Achieving Mood Lighting and Saving Energy – are Fluorescent Lights Dimmable?
Robin Green asked:
Dimmer switches can give a more relaxed feel to your home, and save you energy as well. But with the increasing prevalence of compact fluorescent lights or CFLs, many people are wondering what options they have for using a dimmer with these lights – or whether it saves more electricity to use a regular CFL, or to use incandescent or halogen bulbs on a dimmer switch.
Let’s start by putting to rest some misconceptions people have over the relative energy use of fluorescent, incandescent, and halogen bulbs.
Many homeowners put in halogen bulbs, starting in the 1990’s, on the mistaken idea that these lights are more efficient than incandescent lights. In fact their energy efficiency is pretty much the same as that of incandescents. So don’t think you’re saving energy by using them.
CFLs, meanwhile, are very efficient – it takes about one fourth as much electricity to light up a CFL as to light up an incandescent or halogen lamp with the same light output. They also happen to last about eight times longer than incandescent lights.
So if you are using a dimmer primarily to save power, you might be better off just switching your incandescent or halogen lights to CFLs, and keeping the dimmer switch on full, or going back to a standard on-off switch. That will give you more light for less power.
If you want a more mellow lighting all the time, one way is to put in light bulbs that aren’t as bright. Whether you go down from, for example, a 100 watt incandescent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb, or down from a 100 watt incandescent bulb to an 18 watt CFL, you’ll still get less light and you’ll use less electricity. Of course, the CFL solution will save you much more electricity in the long run.
But chances are you want the best of both worlds: the low running cost and better durability of CFL bulbs, with the flexibility to dim them when you don’t need their full light.
You may have heard that you cannot put a regular CFL on a regular dimmer switch. In fact you can, but it is not recommended, because it can really reduce the life of the bulb. There is no increased risk of explosion or fire from installing a regular CFL on a standard dimmer switch – you’ll only increase the risk of shortened bulb life. And since the higher price of CFL bulbs is offset by the fact that they outlive incandescent bulbs by a ratio of 8 to 1, putting regular CFLs on a standard dimmer destroys that cost advantage.
If you choose to dim CFLs, you have two real options: buy a special dimmer switch that is compatible with CFLs, or buy dimmable CFLs that are designed to work with standard dimmers.
Both choices leave you with the energy-saving advantages of CFLs, as well as the ability to dim those CFLs. But for now at least, dimmable CFLs seem like the more affordable option, because fluorescent-compatible dimmer switches are prohibitively expensive, while the price difference between standard and dimmable compact fluorescents is miniscule.
Let’s consider the total cost for both options, for a fixture with three 60-watt light bulbs. Let’s assume you already have a standard dimmer switch and regular incandescent light bulbs. If you want to upgrade to CFLs, your choices are:
1. Installing three 13-watt standard CFLs at $3 a piece, and a $49 fluorescent dimmer switch. Total cost: $58.
2. Going for three 13-watt dimmable CFLs at $3.50 a piece, and use the existing dimmer. Total cost: $10.50!
As you can tell, using an existing dimmer switch is a more affordable alternative. Since both options use the same amount of energy, in terms of payback period the solution with dimmable compact fluorescent lights is definitely much shorter.
Even if you need to buy a dimmer switch because you don’t have one, it still makes sense to go with a standard switch and dimmable CFLs. You can get a standard dimmer switch for under $10. Even a fashionable one for $25 is more affordable than a fluorescent dimmer at $49. And with the cost gap between standard and dimmable CFLs so small, the only way a fluorescent dimmer switch will be cost competitive is if its price drops substantially, which it probably will over the coming years.
