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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by jamesgangnc on October 19, 2009, 3:58 pm
wrote:
> > wrote:
> > > Let's try this again.
> > > I have an outdoor floodlight fixture with a photo-cell to turn it on
> > > at dusk and off at dawn. It is not compatible with CFLs. =A0If I cove=
r
> > > the eye so it thinks it's always dark and therefore will always be on=
,
> > > will a CFL work, or is the circuitry different such that the CFL will
> > > have a shorter life, even though it will always be on?
> > > Part II: If, for the previous question, it will work, I will add a
> > > screw-in photo-cell that works with CFLs for only $8. =A0Then, it wil=
l
> > > be on only at night and will be cheaper than buying a new fixture.
> > You need to bypass the photo-cell. =A0Forcing it on does not solve the
> > problem. =A0Or replace it with one that is compatible with cfls.
> The usual photocell lights may not turn on fully at twilight
> conditions, and the CFL's don't like that. =A0If the photocell operates
> a relay, so the light is fully off or fully on, then the CFL will work
> ok.
It's very unlikely that the photocell operates a relay since they are
pretty much never used in those things. Mechanical failure rate is
too high. It probably has a triac that is not compatible with cfls.
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Posted by hr(bob) hofmann@att.net on October 19, 2009, 5:48 pm
> wrote:
> > > wrote:
> > > > Let's try this again.
> > > > I have an outdoor floodlight fixture with a photo-cell to turn it o=
n
> > > > at dusk and off at dawn. It is not compatible with CFLs. =A0If I co=
ver
> > > > the eye so it thinks it's always dark and therefore will always be =
on,
> > > > will a CFL work, or is the circuitry different such that the CFL wi=
ll
> > > > have a shorter life, even though it will always be on?
> > > > Part II: If, for the previous question, it will work, I will add a
> > > > screw-in photo-cell that works with CFLs for only $8. =A0Then, it w=
ill
> > > > be on only at night and will be cheaper than buying a new fixture.
> > > You need to bypass the photo-cell. =A0Forcing it on does not solve th=
e
> > > problem. =A0Or replace it with one that is compatible with cfls.
> > The usual photocell lights may not turn on fully at twilight
> > conditions, and the CFL's don't like that. =A0If the photocell operates
> > a relay, so the light is fully off or fully on, then the CFL will work
> > ok.
> It's very unlikely that the photocell operates a relay since they are
> pretty much never used in those things. =A0Mechanical failure rate is
> too high. =A0It probably has a triac that is not compatible with cfls.- H=
ide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
I have a couple at my house that have the relays, you can hear a click
as the light varies up and down. But, I agree that type are in the
minority.
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Posted by James on October 19, 2009, 8:30 pm
I have bought three regular photo-cells for regular bulbs in the last month,
and only one of them has worked.
Is there a huge failure rate for these things ?
James
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Posted by Tony on October 20, 2009, 12:11 am
nielloeb@hotmail.com wrote:
> Let's try this again.
> I have an outdoor floodlight fixture with a photo-cell to turn it on
> at dusk and off at dawn. It is not compatible with CFLs. If I cover
> the eye so it thinks it's always dark and therefore will always be on,
> will a CFL work, or is the circuitry different such that the CFL will
> have a shorter life, even though it will always be on?
> Part II: If, for the previous question, it will work, I will add a
> screw-in photo-cell that works with CFLs for only $8. Then, it will
> be on only at night and will be cheaper than buying a new fixture.
I bought 3 lamps from the Borg without even knowing they have photocells
in them. I could turn that feature of but I left it set to light dusk
to dawn and all three CFL's have been working for months now. If the
cheap photocells in the lamps go bad, I'll bypass the photocells, wire
them direct, and put them all on one heavy duty photocell. And if that
doesn't work, I'll make the photocell turn on a relay which will give
power to all three lamps, I know that WILL work.
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Posted by hallerb@aol.com on October 20, 2009, 8:28 am
OLDER CFLs died fast on my pole light with photocell.......
newer ones live happlily and last a long time. whatever failed must
have been addressed..........
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