Re: Dimmable CFLs? Spectacular Failures?
- From: don@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Don Klipstein)
- Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:03:03 +0000 (UTC)
In article <fsrqk4$sk2$1@xxxxxxxx>, Justin wrote:
Here I am in 120v/60hz land looking for dimmable CFLs. I already have
the CFL dlay problem that annoys my family solved.
Now I'm looking for a CFL that is dimmable and available at Home Depot ,
Lowes or some other store that is common in the US.
In recent months, I have been seeing GE dimmable spirals at Target.
Also, when CFLs fail - what happens? Can they catch fire? I know of a
neighbor who had one where the base died and basically melted. I had a
similar failure when I used a normal spiral outside and the bugs piled
up insite the spiral and the thing heated up like a toaster oven and
POOF! There's a burned hole out the side. Now I use an outdoor unit
that is fully enclosed.
CFLs with ballasts in them are normally UL listed. Avoid ones that are
not. I would also get ones of a major brand or of a highly promoted brand
by a major retailer to avoid false claims of UL listing. I have heard of
false claims of UL listing, and even once seen a definite case of this (on
a dollar store extension cord).
In my experience, the main offenders in terms of CFLs failing
spectacularly are the dollar store ones. I would avoid those because in
my experience:
1. Most do not even claim UL listing. One was subjected to a recall for
failure to make the plastic ballast housing out of flame retardant
plastic.
2. Some percentage is DOA or otherwise obviously defective.
3. They account for most of my experience of spectacular failures,
including one that had high smoke output and an orange "burning" glow in
its ballast housing (base area).
4. Their color rendering index is generally lower than that of
non-dollar-store CFLs. Warm color dollar store CFLs, in my experience,
have a spectrum like that of "old tech warm white" - which has the lowest
CRI of any common white/whitish fluorescent lamp.
5. Some have an icy cold "daylight" color but come in packages that say
"soft warm white light". Most that do not state their color are also the
icy cold "daylight" color.
6. In my experience, dollar store CFLs have a 100% rate of falling short
of claimed light output - occaisionally by a factor of at least 3.
7. CFLs with electronic ballasts included are supposed to have FCC
approval. In my experience, most dollar store CFLs lack any sign of FCC
approval, while containing electronic ballasts.
=============================================
My only spectacular failure so far of a CFL that is not a dollar store
one was one of the Lights of America brand, around 2001 or so.
=========================================================
I think your odds of quality in general are slightly improved if the
brand is a "Big 3" brand (GE, Philips, Osram/Sylvania). I also think
quality is likely to be better if the CFL has "Energy Star" approval.
- Don Klipstein (don@xxxxxxxxx)
.
- References:
- Dimmable CFLs? Spectacular Failures?
- From: Justin
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