X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: Oldtimer on March 01, 2009, 07:59:51 PM
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A friend of mine just emailed me about these bulbs. I haven't tried them yet or know anything about them but wanted them to be part of the discussion on the Forum.
At last, someone has made a truly dimmable CFL. I've got several dimmer lights around the house, mainly in Japanese lanterns. I buy the lanterns, make a dual lamp bracket inside with a couple of porcelain sockets, etc. My bedroom lamp has had two 90 watt bulbs on an inline cord dimmer. 180 watts at full is a bit much wattage, but glorious for reading.
In the past couple of years I've bought a dimmable CFL or two and been very disappointed. At best they seem to do bright, something dim, and off.
These Ecosmart lamps are great. I've got one in my bedroom instrument (to use theatre language) and it just about perfectly tracks the remaining filament lamp.
At 23 watts it will be a great energy saver. The color temperature looks to be around 2,600 - 2,700 Kelvin. When I dim the instrument, the filament lamp drops color temp, the CFL just gets dimmer.
Anyone tried them yet?
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A Google search produced no useful links, could your friend provide info of where to get them?
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At the first Google link I looked at, http://www.goodbadbulbs.com/?p=6 (http://www.goodbadbulbs.com/?p=6), one of the reviews mentioned that they got their's from Home Depot. Also many of the reviews were not favorable.
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Looks like we wait - again. :(
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It's amazing... of all the things I've read about CFL's... I have never once read of anyone complaining that CFL's just don't get hot enough to burn the users hands.
There is an old saying... about taking the bad with the good.
As far as I am concerned... CFL's have very limited good uses. But they do use a little less electricity. They may never be good at dimming. Don't forget... dimming was only a fix for poorly wired older homes that had far to few fixtures to begin with. So a person could put a 150 watt bulb (or if you gray haired you'll remember the 200 watt bulbs) and light an entire room from one fixture... then dim the light... when "the show of shows" came on. Much better for seeing that that grainy 12 inch black and white screen.
I'd suggest very low wattage indirect up-lighting as a replacement to dimmable CFL's. That can use even LESS electricity... which is the entire purpose of using those awful and dangerous CFLs to begin with. Sure we will still be stuck with those dimmable wall switches. But its cheaper to replace those... than it was to replace that V8 Buick.
Trying to force this technology to perform like an older and dissimilar technology... is likely a waste of both time and money... even if your successful. Finding ways to exploit new technology's... is almost always productive.
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Looks like we wait - again. :(
Several weeks ago I replaced an EXTREMELY noisy Lumoform 120V 4-watt LED bulb with a 4-watt "torpedo" shaped 5W dimmable CFL from Sylvania (sold by Lowes). It comes on instantly, has a pleasing 2700K color temperature, and dims almost as well as an incandescent. It is clearly a much better choice than the LED.
Jeff
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.... "torpedo" shaped 5W dimmable CFL from Sylvania (sold by Lowes). It comes on instantly, has a pleasing 2700K color temperature, and dims almost as well as an incandescent.
That's great! But whats the point in dimming a 5W bulb? It must just be me.... I just don't get it.
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But whats the point in dimming a 5W bulb?
One application is in an otherwise dark interior hallway where we previously used the 120V 4W LED bulb. The light is left on 24/7. Even at 5W, the CFL provides sufficient illumination during the day, but it is much too bright at night when we only want a nightlite glow to light the way to the bathroom. The Ocelot runs the bulb 100% while the sun is up, 40% after sundown, and 20% at night.
Another application is a 8-light chandelier at the entranceway. It is normally on dimly during the evening for aesthetics, but brightened when we expect guests. The 5W CFLs represent a significant savings over the normal 25W incandescents.
There are clearly applications for dimmable low-wattage CFLs.
Jeff