A model to assess the failure rate of equipment under use conditions is proposed. This model links noncontrolled variables to a piecewise failure rate combined with a proportional hazard model. Two influential variables are considered. One is the temperature characterizing the outdoor climate, and the other one is moisture-as an intrinsic variable. The maximum likelihood estimates of the model parameters are obtained. The efficiency of the method is evaluated through simulated data. Results on data from the field are provided.