fluorescent lamps

I know it is bad to put a fluorescent lamp in a dimmer socket. My question is will it shorten the life of a lamp to put a fluorescent bulb in a lamp with a 3 position switch? I suspect that it does because the one I have tried in a desk lamp's life seemed shorter. For the most part the lamp burned continually so I wasn't even using the switch.

I know the lamps are designed to put 120 on one filament for part of the switch and 120 on both parts in the other position but I am not sure what is happening when you turn on a fluorescent lamp.

Reply to
Kilowatt
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I would think when you lower the voltage to some point that the transformer in the CF will be stressed. As to how long this will take for a failure, I am unsure. Check the voltage requirements on the CF and see what they say. Some older CF's were 100% harmonic content. Probably means a switching power supply which might take a larger voltage spread.

Reply to
SQLit

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 12:07:34 GMT, Kilowatt put forth the notion that...

It won't affect the fluorescent bulb at all. It's still going to get the full 120 volts. Dual filament incandescents have an extra contact on the base to provide a path for the extra filament. Your compact fluorescent won't have the extra contact, but will light up normally whenever the switch is providing 120V power to the center contact in the socket.

Reply to
Checkmate

You can get retrofit compact fluorescents for the dimmer sockets (in the US -- I don't think these sockets exist anywhere else). These lamps are really two separate units.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Dimmable compact fluorescent replacements for A-lamps are also available and work quite well too

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Reply to
Paul

Sounds like he's referring to the type that uses an 1n1004 in series with the lamp in the "dim" position. The diode is inside the socket.

Reply to
Paul

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