"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Hooch writes:
I know they're not supposed to be used with dimmer and electronic
switches, but what physically happens? (apart from flickering at
anything other than full power?

It depends how the electronic control gear inside behaves when
operated outside its design criteria. Some seem to dim a little
and then go out, some don't dim at all and then go out, one early
one I tried dimed a bit and then got much brighter than normal.
If there's no filament lamp load also on the dimmer, then you are
also operating the dimmer well outside its design criteria, and
it probably won't be presenting steadily reducing RMS voltage as
you turn the knob.

The stupid thing is that dimmable CFLs have been manufactured for
years, but presumably there isn't any perceived demand for them in
the UK, given by the complete lack of availability here. The
nearest there is is a range of lamps which move between 4(?) power
levels each time you momentarily switch them off, which is rather
a pathetic compromise on the controllability of a standard dimmer.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

http://www.varilight.co.uk/index%20soon.htm

Adam