O/T: Energy Efficient Lightbulbs

Coriander

Hi,

The lightbulb in my bedroom has blown, so I've just raised myself from my sickbed to go to the large Tesco's near home and buy a new one.

Obviously, now the only choice available is energy efficient lightbulbs, but not one of the huge range available could be used in a dimmer light. In the end, I bought one, thinking 'sod it, I'll use it anyway'. Now I'm home, the idea of blowing my electrics doesn't seem such a good idea.

What will happen if I use an energy efficient lightbulb that on the packaging says shouldn't be used in a dimmer switch in a dimmer swtich??

Thanks, guys.

Cafewanda

Dunno

Use candles or a torch in the meantime


PS: Wish you better

UndercoverElephant

As far as I remember, you'll get a horrible buzz from the switch, which will heat up, I turned mine off pretty quickly, so I don't know how hot the switch will get. Some bulbs will die instantly, too.

Not a good idea.

TommyEss

Dunno - but apparently you can now buy ones that do work with dimmer switches.

ebulbshop

MonkeyMonster

Isn't it more you have to turn it high enough for the power to kick the energy bulb on.

Basically the energy savers are on or off and your dimmer will now act purely like a switch after a certain point...

I could google but there will no doubt be a lot of nonsense out there. I'm going with an A in higher physics

TommyEss

Well a standard bulb has a metal filament - you increase the current in the wire, it heats up more, and gives off more light.

These new energy saving bulbs don't have a filament, they use the same technology as regular fluorescent strip lights.

Apparently the regular ones CAN be run with a dimmer switch, they just don't last as long - there's reportedly no H&S issue - bit of an urban myth (but I just closed the wrong tab and can't find the link anymore...)

Coriander

Thanks guys, might risk it but with the switch turned to max.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Must be something at www.lampspecs.co.uk that will do the job, where I get my replacement S.A.D. light bulbs from...

SmellTheGlove

As to the original electrically loaded question, no idea. But possible low risk solution - and higher physics it ain't - swap energy saver with other conventional lamp from the (insert room here) where there's no dimmer.

tailwindhome

How many forum member does it take to change a lightbulb

PARIS75

perhaps the OP can 'enlighten' us all on the result of this experiment into the unknown

my house is full of dimmer swtiches

DanielCoffey

You can get energy saver dimmables at http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/

Mr Sworld

Standard CFL's don't work with dimmers. They require full mains voltage to strike the lamp.

There are CFL's that work with dimmers but they cost about £25 at the moment. You can still get GLS lamps under 75W at the moment but eventually all standard GLS lamps will be withdrawn from service over the coming years.

CFL= Compact Fluorescent Lamp

GLS= General Service Lamp

Bugly

the whole green scene is out of hand, CFL do reduce consumption BUT the light output falls of very quickly over time - your bright compact flouros look dim after 3 months.

While they may last for several years the light output keeps diminishing (as with all fluoro lights). The other thing that really peaves me about them is the very ungreen effect they have on landfill - every CFl like other fluoros has mercury vapour which gets released to the enviroment when dumped.

Personally I hate them and dont feel too much love for the politically correct f00ls that foisted them on me.

DanielCoffey

Bugly - I have to dispute with you that they dim. Modern CFLs, to the best of my knowledge, do not dim over the short time you state. Please can you state your source for this information?

I have used CFL bulbs in my home for the past 5 years without any issues (or bulb failures). Having recently bought some more from the website I listed above, they have improved incredibly in that time - faster startup, longer life, increased efficiency.

Yes, they have a small mercury content but all Councils and some retailers offer a recycling service free of charge. Most of these bulbs are available with a 10-12 year lifespan.

cee

I bought two bulbs from John Lewis yesterday....phillips ones....energy savers.....and dimmable.

they were £1.90 each, but have a 2 year life promise.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAnd...the light comes on straight away with no warm up and a much nicer light than the traditional energy saving bulbs,

AndyManc

cee wrote:

I bought two bulbs from John Lewis yesterday....phillips ones....energy savers.....and dimmable.

they were £1.90 each, but have a 2 year life promise.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAnd...the light comes on straight away with no warm up and a much nicer light than the traditional energy saving bulbs,

There is a problem with 'normal' energy savers not being compatible with dimmers and electronic timers, as others have stated, it shortens the life of the controlling device (dimmers etc) and the bulb itself.

