Posts Tagged ‘fixes’

Residential Fluorescent Lighting

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

So, yesterday I posted a process I might go through to replace a fixture in my home with something more energy efficient. However, it isn’t really what I would do in my own home because I like everything to be dimmed. That includes fluorescents.

A good number of fluorescent and compact fluorescents can be dimmed using dimming ballasts. That does NOT include the self-ballasted CFLs with the screw-in base that you find at the hardware store. GE has come out with a self-ballasted replacement CFL that can be dimmed, and I’m sure others either have or will have soon their own versions. However, these can only be dimmed about 50% before they just turn off. They aren’t worth it.

Instead, I would have to buy separate dimming ballasts and install them myself. I would also have to change out my dimmers to a special versions for fluorescent lighting or perhaps install an interface. Some fluorescent dimming is done using two-wire ballasts, which would be easier to install using existing wiring, but the better dimming is accomplished using three-wire ballasts, which requires a third connection between the dimmer or interface and the ballast.

Fluorescent dimming ballasts typical have a minimum power setting of 1%, 5%, or 10%. For residential use I always recommend using 1% ballasts. This is because reducing the power doesn’t look like the same amount of light reduction. If you dim fluorescents down to a 10% it looks like it has only been dimmed down to about 30%. This just isn’t low enough for use in homes. Instead, using a 1% ballast means the lighting will look like it has been reduced to about 10%.

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Three-Way Dimming

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Yesterday, at the end of the post, I mentioned three-way and four-way dimming. For local dimmers there are two approaches: “mechanical,” and “electronic.” Mechanical and electronic refer to the dimmer type. Electronic dimmers are labeled as such and usually have LEDs on them. Mechanical dimmers are cheaper and will have no special functions and usually have a rotating dial or a slider.

For mechanical three and four way dimmers you will have to select a single location to install the dimmer, which should typically be the place from which you control the light most often. All the other locations will still be a switch that just turns the light on or off, and when turned on the lights go to the level set by the dimmer. For both three-way and four-way circuits you only use a three-way dimmer. It will have three wires instead of two (excluding the green ground wire).

Electronic dimming allows you to use remote dimmers in those locations that otherwise would have had to stay switches. However, installation is much more complex because typically there is a low-voltage wire connecting all the dimmers together. If your house doesn’t already have that wire you’re pretty much out of luck. You can use radio-controlled dimmers to eliminate the need for those extra wires, but the cost is very high (hundreds of dollars per item). Some electronic dimmer also let you use IR remote controls, and sometimes you can tie your master remote for the TV/DVD to the lights. That way you can adjust the lighting just the same as adjusting the volume on your TV. You’ll probably need to hire an electrician for those kinds of installations.

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Installing All Those Dimmers!

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

I realized that last week did a good job covering the basics of how to use dimmers in the home, but not about the doing-it-yourself part. You don’t need to hire someone to put dimmers in your home.

From the safety perspective, find the breaker in your panel that controls the power to the light you want to dim and turn it off. With cellphones and cheap two-way radios, you probably don’t even need to yell across the house anymore!

The only tool you’ll need is a screwdriver. The dimmer will use Phillips head screws, but your faceplate may be attached with a standard slotted screw if the home is older. Keep the old screws that attach the faceplate to the box in the wall, but the dimmer will probably have new screws for the dimmer.

The dimmer will include instructions that has pictures as well as text in english and spanish (for the most part). The key is to keep track of the wires that were already attached to the switch! There will most likely be a black and a white wire–or two black wires–connected to the switch, and you just connect the black and white wires on the dimmer to the wires in the wall. Truth be told, it doesn’t matter which is which.

The dimmer package will also contain a couple wire nuts to attach the wires. Some dimmers have holes that you can just shove the wires into for a solid connection, but if not use the wire nuts. Twist the two wires together like a twisty-tie, but it doesn’t have to be real tight. Then just twist the wire nut on, just like a screw-driver (right-makes-tight).

The dimmer will also have a green wire for the ground. There probably won’t be a green wire in the box to connect it to, but it can be attached to the bare metal of the box.

Finally, when you are totally done, check to make sure you didn’t install the dimmer upside down! The slider or rocker should make the lights brighter when you move or press UP and lower when you press DOWN. If the dimmer includes a toggle, up is on and down is off. For a rotary style dimmer it doesn’t matter. Some dimmers have the name of the manufacturer somewhere on the face, which is an easy way to make sure it’s not upside down before turning the power back on.

(Aside, dimmers for three-way switching are more complex and not covered here. A three-way switch is where you can turn the lights on and off from two locations. A four-way switch is where you can turn the lights on and off from three or more locations.)

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Intro to Fluorescents, Day 3

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Following up on yesterday’s post, there are fixes for the two common complaints regarding color and flicker.

  1. Color is tricky. The details regarding color for fluorescent lighting is complex and I’ll address it in another post, but for now just look for two things: the lamp’s color temperature and its CRI. The color temperature will be four digits followed by a “K,” such as 3000K or 4200K. The CRI will be two digits and may or may not be labeled, such as 72 or 86. For color temperature, select from three options: 3000K, 3500K, or 4000K. The 3000K will appear warmer, supporting reds and oranges better. The 4000K will appear cooler and brighter, supporting the blues and greens better. It comes down to personal preference, and you should see each before making a selection. For the CRI, select the highest number available, hopefully higher than 85. The color temperature and CRI will be printed on the bulb if it isn’t on the box. GE uses a code like F32T8/SPX35/ECO, where the SPX means a CRI of 86 and the 35 means a color temperature of 3500K. Philips and Sylvania use similar codes: F32T8/TL835/ALTO for Philips or FO32/835/XP/ECO for Sylvania. The 8 means a CRI of 86 for Philips and 82 for Sylvania (the addition of XP raises it to 85) and the 35 means a color temperature of 3500K. Those three codes will basically provide you the same lamp.
  2. Flicker is not tricky. Flicker can be solved by using electronic instead of magnetic ballasts. Older, magnetic ballasts operate at 60 Hz, as discussed yesterday. Electronic ballasts operate at thousands of cycles per second, so it is impossible to see the flicker. Plus, they are much quieter than older ballasts, so if you hear a ballast buzzing, change it!

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Posted in Fluorescent (and CFL), General Knowledge, Homeowner Tips | 1 Comment »