If your only motive for using a dimmer switch with CFLs is to save money, and you don’t already have a regular dimmer switch, I would suggest you stay with basic CFLs and forego the dimmer switch. Use the money you save on the dimmer switch to buy more CFLs for other areas of your house. Dimmer switches resulted in major savings for incandescent or halogen fixtures because the bulbs were so wasteful. For example, my rec room has six 50-watt bulbs on a dimmer switch. By using the dimmer at about half power, we use 150 watts instead of the full 300 watts. Assuming an hour on each day, that would save 150 x 365 watts, or 55 kilowatt hours a year.
But if we were to switch those halogen bulbs to 13-watt dimmable CFLs, we’d save 81 kilowatt hours a year at their full strength. By turning them down to half, we’d only save an extra 13 kilowatt hours a year – that’s about $1.30 worth of electricity. Not really enough to make it worth considering this alternative.
Consumer response to dimmable CFLs has been less than overwhelmingly positive. There were certainly some teething issues with these lights – early burn-out, flashing light, and loud buzzing noises. These problems have been pretty much resolved in the more recent dimmable compact fluorescents. But if there isn’t a strong motivation for you to dim your CFLs, I would recommend sticking with standard compact fluorescents for a year, until the market offers a wider range of choices for dimmable fluorescent lights. Who knows – in a year or two, fluorescent dimmer switches could be as cheap as standard dimmers.
Dimmer switches can give a more relaxed feel to your home, and save you energy as well. But with the increasing prevalence of compact fluorescent lights or CFLs, many people are wondering what options they have for using a dimmer with these lights – or whether it saves more electricity to use a regular CFL, or to use incandescent or halogen bulbs on a dimmer switch.
Let’s start by putting to rest some misconceptions people have over the relative energy use of fluorescent, incandescent, and halogen bulbs.
Many homeowners put in halogen bulbs, starting in the 1990’s, on the mistaken idea that these lights are more efficient than incandescent lights. In fact their energy efficiency is pretty much the same as that of incandescents. So don’t think you’re saving energy by using them.
CFLs, meanwhile, are very efficient – it takes about one fourth as much electricity to light up a CFL as to light up an incandescent or halogen lamp with the same light output. They also happen to last about eight times longer than incandescent lights.
So if you are using a dimmer primarily to save power, you might be better off just switching your incandescent or halogen lights to CFLs, and keeping the dimmer switch on full, or going back to a standard on-off switch. That will give you more light for less power.
If you want a more mellow lighting all the time, one way is to put in light bulbs that aren’t as bright. Whether you go down from, for example, a 100 watt incandescent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb, or down from a 100 watt incandescent bulb to an 18 watt CFL, you’ll still get less light and you’ll use less electricity. Of course, the CFL solution will save you much more electricity in the long run.
But chances are you want the best of both worlds: the low running cost and better durability of CFL bulbs, with the flexibility to dim them when you don’t need their full light.
You may have heard that you cannot put a regular CFL on a regular dimmer switch. In fact you can, but it is not recommended, because it can really reduce the life of the bulb. There is no increased risk of explosion or fire from installing a regular CFL on a standard dimmer switch – you’ll only increase the risk of shortened bulb life. And since the higher price of CFL bulbs is offset by the fact that they outlive incandescent bulbs by a ratio of 8 to 1, putting regular CFLs on a standard dimmer destroys that cost advantage.
If you choose to dim CFLs, you have two real options: buy a special dimmer switch that is compatible with CFLs, or buy dimmable CFLs that are designed to work with standard dimmers.
Both choices leave you with the energy-saving advantages of CFLs, as well as the ability to dim those CFLs. But for now at least, dimmable CFLs seem like the more affordable option, because fluorescent-compatible dimmer switches are prohibitively expensive, while the price difference between standard and dimmable compact fluorescents is miniscule.
Let’s consider the total cost for both options, for a fixture with three 60-watt light bulbs. Let’s assume you already have a standard dimmer switch and regular incandescent light bulbs. If you want to upgrade to CFLs, your choices are:
1. Installing three 13-watt standard CFLs at $3 a piece, and a $49 fluorescent dimmer switch. Total cost: $58.
2. Going for three 13-watt dimmable CFLs at $3.50 a piece, and use the existing dimmer. Total cost: $10.50!
As you can tell, using an existing dimmer switch is a more affordable alternative. Since both options use the same amount of energy, in terms of payback period the solution with dimmable compact fluorescent lights is definitely much shorter.
