Energy saving dimmable bulbs

[AndrewSchofield]

Can anyone tell me why the majority of energy saving bulbs state that they are not suitable for use with a dimmer switch?

What are the consequences of using an energy saving bulb with a dimmer? Will it simply not work? Will it work, but not dim with the switch? Or is it unsafe?

I'm keen to replace all the bulbs in our house with low energy bulbs but not only are the dimmable energy saving bulbs quite a bit more expensive than the standard ones but they also appear to be somewhat larger and to be quite vain about it, they're going to look daft in our light fitting.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Inside the base of the low-energy lamp is a small circuit board containing a pusle-width modulator integrated circuit, a power MOSFET transistor, and a few other components to make the tube light up.

This circuit requires a steady AC voltage to operate properly, and standard dimmers 'mess' with the AC so they can't operate properly. The special bulbs that allow for use with dimmers are more complicated and therefore more expensive, but even then there are caveats.

If you use a dimmer with a non-dimmerable lamp then you will probably damage the lamp and possibly the dimmer too.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Thanks TTC - looks like we'll have to stick with traditional bulbs then - we don't often use the 'big' light in that room anyway - tend to just put the freestanding lamp on instead so wont make a big difference to our energy consumption. Have always been curious about low energy bulbs and dimmers though - thanks for clearing that up!

 

[AndyPRK]

You can also get two stage energy saving bulbs.

You still can't use them with a dimmer switch but, when you turn them on they come on in bright mode (eqv~120W), and turn them off and on quickly they change mode to dim mode (eqv~60W).


I find they work really well.

http://cpc.farnell.com/osram/dv23bc/dv23bc-dulux-vario-240v-23w-41/dp/LP02251?Ntt=LP02251

 

[RF Lighting]

Dimmers fried by CFLs is becomming quite a common call these days.

My brother fried all three gangs of his 2 week old IQ dimmer with CFLs

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yippee, we've got years of easy work ahead of us!!

 

[Steve]

I have a feeling the dimmerable lamps are not that much more expensive to produce than normal ones.

The real difference comes because the energy companies and the govt are subsidising the standard lamps.

Morrisons are knocking them out at 29p each, 5 for 20p.

Says it all.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm keen to replace all the bulbs in our house with low energy bulbs but not only are the dimmable energy saving bulbs quite a bit more expensive than the standard ones but they also appear to be somewhat larger and to be quite vain about it, they're going to look daft in our light fitting.

Bite the bullet, don't f*rt around putting CFLs with all their built-in and wasteful control gear into existing luminaires. Replace those with ones where they have the control gear, which can be dimmable if you want, and can incorporate battery backup if you want (useful for stairs and landing in power cuts), and which take lamps that are just lamps, with no electronics in the base.

Or branch out - maybe consider LED (but not LED replacement lamps for existing lights, particularly not MR16s), cold-cathode, magnetic induction, emerging technologies like Osram's Planon......

 

[Aragorn84]

I have a feeling the dimmerable lamps are not that much more expensive to produce than normal ones.

The real difference comes because the energy companies and the govt are subsidising the standard lamps.

Morrisons are knocking them out at 29p each, 5 for 20p.

Says it all.

Is the issue not that they've just banned normal incandescent lamps?