Howz come the instruction with the compact fluorescent bulbs (lamps?) say not to use them with timers?
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell’em “Certainly, I can!” Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Howz come the instruction with the compact fluorescent bulbs (lamps?) say not to use them with timers?
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell’em “Certainly, I can!” Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
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Replies
Or photocells.
Some of those devices use Triac (electronic switches) instead of relays or mechanical switches.
They are concerned that it will affect the operation of the electronic ballast that some CFL use.
But in most cases they will work.
I recently called tech support at a major light manufacturer to ask a similar question about their demand that their unit not be placed under the direct control of a photocell. I had an idea but wanted to get it from the 'horses mouth'.
His explanation, this guy was an engineer, was that some timers and photocells, designed for incandescent lights, do not completely disconnect the current when they turn the unit off.
This is not an issue with an incandescent light but this trickle current can cause a florescent light to try to start repeatedly while not allowing enough voltage through to actually successfully start. This causes the starting circuit to overheat as it cycles. It is only designed to work a few times an hour. This damages the starting circuit causing the unit to fail prematurely.
He said that they include an across the board warning against timers and photocells to cover their six. You can connect any timer or photocell to these units through a relay to make them work but if you look closely at the times and photocells you use you can often find a model that is listed as acceptable for florescent lights. These will completely disconnect the power and save wear on the lights.
Installing an intermediary relay is a solution if you cannot find controllers that are rated for flourescents but it is an extra expense and complication that can often be avoided.
the timer I use is the wheel type with the buttons that you push in or out for on & off. As far as I know it's a mechanical device. So maybe it will work ok.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Usually on the back there will be a label that will say if it is OK for controlling a florescent fixture.
Of course, there's the opposite consideration as well: Some timers with dry contacts don't make/break quickly enough to interrupt a fluorescent on a magnetic ballast without the risk of an arc. This is why the early sliding-contact "quiet" wall switches weren't rated for fluorescents.
A related question. In a laundry room are 4 electronic ballast troffers. This is also the side entry to the house so the lights are switchen on/off often. One switch is an old silent type, the other a 15 yo decora. There has been premature bulb failure and now what appears the ballasts are failing. Any ideas on this?Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Calvin
Each start takes a number of hours off the life of the fluorescents bulb. I don't know the number. But if you look at the notes on the catalog sheets where they rate life times you will see that there is a note that it is based on running then 4 to 6 hours at a times.
With the electronic ballast I don't think that is enough inductive componment that arcing is a problem when turning off. But there are so many variation in design that I can't be sure that the switch is not adding to the problem.
Thanks Bill,
Oddly or not..........the bulbs started to go after 3-4 yrs maybe, one at a time in all the fixtures. Over the period of about 2 mos. all were shot. Replacements worked fine until a few mos. later when now even bulb replacement doesn't work, so I'm assuming the ballasts are going, and these are happening one by one. Seems goofy to me as we have some closet fl's that have been going 15 yrs. Any other ideas as to cause for the early demise?Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
When a third cf went bad between two light fixtures within a couple months, I finally decided it wasn't the cf's and changed the 1970's era fixtures out. Replaced them with a nearly identical style. That seemed to do the trick, haven't had a problem since. You might try changing out one of the fixtures and see if the problem goes away.
And I think Bill might be heading in the right direction. I used to hear a lot about how flipping regular fluorescents on and off would shorten their lifespan. It wouldn't surprise me if this applied to cf's too. I can remember seeing cf's advertised as being best for 'long burning' lights (or something to that effect).
But I too have a few cf's in flip-on-flip-off situations. You can just get so much more light out of them for the wattage. In my utility room, I have two bulbs, one incandescent and one cf. The cf went in about a year ago. So far it has outlived 3 incandescents. Even if the cf only lasts 4 years, it will have paid for itself just from the regular bulbs I would have gone through.
And my obvious tip of the day: Keep your eye on the ads and cf's sometimes go dirt cheap. I paid 0-$3/ea for the ones I've got (probably represent 4 or 5 different brands). The $0 ones were 'free after rebate'. I stock up when they go on sale.
jt8
Edited 10/15/2004 10:42 am ET by JohnT8
They do make a flourencent that can be used in a dimmer and photo cell. Hard to find but I did buy some at HD. But its a pain trying to find someone who can find them for ya there.
Darkworksite4:
El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera
Yes. And http://www.efi.org list then in their catalog for the CLF's.
For the linear fluorescents it requires a sepcial ballast.