Dimmer pull cord problem

Thanks for the positive replies

Im gonna ditch the dimmwr and replace the bulbs with something less blackpool illuminations!
 
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My understanding is that the earlier large volume halogen filled lamps did have a shortened life when run below design temperature as the metal vapour could condense on the glass ( quartz ) and thus metal was lost from the filament.
I don't know about the earlier lamps, but, as I implied, my understanding (not guaranteed to be correct!) is that the same still applies to modern halogen lamps, but the the 'shortened life' is relative to the 'extended life' one would normally expect of a dimmed filament lamp - such that, overall, the life of a dimmed halogen lamp is probably at least as long (probably longer) than would have been the case without dimming.

Kind Regards, John
 
Interesting. I've not seen it explained like that before. Is this actually a proven fact or one of those theories invented to justify doing something you shouldn't?
I couldn't tell you with any certainty - as I said, that's just my understanding. All I can tell you is that if you google the question, you'll find many people/articles saying what I reported. For example, Wikipedia says "...There are many situations where halogen lamps are dimmed successfully. However, lamp life may not be extended as much as predicted. The life span on dimming depends on lamp construction, the halogen additive used and whether dimming is normally expected for this type....".

Don't forget that a fairly modest degree of dimming results in a considerable extension of life of a standard filament lamp. There is therefore considerable scope for the known problems of dimming a halogen lamp to be operative, yet for the lamp to still have the same, or longer, life than it would have had without dimming. As various people have told you in various threads, there is no doubt that many people have had no problems with long-term dimming of halogen lamps.

Kind Regards, John
 
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Do the maths. Is 5x50 = more than 175?
5x50 >= 175
5x >= 125
x >= 25
Not sure how this relates to the OPs question though?
You're being very silly again, but it seems that you can't even do the maths right...

5x50 >= 175
5x >= 3.5
x >= 0.7
... (it said "5x50", not "5x + 50") which still has no relevance to the OP's question!

Teasing people when you know them, and you know that they know they are being teased, is fair enough - but when you are communicating with 'strangers', it can, IMO, just confuse and mislead!

Kind Regards, John
 
On the 'dimming halogens' question: some years ago I fitted identical 4-spot fittings in my kitchen and utility room, both fed from 250W dimmers. A lamp failing in the utility took out the dimmer, which I replaced with a switch. Since then (about 2 - 3 years ago; sometime I must fit the replacement dimmer!) the number of lamp failures in the kitchen has been about half that in the utility.
Both rooms are usually lit for about the same time.
 
On the 'dimming halogens' question: some years ago I fitted identical 4-spot fittings in my kitchen and utility room, both fed from 250W dimmers. A lamp failing in the utility took out the dimmer, which I replaced with a switch. Since then (about 2 - 3 years ago; sometime I must fit the replacement dimmer!) the number of lamp failures in the kitchen has been about half that in the utility.
Both rooms are usually lit for about the same time.

Interesting, but going slightly off topic why would anyone want dimmers in a kitchen or utility room? Both are work rooms where you need all the light you can get.
 
Interesting, but going slightly off topic why would anyone want dimmers in a kitchen or utility room? Both are work rooms where you need all the light you can get.
I would agree with you about the utility room and, indeed, also a 'standalone' separate kitchen. However, I've asked the very same question before in relation to kitchens, and the answer I've received is that 'kitchens' these days are often part of a much larger living space - in which case it may not be at all unreasonable to want to dim the lighting or the 'workspace', when the space as a whole is being used for 'living'!

Kind Regards, John
 
On the 'dimming halogens' question: some years ago I fitted identical 4-spot fittings in my kitchen and utility room, both fed from 250W dimmers. A lamp failing in the utility took out the dimmer, which I replaced with a switch. Since then (about 2 - 3 years ago; sometime I must fit the replacement dimmer!) the number of lamp failures in the kitchen has been about half that in the utility.
Both rooms are usually lit for about the same time.

So in summary your practical experances shows the opposite then.

Dimmer extends life, i.e no initial shock to the filament,
 
On the 'dimming halogens' question: some years ago I fitted identical 4-spot fittings in my kitchen and utility room, both fed from 250W dimmers. A lamp failing in the utility took out the dimmer, which I replaced with a switch. Since then (about 2 - 3 years ago; sometime I must fit the replacement dimmer!) the number of lamp failures in the kitchen has been about half that in the utility. Both rooms are usually lit for about the same time.
That sounds broadly consistent with what I've been saying. With a traditional (non-halogen) incandescent lamp, one would probably expect a moderate amount of dimming to result in appreciably more than a doubling of lamp life. An approximately doubling of life of a halogen lamp as a result of dimming therefore 'sounds about right' - a "reduction in life" as compared with what one would expect of a non-halogen lamp dimmed to the same extent, but nevertheless still a longer life than if the halogen lamp were not dimmed.

Kind Regards, John
 
Interesting, but going slightly off topic why would anyone want dimmers in a kitchen or utility room? Both are work rooms where you need all the light you can get.
Only when you're actually doing something in there. Just going to the fridge for example needs only a dim light.
 
On the 'dimming halogens' question: some years ago I fitted identical 4-spot fittings in my kitchen and utility room, both fed from 250W dimmers. A lamp failing in the utility took out the dimmer, which I replaced with a switch. Since then (about 2 - 3 years ago; sometime I must fit the replacement dimmer!) the number of lamp failures in the kitchen has been about half that in the utility.
Both rooms are usually lit for about the same time.

So in summary your practical experances shows the opposite then.

Dimmer extends life, i.e no initial shock to the filament,
Whoops! What I wrote is the opposite of what I meant! :oops:
The number of failures in the kitchen (dimmable) is about double the number that fail in the (switched) utility.
Sorry.
 
Whoops! What I wrote is the opposite of what I meant! :oops: ... The number of failures in the kitchen (dimmable) is about double the number that fail in the (switched) utility. ... Sorry.
Easily done ... but that rather negates what I've just written!

Kind Regards, John
 
On the 'dimming halogens' question: some years ago I fitted identical 4-spot fittings in my kitchen and utility room, both fed from 250W dimmers. A lamp failing in the utility took out the dimmer, which I replaced with a switch. Since then (about 2 - 3 years ago; sometime I must fit the replacement dimmer!) the number of lamp failures in the kitchen has been about half that in the utility.
Both rooms are usually lit for about the same time.

So in summary your practical experances shows the opposite then.

Dimmer extends life, i.e no initial shock to the filament,
Whoops! What I wrote is the opposite of what I meant! :oops:
The number of failures in the kitchen (dimmable) is about double the number that fail in the (switched) utility.
Sorry.

So it appears Eric and I were right all along. :D
 
So it appears Eric and I were right all along. :D
Well, it appears that stillp's anecdotal experience is consistent with what Eric and you have suggested. However, as I've indicated, many people/sources seem to think otherwise. I'm in no position to referee.

Kind Regards, John
 

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