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[Davejb]

I've had 3 of these fail. With 2 of them the light bulb went bad, after the bulb was replaced they would no longer function and could not be reprogrammed. The last one stopped functioning after a power outage and cannot be reprogrammed. Anyone else expirience this?

[JeffVolp]

It is a known problem.  When a lightbulb fails, sometimes the filament will break in such a way that it pulls excessive current for a fraction of a second.  That's what causes the flash we sometimes see when a bulb dies.  Because of its tiny size, I doubt there was room inside the Socket Rocket for a triac that could withstand the large current surge.

The Socket Rocket was a cute idea, but the plug-in lamp module is more robust.  Even those are sometimes killed by that current transient.

[steven r]

The main reason I'd even consider a socket rocket over a plug-in lamp module is if I was using a non dimming CFL. Are CFLs less likely to take out a socket rocket when they die?

[JimC]

Are CFLs less likely to take out a socket rocket when they die?

I have been using  several socket rockets with CFL's for about a year now and have yet to have one fail (bulb or socket rocket). I don't know that CFL's draw more current when they fail. More often than not you will see the light output of the CFL start to diminish  and want to change it anyway before it completely fails.

Guess I have just been lucky. I have been using X10 products for many years and I have only had one lamp module fail.

[Brian H]

I too have lost a few with bulb burnouts. For the surge on burnout as mentioned. I also have a few with CFLs in them no problem.

[JeffVolp]

Guess I have just been lucky. I have been using X10 products for many years and I have only had one lamp module fail.

We have used X10 since the brown BSR module days.  Perhaps half a dozen lamp modules have died over the years (not including the early BSR code switches, which were repaired on all of them.)  I don't recall any failures of lamp modules feeding compact fluorescent lights.  As someone else stated, compact fluorescent bulbs gradually dim over their lifetime until they are not useable anymore.  They do not pull that surge of current that sometimes happens when an incandescent bulb fails.

We have not had one lamp module or wall switch failure since we moved into this house several years ago.  We now use mostly compact fluorescent bulbs, but another factor may be the Leviton 51110 surge protector that is installed at the main distribution panel.

[Tuicemen]

Are CFLs less likely to take out a socket rocket when they die?

I have been using  several socket rockets with CFL's for about a year now and have yet to have one fail (bulb or socket rocket). I don't know that CFL's draw more current when they fail. More often than not you will see the light output of the CFL start to diminish  and want to change it anyway before it completely fails.

Guess I have just been lucky. I have been using X10 products for many years and I have only had one lamp module fail.

CFLs are known to last over 5 years! In fact I just found two of the old replaceable bulb type I had forgoten about! I've Fried a socket Rocket also (I hadn't gotten around to replacing that bulb with a CFL before it went).  

[lingtrin]

You all are talking about CFL and socket rocket, to my understanding you shouldn't use the socket rocket with CFL. But reading this thread gives me another impresion, so you can actually use CFL and socket rocket toghether?

[Brian H]

Well as you said. A CFL should not be used with a Triac type module. Though since the triac is not being used to dim and just as an On/Off device most will work fine. I did find one model of a GE and the TCP Brands of CFLs. In a Socket Rocket worked but made lots of powerline noise. Some in the X10 signal area.

[JimC]

lingtrin,

The instructions that came with my socket rocket clearly states not for use with flourcent lights but they shire do work great with most CFL's. I have been using them in two differant locations for close to a year now and have yet to see a problem.

Jim

[lingtrin]

Great  , thanks for your answers