CFL question - dimming CFLs any good with X-10 dimmers ?|
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Posted by Pico on June 7, 2009, 5:19 pm
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Dimmable CFLs with X-10 or Smarthome modules. I don't need dimming but I don't want to replace all my wall dimmers with wall mounted relays. Anyone found a good brand of CFL twists that are dimmable ? Sylvania make a couple but I think they are spots. | ||||||||||
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Posted by windcrest on June 10, 2009, 11:17 pm
Please log in for more thread options > don't want to replace all my wall dimmers with wall mounted relays.
ake a
> > Anyone found a good brand of CFL twists that are dimmable ? =A0Sylvania m= > couple but I think they are spots.
I've had bad luck with the dimmable CFL's, I bought 9 of them for my kitchen cans (6 inch cans with floods) all 9 died within 8 months. The nearby halogens (also in 6 inch cans) are going on 8 years! If you get dimmable CFL's save your receipts and they will guarantee the bulbs, I unfortunately did not save the receipt. ASnother quirk is they only react to the upper 40 percent of the dimmer switch, then they drop out completely, IOW they do dim ok but you will only have 40% of your dimmer range available from full to off. My dimmer is the Leviton 1000 watt X10 unit. | ||||||||||
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Posted by Marc_F_Hult on June 11, 2009, 3:58 pm
Please log in for more thread options On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:17:51 -0700 (PDT), windcrest
>> Well as the title says, I am curious if there are any glitches using the
>> Dimmable CFLs with X-10 or Smarthome modules. I don't need dimming but I >> don't want to replace all my wall dimmers with wall mounted relays. >> >> Anyone found a good brand of CFL twists that are dimmable ? Sylvania make >> a couple but I think they are spots. >
>I've had bad luck with the dimmable CFL's, I bought 9 of them for my >kitchen cans (6 inch cans with floods) all 9 died within 8 months. >The nearby halogens (also in 6 inch cans) are going on 8 years! If >you get dimmable CFL's save your receipts and they will guarantee the >bulbs, I unfortunately did not save the receipt. ASnother quirk is >they only react to the upper 40 percent of the dimmer switch, then >they drop out completely, IOW they do dim ok but you will only have >40% of your dimmer range available from full to off. My dimmer is the >Leviton 1000 watt X10 unit. Are these nine, identical, no-name CFL's not designed to be used base-up in enclosed cans? Or nine different CFL models all intended for use in 6-inch cans? (It's hard to assess the applicability/usefulness of your experience without some more specifics.) I installed Philips brand CFL "Marathon Reflector Flood Dim" EL/A R40 Dim 20W" in the kitchen several years ago. They are _designed_ for base-up, enclosed operation and the resulting heat build-up. - None have failed. - None have turned dark. - All still dim nicely - Yes, the dimmer curves are different than for incandescents lamps - Yes, the color temperature (~3200K) remains constant when dimmed rather than turning yellow as do incandescents lamps. I don't know what is meant by "40% of your dimmer range". In terms of light output, IIRC, I found that the name-brand dimmable CFLs I tested provided 3-4 F-stops (measured with a light meter) of dimming which corresponds to Full Output and 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 or (barely) 1/16 of full output - which in turn corresponds to 100%, 50%, 25%, 12%, and 6% of full light output. And yes, do save your receipts. HTH ... Marc Marc_F_Hult www.ECOntrol.org | ||||||||||
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Posted by windcrest on June 22, 2009, 4:23 pm
Please log in for more thread options > On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:17:51 -0700 (PDT), windcrest<passp...@windcrestsof=
tware.com> wrote in message > > > > > > > >> Well as the title says, I am curious if there are any glitches using t=
he
> >> Dimmable CFLs with X-10 or Smarthome modules. =A0 I don't need dimming=
but I
> >> don't want to replace all my wall dimmers with wall mounted relays.
>
> >> Anyone found a good brand of CFL twists that are dimmable ? =A0Sylvani=
a make
> >> a couple but I think they are spots.
>
> >I've had bad luck with the dimmable CFL's, I bought 9 of them for my
> >kitchen cans (6 inch cans with floods) all 9 died within 8 months. > >The nearby halogens (also in 6 inch cans) are going on 8 years! =A0If > >you get dimmable CFL's save your receipts and they will guarantee the > >bulbs, I unfortunately did not save the receipt. =A0ASnother quirk is > >they only react to the upper 40 percent of the dimmer switch, then > >they drop out completely, IOW they do dim ok but you will only have > >40% of your dimmer range available from full to off. =A0My dimmer is the > >Leviton 1000 watt X10 unit. >
in
> Are these nine, identical, no-name CFL's not designed to be used base-up = > enclosed cans?
out
> > Or nine different CFL models all intended for use in 6-inch cans? > > (It's hard to assess the applicability/usefulness of your experience with= > some more specifics.)
t
> > I installed Philips brand CFL "Marathon Reflector Flood Dim" EL/A R40 Dim > 20W" in the kitchen several years ago. > > They are _designed_ for base-up, enclosed operation and the resulting hea= > build-up.
ents lamps
> > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 - None have failed. > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 - None have turned dark. > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 - All still dim nicely > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 - Yes, the dimmer curves are different than for incandesc= > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 - Yes, =A0the color temperature (~3200K) remains constant=
when
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0dimmed rather than turning yellow as do in=
candescents lamps.