Even if you need to buy a dimmer switch because you don’t have one, it still makes sense to go with a standard switch and dimmable CFLs. You can get a standard dimmer switch for under $10. Even a fashionable one for $25 is more affordable than a fluorescent dimmer at $49. And with the cost gap between standard and dimmable CFLs so small, the only way a fluorescent dimmer switch will be cost competitive is if its price drops substantially, which it probably will over the coming years.
If your only motive for using a dimmer switch with CFLs is to save money, and you don’t already have a regular dimmer switch, I would suggest you stay with basic CFLs and forego the dimmer switch. Use the money you save on the dimmer switch to buy more CFLs for other areas of your house. Dimmer switches resulted in major savings for incandescent or halogen fixtures because the bulbs were so wasteful. For example, my rec room has six 50-watt bulbs on a dimmer switch. By using the dimmer at about half power, we use 150 watts instead of the full 300 watts. Assuming an hour on each day, that would save 150 x 365 watts, or 55 kilowatt hours a year.
But if we were to switch those halogen bulbs to 13-watt dimmable CFLs, we’d save 81 kilowatt hours a year at their full strength. By turning them down to half, we’d only save an extra 13 kilowatt hours a year – that’s about $1.30 worth of electricity. Not really enough to make it worth considering this alternative.
Consumer response to dimmable CFLs has been less than overwhelmingly positive. There were certainly some teething issues with these lights – early burn-out, flashing light, and loud buzzing noises. These problems have been pretty much resolved in the more recent dimmable compact fluorescents. But if there isn’t a strong motivation for you to dim your CFLs, I would recommend sticking with standard compact fluorescents for a year, until the market offers a wider range of choices for dimmable fluorescent lights. Who knows – in a year or two, fluorescent dimmer switches could be as cheap as standard dimmers.
Outdoor Rope Lights Offer a Unique Way to Light Your Yard
David Karlson asked:
Have you heard of outdoor rope lights? They are great for decorating your deck or patio, especially if you entertain during the summer months. They offer a unique décor and provide light while you are partying at night in your yard. The lights can be hung quite easily and can be taken down and stored when not required.
Unlike most other types of lights, outdoor rope lights allow the installer to be creative. These lights can be hung practically anywhere. They can be arranged to spell out someone’s name or anything you like. If you have a gazebo or a trellis, you can string up these lights to provide added lighting and to give the area a more attractive appearance.
Outdoor rope lights can also enhance your house during a holiday season. Most of these lights use LED lighting now. These particular lights are quite reliable and can save up to ninety percent on your energy costs. To avoid excessive movement of the lights, they should be affixed a regular points to help keep them in place.
Outdoor rope lights cannot be cut. If they need to be cut, it has to be done at the factory.
Another popular use of outdoor rope lights is to light up a driveway. This is especially useful in a rural setting that does not have any streetlights. Many people use them to light their swimming pool at night. Anyone who has a pool knows that a late night swim can be invigorating. Lighting the pool area is also a good safety feature.
We have even seen outdoor rope lights used indoors for lighting up a stage for a theatre production. As you can see, there are many different uses for these types of lights.
Outdoor rope lights are come in long tubes that consist of half-watt mini light bulbs. Each bulb is spaced approximately one inch apart. The tubes themselves consist of a clear or colored PVC resin tube.
Now, you may be wondering how long outdoor rope lights last. They will last for approximately twenty-five thousand hours of use. They can feel warm to the touch but do not worry; they will not burn or scorch anything.
