I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

wrote:
I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.


Does this fixture share a branch circuit that has anything such as an
aquarium heater on the same circuit ?? Anything that would cycle on
and off by itself ? refrigerator, freezer, laser printer, waterbed
heater, etc

wrote:
I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.


Is it on a dimmer switch ??

On Sep 16, 11:32 pm, Reed wrote:
wrote:
I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

Is it on a dimmer switch ??

As far as a branch, I dont believe it is on anything that would cause
a disturbance. I don't believe it is a dimmer switch either.

On Sep 17, 1:14 am, RLM wrote:
On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 19:51:07 -0700, bigjcw1023 wrote:
I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

If you have a photo cell that turns the light on they will pulse when
turning on at dusk and off in the morning but this will burn out the
electronics in the bulb base and it will fail in a couple of months.
That's when I read the instructions on the second bulb. ;-(

Not a photosensor. Just a plain old fixture.

wrote:

On Sep 17, 1:14 am, RLM wrote:

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 19:51:07 -0700, bigjcw1023 wrote:

I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

If you have a photo cell that turns the light on they will pulse when
turning on at dusk and off in the morning but this will burn out the
electronics in the bulb base and it will fail in a couple of months.
That's when I read the instructions on the second bulb. ;-(


Not a photosensor. Just a plain old fixture.


Can you describe the "pulse" please? How frequently does it occur, how
long do the "dim" periods last, etc.

Have you tried a regular incandescent bulb in that fixture recently? If
so, does it light OK?

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

wrote in message
ps.com...
I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

As others have indicated, any kind of dimmer, photocell or other than a
standard switch in the circuit could cause the flickering problem. CFLs may
also flicker when cold. However, that flicker will quickly disappear as the
lamp warms up especially if the lamp is in an enclosed fixture.

TKM

On Sep 17, 2:32 pm, "TKM" wrote:
wrote in message

ps.com...

I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

As others have indicated, any kind of dimmer, photocell or other than a
standard switch in the circuit could cause the flickering problem. CFLs may
also flicker when cold. However, that flicker will quickly disappear as the
lamp warms up especially if the lamp is in an enclosed fixture.

TKM

It is in a bottom open fixture and the incandescent lights up fine.

On Sep 17, 3:52 pm, wrote:
On Sep 17, 2:32 pm, "TKM" wrote:



wrote in message

ups.com...

I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

As others have indicated, any kind of dimmer, photocell or other than a
standard switch in the circuit could cause the flickering problem. CFLs may
also flicker when cold. However, that flicker will quickly disappear as the
lamp warms up especially if the lamp is in an enclosed fixture.

TKM

It is in a bottom open fixture and the incandescent lights up fine.

Correction! The incandescent does not light either. Time for a new
fixture!

wrote:

On Sep 17, 3:52 pm, wrote:

On Sep 17, 2:32 pm, "TKM" wrote:




wrote in message

roups.com...

I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.

As others have indicated, any kind of dimmer, photocell or other than a
standard switch in the circuit could cause the flickering problem. CFLs may
also flicker when cold. However, that flicker will quickly disappear as the
lamp warms up especially if the lamp is in an enclosed fixture.

TKM

It is in a bottom open fixture and the incandescent lights up fine.


Correction! The incandescent does not light either. Time for a new
fixture!


Or maybe just a new socket?

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Sun, 16 Sep 2007 19:51:07 -0700, bigjcw1023 wrote:

I have an outdoor light fixture mounted to the side of the house next
to the front door under our porch. I have a compact fluorescent bulb
in the fixture and when it is on, there is a pulse to the light. I
have tried different CF bulbs and the same thing, whether higer or
lower in wattage. I currently have a 16watt bulb in there now. Does
this mean the fixture needs replacing, or what. There are two other
fixtures, both on three way switches and are fine with the CF bulbs.
Both are 26watts.


My experience with CF bulbs is they do not always screw in as tightly or
completely as regular bulbs for whatever reason. I would first assume
that the bulb is not making solid contact with socket. Grab the porcelain
base of the bulb and turn a bit tighter. Grabbing by bulb glass is unwise
since the bulbs do break readily.