What you want is halogen bulbs (they look like old style bulbs except it has a halogen bulb where the filament used to be), I've just bought some for my timer lamps , £2.50 each from Asda, with a 10yr life span

.

cee

AndyManc wrote:

cee wrote:

I bought two bulbs from John Lewis yesterday....phillips ones....energy savers.....and dimmable.

they were £1.90 each, but have a 2 year life promise.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAnd...the light comes on straight away with no warm up and a much nicer light than the traditional energy saving bulbs,

There is a problem with 'normal' energy savers not being compatible with dimmers and electronic timers, as others have stated, it shortens the life of the controlling device (dimmers etc) and the bulb itself.

What you want is halogen bulbs (they look like old style bulbs except it has a halogen bulb where the filament used to be), I've just bought some for my timer lamps , £2.50 each from Asda, with a 10yr life span

.

I had heard that....but these beasts clearly stated dimmable on the packet....the woman behind the counter was also trying to sell me LED spot lights at 25 quid a pop and did say that the ones i bought were halogen.

Kiblams

I have a cheap energy saving lightbulb (came free in the post from British Gas) and fitted one in the only room I have with a dimmer when we bought the house. basically it buzzes and when you try to dim it you get a strobing effect. :shock:

Safe to say we had ALOT of fun

CiB

Answer to OP (OQ) is that if you turn the dimmer onto full immediately you're giving the light the full benefit of the available mains current, so in effect the dimmer is acting as a switch. Below full it's limiting the current supplied to the lamp. At full volume it isn't. Go ahead and use it, but keep it on full if you're concerned.

Disclaimer. If your house burns down, it wasn't my fault. But you get the logic.

Bugly

DanielCoffey wrote:

Bugly - I have to dispute with you that they dim. Modern CFLs, to the best of my knowledge, do not dim over the short time you state. Please can you state your source for this information?

I have used CFL bulbs in my home for the past 5 years without any issues (or bulb failures). Having recently bought some more from the website I listed above, they have improved incredibly in that time - faster startup, longer life, increased efficiency.

Yes, they have a small mercury content but all Councils and some retailers offer a recycling service free of charge. Most of these bulbs are available with a 10-12 year lifespan.

The Bulbs dont burn out in my experience, but light intesity does fall off raipidly as is the case with all fluoro lights. - (we have been forced to use them over the last 2 years or so). Light falloff is visibly noticible after 3 months (talking premium bulbs too) I have replaced all bulbs at least once, some such as my sons' bedrooms twice (currently running 22w units to allow for fall off) .


Maybe the ones sold here in oz are sh1te.

Granted light bills go down - but so has light quality. Local councils here dont offer a recycle programme. It should be mandetory and part of the purchase scheme - the vendor should recycle the waste IMO. Even with recycle programe in place I suspect that they will mostly end in landfill - along with a plethora of other toxic products (such as batteries).


for an expirement buy one more bulb then you need for a room. Fit the room out with the new bulbs and run normally for 3 or 4 months. Get your SO to change ONE bulb but not tell you which it is. Odds on it will stick out like dogs gonads and you will identify it immediatly.

:?

Bugly

ChrisInBicester wrote:

Answer to OP (OQ) is that if you turn the dimmer onto full immediately you're giving the light the full benefit of the available mains current, so in effect the dimmer is acting as a switch. Below full it's limiting the current supplied to the lamp. At full volume it isn't. Go ahead and use it, but keep it on full if you're concerned.

Disclaimer. If your house burns down, it wasn't my fault. But you get the logic.

Not sure if dimmers work as simple current limiting devices - I thought they chopped the AC waveform (ie switching off for part of the cycle) thus creating a nasty harmonic component rendering it unsuitable except for running robust electric devices.