problems with Sylvania cfls

[ItsHot]

Installed several 60w (13w) ,2700k cfls. The problem is a long delay before the lamp illuminates! Air temp is 60 to 68 degrees F. anyone ever have a delay in these type lamps coming up or on?

 

[mivey]

I have had problems with cfls coming on in cold weather. I can't remember which brand was giving me trouble but it was the outdoor flood lamps.

 

[LarryFine]

If you mean a delay before any light comes out, I'd say about one second. Then, there's a couple of minutes before they get bright.

I always recommend at least a continuous 24 hours (more is better, I hear) of burn-in on-time for new fluorescents, large or small.

That seems to help with quickness of turn on and brightening, as well as overall lamp life. They don't like extreme cold either.

 

[mivey]

Mine would refuse to come on when cold but would stay at a pale pink color. Some did, some didn't. I'm thinking 30-50 degrees but can't remember exactly.

Haven't had trouble with any lately. I still get a delay when cold but they do come on.

 

[JFletcher]

Installed several 60w (13w) ,2700k cfls. The problem is a long delay before the lamp illuminates! Air temp is 60 to 68 degrees F. anyone ever have a delay in these type lamps coming up or on?

Like Larry wrote, about a one second delay seems normal for these bulbs that are at room temperature, and a few minutes for full brightness. The delays are much less if the bulb was recently on.

I have numerous CF11 and CF13 bulbs installed here at the house. The four CF13 bulbs that are outside still work in low temperatures (25*), but seem to take twice as long to start and come up to full color as the ones inside at 68*.

ItsHot - my bulbs are fairly new - any idea how many hours or cycles your problem bulbs have seen?

 

[ELA]

I have a lot of home automation dimmers in my house that ramp up and ramp down over two seconds when turned on/off. Knowing that most cheap CFLs are not dimmable...

I paid top dollar for a couple of CFLs that claimed to be "Dimmable".

They seem to dim pretty well for the most part, but when it gets a little cooler they often fail to come on at all when turned on.

In this particular location (inside garage) I am not using the dimmer function, power is at 100% when this occurs. I think that perhaps they do not like the ramp up function. But it is strange to me that they do not come on once the power is at 100%. I only notice this condition when it is cooler out (less than 40-50F).

 

[ItsHot]

As Larry has suggested, I'm trying the 24 hour burn in time. Just have not had any cfl lamps with the delay in coming on!

 

[LarryFine]

They seem to dim pretty well for the most part, but when it gets a little cooler they often fail to come on at all when turned on.

Reminds me: I have a fan/light in my MBR that came with a remote and a dimmable thin circline fluorescent. The instructions recommend burning at full for 10 minutes before dimming, every time.

Of course, it takes all the fun out of having a dimmable light in a bedroom if you can't ramp up from off initially. :roll: "Honey, cover your eyes for ten minutes, and then we can enjoy the romantic lighting."

We don't use it much.

I think that perhaps they do not like the ramp up function. But it is strange to me that they do not come on once the power is at 100%. I only notice this condition when it is cooler out (less than 40-50F).

Maybe it needs full power to strike the arc in the mercury vapor.

 

[LarryFine]

As Larry has suggested, I'm trying the 24 hour burn in time. Just have not had any cfl lamps with the delay in coming on!

They're not as bad as they used to be, but it's still long enough that I sometimes think the light isn't coming on when I hit the switch, and even flick it back off before the light comes on, until I'm used to it being a CFL.

 

[GeorgeB]

I have a lot of home automation dimmers in my house that ramp up and ramp down over two seconds when turned on/off. Knowing that most cheap CFLs are not dimmable...

I paid top dollar for a couple of CFLs that claimed to be "Dimmable".

I'm uncertain of my memory, but I believe they are properly dimmable with a special dimmer, not a standard inexpensive phase control dimmer. Lutron ... I think ... ???

 

[ELA]

I'm uncertain of my memory, but I believe they are properly dimmable with a special dimmer, not a standard inexpensive phase control dimmer. Lutron ... I think ... ???

These units were very expensive and only purchased because their claim was that were dimmable using standard phase fired dimmers.

In fact they do dim very well normally. Just when it gets cooler they have the issue when "ramped on".

 

[ELA]

Maybe it needs full power to strike the arc in the mercury vapor.

They are eventually given full power after the 2 second ramp up time.
Maybe something to do with a preheat phase that fails due to the ramp up?

I have considered opening it up and diagnosising why this happens but I am just not that interested in CFLs. I do not like them much. What I dislike the most is how they draw the large current spike at the peak of the waveform.

 

[LarryFine]

Maybe something to do with a preheat phase that fails due to the ramp up?

Well, that's what I meant, wasn't it?

 

[ELA]

Well, that's what I meant, wasn't it?

Only you can say what you meant.

I have read about two phases in some types of CFLs. The first being a preheat and the second being the striking of the arc.

From the fact that there is no light it is obvious that there is no arc. I was only speculating as to what might have been the root cause.