In a community center being built this spring in my village they are planning on installing dimmable T5 flourescents in the main hall. Does anyone have any experiences with these they could share. I assume over the years they have the technology fine tuned. Any problems with these?
dimmable T5 flourescents
- Thread starter jinglis
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boater bill
Senior Member
- Location
- Cape Coral, Fl.
The ballasts are expensive and usually have to be ordered. Would using a multiple ballast/switching arrangement work? 3 lamp fixture, 2 lamps on one ballast and 1 on another. 2 switches. Now you have 3 steps of lighting levels. Sometimes Community center choke at the price tag of dimmable ballasts and the multiple switching accomodates their wants/needs.
Read up about these on Lutron's website. There is quite a bit of how to info. They are not the only manufacturuer, but they are usually considered the premium.
You have to decide how low you want to go (10%, 5%, or 1%) Note that 1% actually looks pretty bright, so it's not like incandescent where you can totally fade to off (Almost though).
The most important thing (and a maintenance PITA) is that you need to run them at 100% for 100 hours before you try to dim them! This is called seasoning. It's pretty easy to accomadate in new construction, but what happens over the life of the building? Group relamping can help with this, along with a timing relay that shunts them to on for 100 hrs of runtime when a button is pushed.
Mike
You have to decide how low you want to go (10%, 5%, or 1%) Note that 1% actually looks pretty bright, so it's not like incandescent where you can totally fade to off (Almost though).
The most important thing (and a maintenance PITA) is that you need to run them at 100% for 100 hours before you try to dim them! This is called seasoning. It's pretty easy to accomadate in new construction, but what happens over the life of the building? Group relamping can help with this, along with a timing relay that shunts them to on for 100 hrs of runtime when a button is pushed.
Mike
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
IMHO, dimmable flourescents are terrible. They usually don't dim completly out and they quite often look "just weird". Why do they want them at all? If they want bright/dim lights, that can be done by switching arrangements (how many lamps in a fixture are on). If they want it for "theater-type" productions, they're much better off with incancescent lamps and conventional dimmers.
dbuckley
Senior Member
- Location
- Canterbury, New Zealand
I only know of one florry system that will dim down to 0%, and it's not cheap, and not UL and is 230V only to the best of my knowledge, but it is 50/60 Hz.
As a general note, if the community hall is going to be used for theatre or movies then florries as house lights are generally not a great solution unless they dim all the way. My local community hall has discharge lights for main illumination, but for the movies there are wall sconces with incandescents which we use instead.
As a general note, if the community hall is going to be used for theatre or movies then florries as house lights are generally not a great solution unless they dim all the way. My local community hall has discharge lights for main illumination, but for the movies there are wall sconces with incandescents which we use instead.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Another thought: dimmed incandescents create a warm, red glow, while dimmed fluorescents are a nauseating gray color.
I agree incandescent works better, but fluorescent dimming works pretty well also. Just make sure the dimming ballasts match the lamps, and the dimmers match the ballasts.
Advance Transformer also makes good dimming ballasts.
I doubt anyone actually runs the lamps for 100 hours before dimming. I think that just gives the lamp manufacturers an out if the lamps flicker at first, or if they don't last for their expected life.
There is now a "step dimming ballast" available on the Lithonia RT5 fixture. Two inputs on the ballast for two switches. One switch on provides half output, two switches on provides full output. Very economical setup.
Steve
Advance Transformer also makes good dimming ballasts.
I doubt anyone actually runs the lamps for 100 hours before dimming. I think that just gives the lamp manufacturers an out if the lamps flicker at first, or if they don't last for their expected life.
There is now a "step dimming ballast" available on the Lithonia RT5 fixture. Two inputs on the ballast for two switches. One switch on provides half output, two switches on provides full output. Very economical setup.
Steve
PedroValdez
New member
Go to Home Depot and look up.
All the T5 fixtures are cycling on and off.
If the standard T5 ballast (they are using advance) can't work right, why even try to dim them?
Those Lutron ballasts (T8) are a rip. They are like 5 times the cost of a standard 2 lamp T8 ballast AND they only have a 2 or 3 year warranty (i think 2) compared to the standard 5 year warrranty for electronic ballasts.
Just A/B switch the fixtures and save the money on the ballasts in my oppinion.
All the T5 fixtures are cycling on and off.
If the standard T5 ballast (they are using advance) can't work right, why even try to dim them?
Those Lutron ballasts (T8) are a rip. They are like 5 times the cost of a standard 2 lamp T8 ballast AND they only have a 2 or 3 year warranty (i think 2) compared to the standard 5 year warrranty for electronic ballasts.
Just A/B switch the fixtures and save the money on the ballasts in my oppinion.
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