CFLs flickering??

[jsmalone1]

We replaced ceiling fans in an office area of a customer and installed the CFL supplied bulbs. The lighting circuit is controlled only by a wall switch. The lights flicker intermittently and almost strobe, occasionally, for short periods. We purchased 2 other brands of lamps but had the same problem. I am told there may be a copy machine and/or computers on the same circuit or neutral. I'll have to check that. The fans have a remote control for the fan motors but the lamps flicker with or without the fans even being on. Any thoughts or experience with this issue??

 

[Electric-Light]

We replaced ceiling fans in an office area of a customer and installed the CFL supplied bulbs. The lighting circuit is controlled only by a wall switch. The lights flicker intermittently and almost strobe, occasionally, for short periods. We purchased 2 other brands of lamps but had the same problem. I am told there may be a copy machine and/or computers on the same circuit or neutral. I'll have to check that. The fans have a remote control for the fan motors but the lamps flicker with or without the fans even being on. Any thoughts or experience with this issue??

You'll get the same flicker even with regular light bulbs if its induced by a laser printer.

 

[hurk27]

We replaced ceiling fans in an office area of a customer and installed the CFL supplied bulbs. The lighting circuit is controlled only by a wall switch. The lights flicker intermittently and almost strobe, occasionally, for short periods. We purchased 2 other brands of lamps but had the same problem. I am told there may be a copy machine and/or computers on the same circuit or neutral. I'll have to check that. The fans have a remote control for the fan motors but the lamps flicker with or without the fans even being on. Any thoughts or experience with this issue??

If the fan has a remote control, it most likely has a button for the light to dim it, most I have seen you push the button and hold it to dim or brighten the lamp, if you can get a hot up to the remote in the canopy use the existing wire to switch the lamp, and get it off the remote, if the fan has a built in remote, you might have to fish a new wire down the rod through the motor to the light fixture to bring out the lamp hot, or just tell the owner to purchase dimmable CFL's, just remember they will only dim to 40% and go out, but at least they wont strobe which will shorten their life.

Oh and to adjust the lamp button back to full brightness install an incandescent and hold the button with the little lamp image on it, unless you meant that there is a wall control for the fan? if this is the case then make sure you have two switch legs going to the fan and that the light is switched separate?

 

[kwired]

Check out the possibiliy of laser printer(s) being on the same circuit before doing anything else.

If that is the case you either have to put up with it or separate them.

There is nothing wrong with the printer it is just voltage drop caused by the cycling of a heater within the printer.

 

[gar]

110319-1206 EDT

jsmalone1:

From what you have described as flicker (strobing or something rapid) would imply possibly a low voltage condition, quite low.

Put one of the problem CFLs in a standard socket connect this to 120 V. I doubt that it will flicker.

If you have a Variac, then use this as the supply. On a GE standard 14 W CFL I can get a slight amount of rapid flicker at about 50 V. Just slightly below this it quits. A GE dimmable shows very little light variation, but quits about 100 V and then down to about 85 V it becomes a flasher at about a 1 to 2 second rate.

If an electronic switch (a Triac) is used in the fan to control the lamp, then there may not be sufficient holding current for the Triac to remain on throughout a full half cycle. This could produce strange results.

Note: CFLs have an input bridge rectifier followed by a filter capacitor. In part how this reacts with external components will influence the operation of the bulb.

You need more information on what is inside the fan that controls or connects with the light socket.

.

 

[NEEngineer]

I installed CFL's in a fan with a remote much like the one mentioned above. The buttion to turn the light on and off if held would dim the lights. When I first installed I had the flickering/strobing effect. I simply held the dim button until the energy flow to the CFL's was at it's maximum and the flickering/strobing effect disappeared never to return.