CFL illumination control by Dimmer

here a google link

hope it helps Charles

It is possible. You have to buy special CFL bulbs that will work with a dimmer. They are available at Lowes or Home Depot. Standard CFL bulbs won't work.

CFL Lamps work under the principle of High Field Electron Emission. It relates to a high frequency field created by an Oscillator Circuit inside the CFL ballast. As such it has nothing much to do with voltage. That, in fact, is the advantage of a CFL, that it needs a very little voltage to trigger & to keep working. So, dimmers may not work with standard CFL lamps. Even with a very low voltage given by the dimmer, the CFL would still give full light output.

You are right ordinary CFL cannot be controlled by Dimmer Switch but

Phillips Company is manufacturing Energy saver CFL which can be used with dimmer.

Dimmer model EL/A R30 DIM 16 watts

Dimmer model EL / A R 40 DIM 40 Watts

See the link

http://www.lutron.com/CMS400/page.aspx?id=22117

Since the energy consumption of CFL is low the percentage saving of energy and financial saving is not substantial compared the high initial coast of the lamps.Unlike conventional lamps the regulation is not full but limited to certain percentage and then gets off. But they are essentially useful to control the luminous intensity of light for functional requirement in living rooms, bed rooms and kitchen where we need regulation of the light.The use of Dimmer is still not very popular even in US where these lamps are available for regular sale in Home Depots.

We sell Thousands, and get back hundreds... high failure rate...

However, soon we will have the only patented CFL for dimming.. he is SO busy sueing everyone that has infringed, it's hard for him to produce the product..

Donald

I was in IKEA yesterday and tried their lamps. Seems most of the bulbs (they only sell CFL's here, now) they sell are dimmable, at least by their dimmers. Small, in-line, cord mounted devices. Pulsewidth I guess.

Cheers,

Stu

I've been out of lighting design for some years now but dimming used to be done with high frequency lamps & a dimming ballast.