Dimmable Lights and Power Usage

 

Do the dimmable lights (those that have three fixed settings where you
touch the metal lamp base to adjust them) use power when they are off?

If one wants dimmable lighting, what is the best type to install?

Thanks for any information you can offer.

TMT

 

They must use micropower to sense the touch but not enough to measure in
terms of household power. Can you feel any heat from them or the lamp lit
up? Energy cannot just disapear into nothing.

 

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Jim replys:

Too_Many_Tools wrote:


Yes, these are electronic switches and they do require a very small
sensing circuit to tell when you touch them.


I am a firm believer in using CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) wherever
you can and there are good variable CFL bulbs that will save a
considerable amount of money in the long term over the usual
incandescent bulbs, BUT, these are going to originally cost considerably
more than either incandescent or non variable CFL lights.

I have had good luck with them in my dining room fixture, and
particularly good luck in my ceiling fan's light fixtures where the fan
control came with a light dimmer function.  These dimmers were
frequently accidentally used and when I had regular CFL bulbs in the 3
fan fixtures I have, they failed frequently.  However once I put the
dimmable CFL bulbs in the fan fixtures, the problems went away and I
dropped each bulb wattage from 100 W. to 23 W. (9 bulbs total)  By the
way, the CFL bulbs do last a lot better than incandescent bulbs in the
fans because they don't seem to be affected as much by the vibrations of
the fans.

I also have used these "variable CFL" bulbs in a bedside lamp that has
the kind of touch sensitive 4 way switch you mentioned at first quite
successfully.  I also have one in a X-10 lamp module controlled light
that seems to function OK as far as dimming, at least whenever the
module decides to work, but the X-10 module itself is being it's usual
PIA self.

Hope this helps.


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[ lots snipped ]


I can't find the OP's post here so don't know if the circuit
is hooked up to utility or off-grid power.

Compact fluorescents have _abysmal_ power factor ratings. Unlike with an
incandescent, where watts = volts*amperes (with a definitional power
factor of 100), you're going to see ugly figures.

I just checked a sylvana " 15 watt " reflector flood. The label
itself says it's 15 watts, but 0.26 amps. That 0.26 amps, if
in an incandescent (or 100 percent power factor) would
give you (0.26 times 120 = ) 31 watts. So the labeled PF is 50.

( my measurements showed it as 13 watts and 0.27 amps)

Depending on what's behind the scenes delivering power
to the circuit, that PF may, or may not, be an issue.

Given how "dimmers" work, I suspect (but have no measurements
to point to) that the PF would be even worse when cutting
the light down.
--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
             dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

 

yep, I'm looking at my 14 watt CF, and my Kill-A-Watt is reporting a pf
of .57


Steve Spence
Dir., Green Trust, http://www.green-trust.org
Contributing Editor, http://www.off-grid.net
http://www.rebelwolf.com/essn.html

danny burstein wrote: