Dimming CFLs - best experience?

[simonmason]

I am in the process of trying out different CFL lights in my house in attempt to be more green, and save money. I am getting some good results with Ecosmart brand from the Home Depot. I have a combination of X-10 and UPB in the house - and I looking for people who have experience dimming CFLs that work? The Ecosmart 90 watt dimmer does a pretty good job - does not dim on, but once on does dim up and down quite nicely. I tried a GE bulb and the results were much worse. If you have a brand that works can you post the details?

 

[kwilcox]

For R30 and R40 recessed, there's nothing I've found that's better than the Phillips Marathon bulbs.

 

[signal15]

Where I'm using CFL's, I'm using Feit bulbs. I don't have any of them on dimmers, but they get to full brightness after about 30 seconds instead of several minutes like the other brands I've tried. They also have color specs listed on nearly all of their bulbs so I know what I'm getting.

 

[jwilson56]

I am using these with Smartlinc X10 dimmers. They work as well as any I have tried and dim down to about 30%. I have not heard any buzzing and my wife has not complained about the light they give out either. Can't beat the price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/12-DIMMABLE-COMPACT-FL...id=p3286.c0.m14

 

[Madcodger]

I have to agree with kwilcox - Philips Marathon have been great. Very reliable, and the light temp is much better than any other CFL I've tried. We have many in our house, and people actually comment positively on the lighting without knowing they're CFLs. I find they dim down to about 20% reliably. I also tried the Ecosmart referenced above in our office area, but have not tried the dimming variety. They're certainly acceptable, but not as close to daylight as the Philips, IMO.

 

[thewireguy]

Don't quite under stand why you would go though the trouble of dimming CFLs...... You get energy saving and extended bulb using incandescent but you have none of the headaches with CFLs

 

[Kevin L]

Don't quite under stand why you would go though the trouble of dimming CFLs...... You get energy saving and extended bulb using incandescent but you have none of the headaches with CFLs

I agree 100%. There is plenty of energy savings realized from dimming incandescents and none of the negatives of CFLs. I'll stay with incandescent until there's a viable alternative in cost, performance, and color temp.

Kevin

 

[drozwood90]

My wife and I only have a few CFLs around the house. One is the "always on" light that we run at night. It comes on at Dusk and lights up almost 80% of the downstairs floor. Then it goes off when we go to bed. By changing that to a CFl, we saved about $10/mo. over the halogen we were running.

--Dan

 

[Kevin L]

The only CFLs I have are in the few places that I would never dim - like the garage door opener and in the attic. Nearly everything else in the house can and is dimmed.

I can certainly see how a CFL would save electricity over a halogen.

Kevin

 

[drozwood90]

The only CFLs I have are in the few places that I would never dim - like the garage door opener and in the attic. Nearly everything else in the house can and is dimmed.

I can certainly see how a CFL would save electricity over a halogen.

Kevin

Ditto regarding the dimming. The CFLs are on Relay modules (or set to snap). For anything we want dimmed, we use Incandescent or Halogens (love their color temperature)

As for the savings...yeah...500W down to 20W, loosing out on a BIT of light and color temperature...

Later on, we might change over to a HE Halogen and run that dimmed 70-80% (I hear the look just as bright as a 100W CFL, but with better color temp. for marginally more power use).

--Dan

 

[programmergeek]

Got rid of all my Incandescent they are just $$$ wasted. We bought some dimable CFL but they where not great buzzed a little, color temp odd, they where not bad but not good. I just ordred a bunch of pharox 4 w and 6W dimable LED bulbs. These are grate good color temp 1/4 the power of a CFL. No warm up time full brightness right away. 25 year life span = 18 cfl's. I highly recomend the led lights.

http://www.mypharox.com/products.html

 

[nick_l]

Later on, we might change over to a HE Halogen and run that dimmed 70-80% (I hear the look just as bright as a 100W CFL, but with better color temp. for marginally more power use).

--Dan

I don't want to appear ignorant, but what is a HE Halogen?

Nick

 

[kwilcox]

I dim CFLs because I like to use a .8 second ramp rate for on/off on all lights. It just looks nicer than snap. I also use a dimmer setting for any nightime lighting requirements when the house is in sleep mode. Much easier on the eyes when the bathroom only comes up to 40% at 3AM...

 

[nick_l]

Later on, we might change over to a HE Halogen and run that dimmed 70-80% (I hear the look just as bright as a 100W CFL, but with better color temp. for marginally more power use).

--Dan

I don't want to appear ignorant, but what is a HE Halogen?

Nick

I still don't know what a HE Halogen is. Anyone? I'm not getting good search results because he is such a common word. I hate being out of the loop!


Thanks,
Nick


Edit: Ok, is He High Efficiency? If so, the concept sounds cool, but so far I haven't found info online that suggests the amount of energy savings commented on above. It would be wonderful if it can be done. I would much rather have the high range of dimmability in all my lighting, not just the important stuff.

Edit 2: Is this it? http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/pressroo...HE_lamps_07.htm Looks like it could have GREAT potential. Lets hope that they can get it into production so we can stop wasting so many resources on disposable ballasts! (when did we as a race become incapable of pairing a new lamp(bulb) with an existing balast?)