CFL question - dimming CFLs any good with X-10 dimmers ?

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.

Reply to
Pico
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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.
Reply to
windcrest

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

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Reply to
Marc_F_Hult

candescents lamps.

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.

Reply to
windcrest

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.

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.

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

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Reply to
Marc_F_Hult

aloe65 had written this in response to

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: Pure Spectrum has now patented a CFL build that is fully dimmable(no flicker or dying out), instant on, cold to the touch, highest power factor(.96), and the energy usage is proportional to the dimming level, the light output is that of an incandescent and the price will be in the $4-$6 range. This is the answer to the NEW CFL!

The have numerous patents and are manufacturing and filling orders now worldwide. Utility companies are buying them up in the droves for their free distribution program. The utility companies love them because it costs them less to deliver the power to these bulbs due to the extremely High Power Factor. ...which means the utility companies charge you less!

The also have a dimmable ballast for linear fluorescents(yes, you will be able to dim fluorescents), also at a fraction of the cost of normal ballast due to the fewer parts that they use in the ballast. This will be huge, imagine a high rise office building in which the fluorescent lights dim with the amount of sunlight coming in,....daylight harvesting at a fraction of the cost...HUGE SAVINGS.

Hopefully the bulbs will be on Home Depot and Wal Mart shelves soon.

------------------------------------- Pico wrote:

Reply to
aloe65

From Pure Spectrum's web page...

"PureSpectrum?s eng>aloe65 had written this in response to

Reply to
Dave Houston

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