>
light
> I don't know what is meant by "40% of your dimmer range". =A0In terms of = > output, IIRC, I found that the name-brand dimmable CFLs I tested provided=
3-4
> F-stops (measured with a light meter) of dimming which corresponds to Ful=
l
> Output and 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 or (barely) 1/16 of full output - which in turn
> corresponds to 100%, 50%, 25%, 12%, and 6% of full light output. > > And yes, do save your receipts. > > HTH ... Marc > Marc_F_Hultwww.ECOntrol.org- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - They were floods so I would assume almost always be mounted base up. By 40% I meant bsed on the LED bar on my dimmer, the 6th LED was coming on before the bulb fired at all, so the 7th through 10th LED (40%) reflected the total range of actual controlability. As the dimmer was passing through LED's 1-5 the bulb stayed off completely and never fired the gasses, even in a dark room. They were the Home Depot brand with the green printing in that "impossible to open" plastic sound-welded packaging. | ||||||||||
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Posted by Marc_F_Hult on June 24, 2009, 10:12 am
Please log in for more thread options On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:23:33 -0700 (PDT), windcrest
>> On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:17:51 -0700 (PDT),
>> >> >> >> Well as the title says, I am curious if there are any glitches using
the
>> >> Dimmable CFLs with X-10 or Smarthome modules. I don't need
>> >> dimming but I don't want to replace all my wall dimmers with wall >> >> mounted relays. >>
>> >> Anyone found a good brand of CFL twists that are dimmable ?
>> >> Sylvania make a couple but I think they are spots. >>
>> >I've had bad luck with the dimmable CFL's, I bought 9 of them for my
>> >kitchen cans (6 inch cans with floods) all 9 died within 8 months. >> >The nearby halogens (also in 6 inch cans) are going on 8 years! If >> >you get dimmable CFL's save your receipts and they will guarantee the >> >bulbs, I unfortunately did not save the receipt. ASnother quirk is >> >they only react to the upper 40 percent of the dimmer switch, then >> >they drop out completely, IOW they do dim ok but you will only have >> >40% of your dimmer range available from full to off. My dimmer is the >> >Leviton 1000 watt X10 unit. >>
>> Are these nine, identical, no-name CFL's not designed to be used >> base-up in enclosed cans? >> >> Or nine different CFL models all intended for use in 6-inch cans? >> >> (It's hard to assess the applicability/usefulness of your experience >> without some more specifics.) >> >> I installed Philips brand CFL "Marathon Reflector Flood Dim" EL/A R40 Dim >> 20W" in the kitchen several years ago. >> >> They are _designed_ for base-up, enclosed operation and the resulting heat >> build-up. >> >> - None have failed. >> - None have turned dark. >> - All still dim nicely >> - Yes, the dimmer curves are different than for incandescent lamps >> - Yes, the color temperature (~3200K) remains constant when >> dimmed rather than turning yellow as do incandescents lamps. >> >> I don't know what is meant by "40% of your dimmer range". In terms >> of light output, IIRC, I found that the name-brand dimmable CFLs I tested >> provided 3-4 F-stops (measured with a light meter) of dimming which >> corresponds to Full Output and 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 or (barely) 1/16 of full >> output - which in turn corresponds to 100%, 50%, 25%, 12%, and 6% of full >> light output. >> >> And yes, do save your receipts. >> >> HTH ... Marc >> Marc_F_Hult >> www.ECOntrol.org >They were floods so I would assume almost always be mounted base up.
Yes -- although use as floodlights for eg yard lights is another common use. The X-10 Socket Rocket is another device intended for base-up use that also tends to fail because of heat. >By 40% I meant bsed on the LED bar on my dimmer, the 6th LED was
>coming on before the bulb fired at all, so the 7th through 10th LED >(40%) reflected the total range of actual controlability. As the >dimmer was passing through LED's 1-5 the bulb stayed off completely >and never fired the gasses, even in a dark room. Now I understand. Yes, the dimmer curves are different. X % of rotation, or of slide travel, or of button taps does not necessarily translate into X % of light output. If you only have four discrete settings on your dimmer that work, that is indeed a limitation, but it is one caused by your dimmer, not the CFL. The output of dimmable CFLs is continuously dimmable. I have been experimenting with LED and CFL floods mixed with halogens. The LED floods I have dimmer curves similar to the CFLs. I can set the minimum value independently for each dimmer. The LED cans also have about the same total dimming range ( about four stops) as the CFLs. >They were the Home
>Depot brand with the green printing in that "impossible to open" >plastic sound-welded packaging. Are the same bulbs being sold? I'd return them to Home Despot with or without a receipt and ask for whatever the warranty on the package states. Wait till the next time you need to go there anyway. ... Marc Marc_F_Hult www.ECOntrol.org | ||||||||||
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> Dimmable CFLs with X-10 or Smarthome modules. =A0 I don't need dimming bu=