We have two ceiling porch lights that use the medium size flood lights in a 2 year old house.

Just tried them the other night and each bulb would light for a second then out. I tried different bulbs and they would do the same. I believe they are on a GFI circuit, but the panel schedule is useless. I will need to go through breaker by breaker to find the circuit. Anyway, the outlet for the porch is on a GFI circuit, with an outlet inside house. I test both outlets and they are fine. On a whim, I pulled one of the bulbs out of the light and tried in a floor lamp. It would not light, Again, in the porch fixture, it would light for a second, then out. Flip on off and repeat. First thought is poor connection at switch, but also thinking the fixture itself.

Thoughts?

 

If the bulb doesn't work in the porch fixture and it doesn't work in another known good fixture then it sounds like a bulb issue. Try taking a known working bulb from inside the house and try it in the porch fixture.

 

The bulb briefly lit in the porch fixture, many many times in a row, then in a different fixture not at all. new bulb in porch light and same thing, would light for a second then off. This am I tried it again, and one would come on for about 5 seconds, then flicker and off. The second light did not light at all first today, then about the 3rd time trying, it did same as yesterday, would light for a second, then off.

 

What type of bulb are these, LED , fluorescent, incandescent or other?

 

Fluorescent, albeit, what were in there to start, were the cheapest feeling bulbs I have ever seen. Super lightweight.

 

Is the ballast built into the lamp base? Does the lamp screw into a socket?

 

will have to pull out fixture to confirm. Wed night I turned on and it stayed on for a few minutes. Then I turned it off and on again, it did not come back on. I turned if off, waited a few minutes, then tried again, it stayed on for 3 hours. Tried it last night, one came on. Turned off, both flickered. I pulled both bulbs and gently pried the contact tab in the fixture. Put both bulbs back, tried switch. One lit, one did not. I removed the bulb that did not light and put into the light that did work. Still no light. I took the bulb that did light and put in the socket that did not light and it did light. So....I grab another new bulb and put into socket that bad bulb came from. replaced other bulb into it's socket. Flipped switch and both worked. I went inside and tried the bad bulb in an interior light and it did not work. I tossed the bulb. At bedtime, I turned off the porch light. For kicks, I turned back on, both bulbs on for 1 second then off.. Flipped again, nothing.

 

Send pictures of lights, switch and bulbs.
I'm leaning towards poor connections that are making momentary contact. Possibly bad switch or fixtures. Could be fire hazard.

 

I did not get a chance to get a photo of the switch. Lights worked on weekend

 

Regular bulbs are the answer. They work fine.

 

Take the lamp (light bulb) and look closely at the metal base that screws into the fixture socket. Is there a little single wire strand sticking out at the rim of the metal base and bent over? This has been the cause of mysterious intermittent bulb failures because it was not properly soldered or welded to the rim of the base.

Another cause of intermittent failures is a fixture socket made of plastic with a metal bar going down one side that contacts the lamp base screwed in as opposed to a socket that has a metal shell.

 

I know this post is from Nov, but we had to put new siding on the exterior of the home and one of our garage lights would blink or one would work and some times it would, after we removed the siding we seen where a mouse had gotten up under the siding and chewed our wiring, not sure if that’s your situation but thought i would share with you, im seriously thankful we didn’t have a fire from bad wiring! hope this this helps