The most common color of outdoor rope lights is white. However, you can purchase them in other colors such as red, blue, yellow or purple. Usually, you purchase the lights in a kit, which will include fifty feet of light coils along with the power cord, connectors and clips for fastening the lights in place.
Have you heard of outdoor rope lights? They are great for decorating your deck or patio, especially if you entertain during the summer months. They offer a unique décor and provide light while you are partying at night in your yard. The lights can be hung quite easily and can be taken down and stored when not required.
Unlike most other types of lights, outdoor rope lights allow the installer to be creative. These lights can be hung practically anywhere. They can be arranged to spell out someone’s name or anything you like. If you have a gazebo or a trellis, you can string up these lights to provide added lighting and to give the area a more attractive appearance.
Outdoor rope lights can also enhance your house during a holiday season. Most of these lights use LED lighting now. These particular lights are quite reliable and can save up to ninety percent on your energy costs. To avoid excessive movement of the lights, they should be affixed a regular points to help keep them in place.
Outdoor rope lights cannot be cut. If they need to be cut, it has to be done at the factory.
Another popular use of outdoor rope lights is to light up a driveway. This is especially useful in a rural setting that does not have any streetlights. Many people use them to light their swimming pool at night. Anyone who has a pool knows that a late night swim can be invigorating. Lighting the pool area is also a good safety feature.
We have even seen outdoor rope lights used indoors for lighting up a stage for a theatre production. As you can see, there are many different uses for these types of lights.
Outdoor rope lights are come in long tubes that consist of half-watt mini light bulbs. Each bulb is spaced approximately one inch apart. The tubes themselves consist of a clear or colored PVC resin tube.
Now, you may be wondering how long outdoor rope lights last. They will last for approximately twenty-five thousand hours of use. They can feel warm to the touch but do not worry; they will not burn or scorch anything.
The most common color of outdoor rope lights is white. However, you can purchase them in other colors such as red, blue, yellow or purple. Usually, you purchase the lights in a kit, which will include fifty feet of light coils along with the power cord, connectors and clips for fastening the lights in place.
The Variety of Roles Fulfilled By Led Lighting Devices
Groshan Fabiola asked:
At present, LEDs are extensively used in many different branches of the industry, taking many different forms and fulfilling a wide range of roles. Miniature LED devices are incorporated in thousands of products, including computer components, VCR, DVD, Stereo, Audio and Video equipments, gaming devices, security equipments, mobile phones, digital cameras, medical instruments, encoders, optical switches, fiber optic communication devices, etc.
While miniature LEDs play a set of crucial roles when they are integrated into small-sized technological products, larger scale LEDs can be successfully used as sources of illumination. LED lighting devices have proved to be the best alternative to traditional light sources (particularly incandescent and fluorescent light devices) and have already replaced such illuminating devices in many segments of the industry. LED lighting devices are nowadays commonly used for emergency / police vehicle lighting, traffic and rail lighting, accent lighting pathways, marker lights, emergency lighting exit signs, architectural lighting and signage channel letters, etc.
LED lighting devices have evolved considerably over the last few years and nowadays offer a wide range of benefits (energy efficiency, impressively long life span, durability, wide range of colors, no UV emissions, flexible design, silent operation, low-voltage power supply, easy to maintain) that render them superior to traditional, obsolete sources of light. Thanks to their advantages, LED lighting devices have become very popular and at present they are in great demand, being produced for both industrial and private, household use. Although LED illuminating sources such as LED bulbs, LED pods and LED tubes are already extremely reliable, economical, safe and durable, scientists claim that future designs will be substantially more efficient and a lot more affordable, incorporating high tech, innovative materials.
The great features of LED lighting devices (especially the wide range of colors and the economical character of LEDs) have caught the attention of many advertising companies and agencies that have rapidly started to use various designs for commercial purposes. Thus, LED bulbs, LED tubes, LED pods and various other LED lighting devices are nowadays included in most advertising panels and commercial signs, producing a multitude of vivid, bright colors. In addition, through inventive, imaginative combinations of colored LEDs, breathtaking color-changing effects can be produced by dynamically activating various arrays of LED lighting devices.
