dimming florescents

[JoeNorm]

I have a client with a house built in the 90's. It has some hidden up-lighting with small florescent fixtures.

By the time I started working most everything had become LED, so I don't know much about florescent.

Florescnt lights are generally not dimmable on their own, correct? Is it easy enough to add whatever I need to make them dim, or am I better off replacing them with linear LED with a dimmable driver?

thanks

 

[hillbilly1]

You would have to change to a dimmable (0-10 volt) ballast along with getting the 0-10 volt control wire down to the dimmer. Probably be easier to delete the ballast, and use a dimmable direct wire led lamp. (Not sure they make one in that application) and use an LED compatible dimmer.

 

[zbang]

Go for LEDs.

 

[Flicker Index]

Dimmable CFLs were exceptionally rare and they just never worked well. As for linear lamps, dimming ballasts are expensive and there are those that go down to under 1%, output, but input power will not go below about 25% of maximum setting.

However, it doesn't get much better than Osram-Sylvania Quicktronic PowerSense if you need video studio grade flicker free dimming that does not shift people's skin back and forth between pinkish and greenish. This is often inevitable with LED type lights. You'll need to do a skin tone test with camera if you intend on doing extensive remote-working or YouTube production type work. Otherwise, dimmable LED setup is just fine.

 

[infinity]

Is it easy enough to add whatever I need to make them dim, or am I better off replacing them with linear LED with a dimmable driver?

I would just go with LED. Trying to change to dimmable ballasts on old fixtures isn't worth the trouble.