Light Bulbs and Dimmer Switches

I am stuck back in the Good Old Days of the Twentieth Century, as far as light bulbs and dimmer switches go.

It seems like way back then, there was only one kind of light bulb, or, well 2 kinds, the main kind being incandescent, and the otehr being flourescent.

I had one flourescent light bulb or tube over my kitchen sink, and while there was some problem with the connections not being to good, I got that mastered.

Now, for the other lights in my shack.

I have always loved dimmer switches and have used them for both ceiling lights, and floor lamps and table lamps.

In fact, I had things just like I wanted them in my shack.

But, within probable the last ten years, there has been a great change in light bulbs, and when I go to a store I have no idea at all what is available in light bulbs, and what kind of bulbs work with what kind of dimmer switches.

The first time this happened was when the electrical company that serves my area, announced that they were giving away free, a supply of GE "energy smart," bulbs, which screw into normal ceiling and lamp receptacles, but are spiral shaped from the base, and upon further examination of the box they came in, I found out that they are actually flourescent.

The six bulb pack I got free from the power company, claims that these 20 watt bulbs are equal to the light one would get from a tungsten? incandescent? bulb of 75 watts.

Now, the problem is that I was told I cannot use these flourescent bulbs with the dimmer switches that I now have, but that there are special dimmer switches that these bulbs can be used with.

I don't think that I was told that at the power company's office, but by a hardware store sales clerk?

Was he or she, correct about that?

Are there dimmer switches that can be used with these types of flourescent light bulbs?

Too add more questions, I was told , or read somewhere, that new government regulations? were forbidding any more production of incandescent? or tungsten? or whatever the main type of light bulbs other than flourescent bulbs, were the standard, back in the Good Old Days of the 20th century.

Could someone explain all of this to me?

I just want to get things back to how I liked them and had them, where I can have a dimmer switch on every light I have in my shack.

Borrowed from google search

Are all CFL dimmable?
The majority of CFL bulbs sold today are not dimmable. A CFL bulb that cannot be used on a dimmer will have the statement “not for use with dimmers” or “do not use with dimmers” marked directly on the bulb.

Incandescent bulbs and halogen bulbs will work with any dimmer, and while the dimmer can be of the less expensive variety, keep in mind others come with additional features.

CFLs IMHO will be a niche market in the next 5 years. LEDs have come down in price so much that there won't be much of a reason for CFLs. As the ones I have around the house burn out they are getting replaced with LEDs.

Some LEDs are dimmable but you can run into compatibility issues with the dimmers. Your old dimmers may not work. I installed some Cree LEDs that with a "LED compatible" dimmer would strobe when put at anything short of maximum power. I have some LED PAR lights in my bonus room that work fine with my existing dimmer. Your mileage may vary.

Many thanks for the posts, everybody.

I bought a tungsten 150 watt light bulb for my kitchen, which is very good and just what I need, although I might occasionally want to dim it just a bit.

Got a dimmer switch, and, a Revolting Development!

Whoever wired the 3 switch box that the kitchen light is in, really got the connections loose, and the slightest nudge of the switch I'm planning to replace with the dimmer switch, causes the entrance hall light to go out, as well as the wall plugs in the living room!

It will take awhile, to get all the connections good and snug in that box, but it will be worth the effort.

On the ceiling fan, I used one of those 2 LED spot lights, but did not place the globe back, because my understanding is that you do not put a globe over LEDs or florescent bulbs.

But, even so, the globe for the ceiling fan light might have been too small to get over the LED spot light.

In the Kitchen, the globe is probably about 18 inches or more around, so no problem getting it over the LED spotlight, and it was great illumination for the kitchen, but since you aren't supposed to put a globe over a LED light, I replaced the LED with the 150 watt incandescent light described above.

Could anyone explain to me the contraindication of putting a globe over an LED or flourescent bulb (On the flourescent bulbs I am of course not referring to the tubular type, but the spiral ones I got from my power company a few years back, to be used in place of the incandescent bulbs.

Another hazard that most of you have run into as many times as I have.

I decided to first try the LED spotlight in the ceiling light of the laundry closet.

I've been in my shack since 1996, twently years, and in all that time have never once changed the bulb.

Well, you can imagine what hapened. It was stuck to the socket, and when I tried to twist it out of the socket, I just twised the bulb off of its base.

So, I had to take off the shole light fixture, and spray in some lubricating oil into the socket, which I left overnight, and grabbing the bit of the base of the bulb fused to the socket, with pliers, it of course, easily came off.

I used the LED in that light socket for a few days, after reconnecting the socket fixture, but then put the spiral flourescent bulb from the power company in the socket, and it is adequate for the laundry closet.

shackdweller said:

Another hazard that most of you have run into as many times as I have.

I decided to first try the LED spotlight in the ceiling light of the laundry closet.

I've been in my shack since 1996, twently years, and in all that time have never once changed the bulb.

Well, you can imagine what hapened. It was stuck to the socket, and when I tried to twist it out of the socket, I just twised the bulb off of its base.

So, I had to take off the shole light fixture, and spray in some lubricating oil into the socket, which I left overnight, and grabbing the bit of the base of the bulb fused to the socket, with pliers, it of course, easily came off.

I used the LED in that light socket for a few days, after reconnecting the socket fixture, but then put the spiral flourescent bulb from the power company in the socket, and it is adequate for the laundry closet.

Click to expand...

The problem is mixed material aluminum and brass on the bulb and socket.
When the two are different they create a battery and cause corrosion.

I see most of the new bulbs now are stainless which will solve that problem.

shackdweller said:

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Could anyone explain to me the contraindication of putting a globe over an LED or flourescent bulb (On the flourescent bulbs I am of course not referring to the tubular type, but the spiral ones I got from my power company a few years back, to be used in place of the incandescent bulbs.

Click to expand...

It's a heat issue. Both use electronics in their construction. Some can be used in an enclosed fixture and that should be noted on the packaging.