Compact Florescent lamp trick

Posted by JIMMIE on October 16, 2009, 10:48 am

> > I replaced one bulb of 4 incandescent bulbs with a compact florescent
> > lamp and the dimmer on the circuit quit working. The lights come on
> > but full brightness no matter where the control is. Put in a regular
> > light bulb and everything is back to normal. If igure the reactive
> > load of the florescent lamp screws up the dimmer.
> > Jimmie.

> Are you trying to control the CFL with the dimmer (can't do that) or
> is the fixture with the CFL simply on the same branch circuit as the
> dimmer but not controlled by it?

Not really I just forgot it was on a dimmer when I went to replace the
bulb. I was surprised when all the other lamps came on full brilliance
when I put the CFL in.

Jimmie

Posted by hr(bob) hofmann@att.net on October 16, 2009, 9:00 pm

> > > I replaced one bulb of 4 incandescent bulbs with a compact florescent
> > > lamp and the dimmer on the circuit quit working. The lights come on
> > > but full brightness no matter where the control is. Put in a regular
> > > light bulb and everything is back to normal. If igure the reactive
> > > load of the florescent lamp screws up the dimmer.
> > > Jimmie.

> > Are you trying to control the CFL with the dimmer (can't do that) or
> > is the fixture with the CFL simply on the same branch circuit as the
> > dimmer but not controlled by it?

> Not really I just forgot it was on a dimmer when I went to replace the
> bulb. I was surprised when all the other lamps came on full brilliance
> when I put the CFL in.
> Jimmie

I put a cfl and a 75W incandescent in a common ceiling fixture on a
dimmer. The incandescent lamp dimmed normally down to halfway. The
cfl stayed at essentially full brightness until the incandescent was
at 1/2 brightness, then it went out and the incandescent lamp steyd at
the reduced brightness and then dinmmed the rest of the way normally.

Posted by JIMMIE on October 17, 2009, 12:55 pm

wrote:

> > > > I replaced one bulb of 4 incandescent bulbs with a compact floresce=

> > > > lamp and the dimmer on the circuit quit working. The lights come on
> > > > but full brightness no matter where the control is. Put in a regula=

> > > > light bulb and everything is back to normal. If igure the reactive
> > > > load of the florescent lamp screws up the dimmer.
> > > > Jimmie.
> > > Are you trying to control the CFL with the dimmer (can't do that) or
> > > is the fixture with the CFL simply on the same branch circuit as the
> > > dimmer but not controlled by it?

> > Not really I just forgot it was on a dimmer when I went to replace the
> > bulb. I was surprised when all the other lamps came on full brilliance
> > when I put the CFL in.
> > Jimmie

> I put a cfl and a 75W incandescent in a common ceiling fixture on a
> dimmer. =A0The incandescent lamp dimmed normally down to halfway. =A0The
> cfl stayed at essentially full brightness until the incandescent was
> at 1/2 brightness, then it went out and the incandescent lamp steyd at
> the reduced brightness and then dinmmed the rest of the way normally.

I tried it again on another dimmer and it works more like you said on
that one.

Jimmie

Posted by aemeijers on October 16, 2009, 6:16 pm

JIMMIE wrote:

> I replaced one bulb of 4 incandescent bulbs with a compact florescent
> lamp and the dimmer on the circuit quit working. The lights come on
> but full brightness no matter where the control is. Put in a regular
> light bulb and everything is back to normal. If igure the reactive
> load of the florescent lamp screws up the dimmer.
>
> Jimmie.

I'm no CFL expert, but I recall a thread on here where you had to buy
special CFLs with an extra circuit in the base, for use on dimmers.

On a related note- does anybody make CFLs for the small candelabra
bases? (can't remember the proper term). Half my ceiling lights use
those damn things. Had to get special ones of those, too. Ones in the
hanging lamp over kitchen table were regular 'flame' bulbs when I moved
in, and when one zap-failed, it fried the dimmer. The special ones have
a backup wire to keep the spike from going back up the line, or something.

--
aem sends...

Posted by hallerb@aol.com on October 16, 2009, 6:46 pm

> JIMMIE wrote:

> I'm no CFL expert, but I recall a thread on here where you had to buy
> special CFLs with an extra circuit in the base, for use on dimmers.
> On a related note- does anybody make CFLs for the small candelabra
> bases? (can't remember the proper term). Half my ceiling lights use
> those damn things. Had to get special ones of those, too. Ones in the
> hanging lamp over kitchen table were regular 'flame' bulbs when I moved
> in, and when one zap-failed, it fried the dimmer. The special ones have
> a backup wire to keep the spike from going back up the line, or something=

> --
> aem sends...

saw candelabra CFLs at sams club last week. my best friend has those
!@##$ at his home. now he can convert to CFLs

I bought a special dimable CFL for my bathroom. its in a light bar
with 4 regular bulbs/

they dim the CFL doesnt... how wierd

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Compact Florescent lamp trick - Page 2