switches keep dying

[com-guy]

Have replaced 2 3500's in last year or so.  now after 5-6 months, a 3800 is starting to fail.  Networking seems fine, but POE in these switches fails after a few months of service.  They have been powering a few phones, but are only pulling less than half of the rated power capacity....

Thoughts?

[parnassus]

How old they are? installation environment's characteristics? both 3500yl and 3800 aren't recent products (EoS here and here) so - I imagine - they are running for long time, is that true?

[TerjeAFK]

Are the switches connected to a UPS? Are they located in a dusty, warm closet?

[com-guy]

I don't have a lot of details.  Switches in question belong to a customer.  First 3500 had been in service for some time..., but died a few months after I installed their IP phones.  Second 3500 was a warranty replacement from HP.  3800 was borrowed/bought from a friend of his.   So there are question marks there.

Enviroment is good.  Fairly new UPS with good batteries.  Closet stays 70-75 degrees and is a clean office setting.

Just curious if anyone has seen something weird that takes out the POE side of switches or if it is just a coincidence that these switches are dying here....

[TerjeAFK]

We've had to replace two of our four 3800 switches because the power supply died, so I am not overly impressed with that family of switches. Generally though, our HP/HPE switches are free of hardware problems,