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[paizano1]

Just thought i would post what i have found, now i'm sure someone else has discovered also. I purchased some old lamp modules off of ebay, these were made for "safety 1st" anyway i was messing with some different ideas and decided to try with a CFL bulb. It worked 100% as long as no dimming was required, then i tried the soft start newer module and it went on and off sometimes( mostly wouldn't shut off all the time. ) Anybody else noticed this and do you think there is any type of safety hazard if used with CFL in older module?

[dave w]

Anybody else noticed this and do you think there is any type of safety hazard if used with CFL in older module?

X10 puts "Incandescent Lights Only" on the Lamp Module for a reason. Whether you have a safety issue depends upon the CFL. A dimmable CFL should play nice. 

Now to really contradict myself...Although the X10 Socket Rocket also states ""Incandescent Lights Only", I use CFLs in Socket Rockets with no issues.  I used to think Socket Rockets and wall-warts also play nice, but I found out the hard way that some wall-warts and Socket Rockets make for smoke and fire (both wall-wart and Socket Rocket died). So my new self rule is - never drive an inductive load (wall wart with an internal transformer) with a Socket Rocket. The point to this rambling is this: just because one brand of CFL has not burst into flame while plugged in to a Safety-First Lamp Module, does in no way clear the path for all CFLs, especially non dimmable ones.

[paizano1]

just for the record all tests have been done on the bench. I haven't had anything installed in the house. I was just trying different things and thought i would try and do what i was told not to do.  Just one of those things.  anyway thanks for the reply.

[Brian H]

Also CFL bulbs will not work with any two wire wall switch that steals power through the load.

They do make a dimmable CFL that gives varied results with Lamp Modules. The older versions that start at 100% and dim down work in most cases to maybe 40%. My CCFL bulbs are fine with lamp modules but are expensive compaired to CFL bulbs. Also only smaller wattage types are common.

I have also found that my Soft Start Lamp Modules and CFL bulbs are not a good mix. As you have seen the older ones tolerate a CFL better.

[dave w]

just for the record all tests have been done on the bench. I haven't had anything installed in the house. I was just trying different things and thought i would try and do what i was told not to do. 

Yup, I do the same.
Since you are bench testing, you might dim the CFL/Lamp Module to about 50% and see if the familiar odor of burning resistor crops up after an hour or two. CFLs will probably look pretty resistive to the Lamp Module, hence the Lamp Module will probably survive. I'm not sure what the triac distorted waveform will do to the chopper in the CFL. If you continue the great experiment, would you let us know of outcome?