Ceiling fixture problem!

[gtsayers]

The ceiling light, in my kitchen, goes out and then in a little while it comes back on again. There are two 60 watt bulbs in the fixture. Sometimes a bulb does burn out, but usually when one of the bulbs goes off it will come back on later. Could it be a bad fixture or a just a loose connection?

[John Nelson]

Could be a lot of different things. But I'd probably start simple, like replacing the bulb. And I'd try a different brand of bulb.

[FumbleFingers]

Definitely start with the bulb. I am so tired of changing bulbs, I am now replacing most of them with the spiral fluorescent type. They are down to about $3-4 each, and sometimes on sale for $10 for a 4-pack. They really do last for 7 years or more. You can even get them with the small candelabra type bases.
Small fixtures tend to overheat and eventually burn out the bases. They are pretty cheap to replace. So if changing the bulb doesn't work, that's the next step. Make sure the breaker is off before you do this, not just the light switch. It's not joke when someone turns the switch on when you're working on the circuit! Also, re-strip the ends of the wires and use new wire nuts for the connections if the old ones look iffy.

[gtsayers]

I started by replacing the bulbs, but the problem persists. I think I'll just replace the fixture and see it that solves the problem. Thanks

[John Nelson]

It's possible that this is a thermal cutoff problem. Is this a recessed fixture or a surface-mount fixture?