5 years 8 months later

[bobinmurphy]

graylocks wrote:
on January 14, 2003 i put a GE 15w compact fluorescent bulb in my front porch fixture. it is on anywhere from 4 to seven hours a day. when i travel out of town, it can be on 24/7 for up to 4 weeks a stretch.

A number of years ago I was chatting with our local police chief and he mentioned that just by driving thru the neighborhood he could tell who was home and who wasn't. The key was porch lights. Most people turn them off when they're at home and only turn the on when there's someone at the door or when they're away from home. Ever since then my porch light has been on 24/7. And yes, I use the compact fluorescents and they typically last about 5 years.

Anyway, think about how you operate your porch light -- you might be telegraphing just when is the best time for a burglar to hit your house.