns out in less than a year's time. 4. If you have a ceiling light fixture, say comprising four sockets in a circle around 1.5 feet in diameter -- as I have (parallel connection of course), for four lamps and you put in each socket a compact fluorescent bulb, and they happen to be the cheap kind; then be ready to see them conk out even as briefly as two or three days time. I don't know the cause for such quick demise, except my suspicion is that the internal electronic events inside each bulb must be interacting among the bulbs themselves to bring about their quick demise. What do you guys say? You see, a cfl (compact fluorescent lamp) packs everything (starter, ballast, etc.) inside the chamber between the tubes and the threaded screw-in plug -- it's an electronic assembly. Now, here is my request addressed to guys good in electrical and electronic repairs: I have seen guys in electrical shops repairing these dysfunctional or conked out cfl bulbs; so it is possible to repair them -- and I suspect they return the repaired ones back to the display shelves, hopefully as recycled and thus cheaper merchandise. Okay, guys, how do a dude like myself repair these dysfunctional, or conked out, or demised bulbs? yrreg

I recently bought a Hampton Bay ceiling fan that came with a hand remote only. I would like to buy and install a wired wall remote, but Home Depot doesn't sell them (they only sell 9V battery operated wall remotes). Does anyone know if Hampton Bay sells these? I called Hampton Bay directly, and they forwarded me to the manufacturer of the ceiling fan, a company called Aircool. Nobody answered the phone from Aircool. Any help would be appreciated. Also, can I bypass the remote receiver, for the light kit hot wire. I am replacing a current ceiling fan that has two switched hot wires. 1 hot wire is controlled via 2 3-way switches (for the light) and the other hot is for the fan. I want to keep the light kit controlled by the wall 3 way switches only. Thus can I hook up the blue (light kit hot) wire from the ceiling fan directly to the 3-way switched hot lead from the ceiling? This would bypass the receiver unit. Thank you!