Some existing fixtures utilizing variable-intensity LEDs can produce more than 16 million colors, generating remarkable effects such as color washing, cross fading, random color changing, strobing and variable strobing. Such fixtures are easy to install and can be easily controlled via a PC or digital device. Multicolor LEDs can be used for lighting signage, decorative interiors, art exhibition interiors, simple and complex architectural structures, or the interior of different entertainment venues (clubs, discos, etc).
Both simple and complex LED lighting devices nowadays fulfill many different roles inside public and private institutions, industrial establishments, art and entertainment venues or simply private residences. While more complex LED lighting devices are more expensive, simple LED lighting devices such as LED bulbs, LED pods, LED displays and LED tubes have become increasingly more affordable. Such products come with long-term warranty certificates and can be purchased from a wide variety of offline and online specialized stores.
So, if you want to find out more about LEDs or even about LED Lighting, you should visit these links.
At present, LEDs are extensively used in many different branches of the industry, taking many different forms and fulfilling a wide range of roles. Miniature LED devices are incorporated in thousands of products, including computer components, VCR, DVD, Stereo, Audio and Video equipments, gaming devices, security equipments, mobile phones, digital cameras, medical instruments, encoders, optical switches, fiber optic communication devices, etc.
While miniature LEDs play a set of crucial roles when they are integrated into small-sized technological products, larger scale LEDs can be successfully used as sources of illumination. LED lighting devices have proved to be the best alternative to traditional light sources (particularly incandescent and fluorescent light devices) and have already replaced such illuminating devices in many segments of the industry. LED lighting devices are nowadays commonly used for emergency / police vehicle lighting, traffic and rail lighting, accent lighting pathways, marker lights, emergency lighting exit signs, architectural lighting and signage channel letters, etc.
LED lighting devices have evolved considerably over the last few years and nowadays offer a wide range of benefits (energy efficiency, impressively long life span, durability, wide range of colors, no UV emissions, flexible design, silent operation, low-voltage power supply, easy to maintain) that render them superior to traditional, obsolete sources of light. Thanks to their advantages, LED lighting devices have become very popular and at present they are in great demand, being produced for both industrial and private, household use. Although LED illuminating sources such as LED bulbs, LED pods and LED tubes are already extremely reliable, economical, safe and durable, scientists claim that future designs will be substantially more efficient and a lot more affordable, incorporating high tech, innovative materials.
The great features of LED lighting devices (especially the wide range of colors and the economical character of LEDs) have caught the attention of many advertising companies and agencies that have rapidly started to use various designs for commercial purposes. Thus, LED bulbs, LED tubes, LED pods and various other LED lighting devices are nowadays included in most advertising panels and commercial signs, producing a multitude of vivid, bright colors. In addition, through inventive, imaginative combinations of colored LEDs, breathtaking color-changing effects can be produced by dynamically activating various arrays of LED lighting devices.
Some existing fixtures utilizing variable-intensity LEDs can produce more than 16 million colors, generating remarkable effects such as color washing, cross fading, random color changing, strobing and variable strobing. Such fixtures are easy to install and can be easily controlled via a PC or digital device. Multicolor LEDs can be used for lighting signage, decorative interiors, art exhibition interiors, simple and complex architectural structures, or the interior of different entertainment venues (clubs, discos, etc).
Both simple and complex LED lighting devices nowadays fulfill many different roles inside public and private institutions, industrial establishments, art and entertainment venues or simply private residences. While more complex LED lighting devices are more expensive, simple LED lighting devices such as LED bulbs, LED pods, LED displays and LED tubes have become increasingly more affordable. Such products come with long-term warranty certificates and can be purchased from a wide variety of offline and online specialized stores.
So, if you want to find out more about LEDs or even about LED Lighting, you should visit these links.