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Questions tagged [cfl]

48 questions
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2 answers

Why won't a LED bulb work in a standard light fixture?

I have a wall fixture in my Brooklyn apartment's bathroom that is my only source of light. A sticker on the fixture says that it is Max 75W. The other day, the 14W / 60W equivalent CFL that was in it since I moved in burned out and I had to replace…
Colin
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6 answers

Are CFL bulbs safe for enclosed fixtures?

I just got 3 dozen CFL bulbs for free, and was planning on replacing all the non-downward exposed fixture lights in my home with these bulbs. In the past I haven't even considered switching to CFL because of the light temperature, but after seeing…
Nicole
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12
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5 answers

Why do my new dimmable CFL bulbs hum?

I just spent $100 upgrading our dining room lighting from regular incandescent bulbs with a dimmer switch to a CFL friendly dimmer switch with specifically marked dimming capable CFL bulbs. At full power, they work fine. 5 x 60W equivalent bulbs…
The Evil Greebo
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1 answer

What is the difference between dimmable and non-dimmable CFL bulbs?

I have a dimmable ceiling light fixture in the Dining room. I put in CFL bulbs a few months ago. It all seems to work fine, no problem. I went to a hardware store yesterday and saw that there were CFL bulbs that were labeled as "dimmable". They were…
milesmeow
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4 answers

Why would a CFL bulb dim by itself after 60 seconds?

I have some GE Energy Smart CFL bulbs which are advertised as "Bright from the Start". This is true, except within 60 seconds after I turn the bulbs on, they will dramatically and immeidately become much dimmer. I assume that this is not the…
Justin Grant
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5 answers

Can I use a 23 W CFL in a fixture that's rated for a 60 W incandescent?

I have a lamp that is rated at 60 Watts for an incandescent bulb with a disclaimer to use a 13 Watt bulb instead when using a CFL replacement. Do I really need to respect that disclaimer? Would not a 23 Watt CFL be just as safe to use? It still…
Ziplin
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7
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2 answers

Why shouldn't different types of bulbs be used in the same fixture?

Why shouldn't different types of light bulbs(i.e. incandescent, LED, cfl) be used in the same fixture? I read this under the CAUTIONS & WARNINGS section of the LED bulb packaging. ...Do not use in multi-bulb enclosed fixtures together with other…
Ryan Gates
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3 answers

Why am I getting strange results when using a power meter to measure CFLs?

Over the years we have replaced just about every bulb in the house with a CFL. But here is the problem. Our electric bill is going up and not down. When I moved here 3 years ago we spent about $140-160. As of this summer we topped $210. Electric…
Lionel Morrison
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7
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2 answers

Does lamp maximum wattage matter for CF bulbs?

Say I have a table lamp that states (via a slightly scary sticker) that it takes a 60W max bulb. Of course, that was based around incandescent wattages. Is there any risk with putting in a CF bulb with a higher brightness but lower wattage? e.g.…
Joe
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6
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2 answers

What are the pros and cons of LED vs CFL vs incandescent bulbs for outdoor lighting?

I'm planning to install some light on my balcony and was just wondering what would be the best choice of lamp. I live in a relatively cold climate, and the current temperature at night is around -10°C. I'm wondering what my best choice of (E27…
oKtosiTe
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4 answers

Multiple weak light bulbs vs one strong light bulb

I currently have a small room with a single CFL bulb at the center of its ceiling. The bulb lights up the whole room well enough. I encounter the problem though that when standing in front of the mirror mounted on the wall of the room, I block the…
Victor
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4
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1 answer

Why do CFLs stop buzzing when an incandescent light is added to the mix?

I have 8 CFLs in a circuit of ceiling cans all connected to the same dimmer switch. They buzz all day until I add an incandescent light to one of the cans. Why does the buzzing stop with the introduction of an incandescent light?
Mark
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1 answer

Is it okay that a Leviton 9860-LHG CFL lampholder has no ground wire?

For code-compliance reasons, I'm planning to replace an old-school porcelain bare-bulb light fixture in a closet with a Leviton 9860-LHG lampholder that I bought a few years ago but never got around to installing until today. It's a CFL fixture with…
Justin Grant
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8 answers

Will switching to LED lightbulbs make a significant difference in my electric bill?

I asked Reliance Controls about a THP103 meter that I was having trouble with. Turns out that it's not a true RMS meter and thus is unable to give you accurate readings on a CFL or LED installation. See my other question: Why am I getting strange…
Lionel Morrison
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Why is CFL bulb life terrible in a three-stage off/low/high lamp?

I have a floor lamp with a three-stage turning switch: off->low->high. I use the lamp only on the high setting, but need to pass through the low setting to get there. It's rated at 150W and I've been using CFL 150W equivalent. The bulb life has been…
Ken Zein
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