In article , mm wrote:
On 27 Feb 2007 08:30:34 -0800, wrote:
Not only that, but they often don't work in motion sensor fixtures
because they are not a 100% resistive load. That can confuse the
motion-sensing circuitry -- I know it did on mine, so I had no choice
but to use an incandescent.
That's strange. I would expect the motion sensing part to be unrelated
to the load. I would think it doesn't see the load at all, until it
turns on, and then it should work with any load.
Motion sensor lights often rely on electronic switching means that I
suspect requires the load to draw current both significantly exceeding
zero and in the same direction as that to be motivated by the line voltage
whenever the motion sensor electronics give a turn-on signal to the usual
triac.
Much of the time, an incandescent load in parallel with the compact
fluorescent load fixes things - although this is not guaranteed. The
triac may be triggered by motion sensing at a moment when it will have to
spend possibly 1/20-1/10 of a millisecond conducting ballpark 100 amps to
charge up the filter capacitor in a usual electronic-ballasted CFL, or
in the case of a magnetic ballast deal with unfavorability to current
flowing in same direction as applied voltage early in a half cycle when a
half cycle is defined by/within applied voltage.
You may get away with it, sometimes, or maybe for some significant
amount of time - but usage of electrical equipment in ways other than as
directed can be a *BAD THING* should a fire start or if anything goes
BLAMMO, even if the bad results that occurred during "abuse" were
unrelated to "abuse" and would have occurred during normal use. For a
major example, fire insurance companies may give major grief should a fire
start at electrical equipment being used other than as directed, even if
the electrical equipment in question went BLOOEY for a reason other than
being abused/misused.
So, I would not use CFLs with motion sensor lights unless the CFLs are
rated for use with dimmers, electronic switching devices, and the like.
Heck, I would avoid usage of CFLs on motion sensor lights even if only
due to low ontime per year and low ontime per start - both of which
disfavor economic advantage of most CFLs, and 1 of which (low
ontime per year) disfavors economic advantage of all CFLs in most
locations and most CFLs in at least pretty much all locations.
I favor CFLs and I light my home with them, I like them, but I feel that
exaggerating their favorability works against them due to exaggerations
being known by enough people to be significant enemies should enough be
offended by exaggerations.
- Don Klipstein )