New ceiling fan rules sock it to CFLs
Got those long-life, energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) in your ceiling fan? Got one in each of the four sockets? Well, you might want to go ahead and just take them out right now. Not only are you sending the bulbs, which supposedly last seven years, to an early grave but — ready for the standard scary words? — you’re risking electrical fan failure and, worse, fire.
This information comes to me from a chat with a couple lighting experts around town. Ron Shaw, a lighting specialist over at the Annapolis Lighting Company in Columbia, particularly got my attention. He told me in a respectful I-know-this-information-so-why-isn’t-it-logical-to-everyone-else tone that “the vibration from the fan loosens electronics in the (bulb’s) ballast causing the bulb to die right there. The bulb lasts two months instead of seven years.”
Guess that’s why those two bulbs in my fan died in less than a year. My fan instructions warned not to use bulbs higher than 60 watts in each socket and I paid attention to that. But the instructions also advised against using CFLs altogether. I am ashamed and chagrined that I, the alleged expert, went ahead and did what was convenient rather than what was right. The bulbs fit. But confession is good for something.
See, what happened was a couple years ago CFL bulbs went on deep discount at a “you can’t just leave me here in the store” price so I took advantage and bought a dozen like a lot of folks did. Got them home and there was only one lamp in which the CFL could fit.
With a life of seven years it didn’t make sense to have so many bulbs on a shelf. I should have taken them back right away. But, I procrastinated and ultimately, didn’t. Kind of like how some of my friends and I do cute shoes we buy. Not a good fit? No problem.
Keep them anyway, maybe one day. …
Like a lot of CFL bulb stockpilers, I was left with dozens of bulbs with nowhere to go. But, then there in the kitchen was the ceiling fan with four sockets reaching out to play nice with a great new bulb. I tried them, they fit, so I let them stay.
But what if ceiling fans provided light kits that weren’t so accommodating to banned or risky bulbs? Susan Dickinson over at Dorman Lighting and Design says that day has arrived.
Because of a controversial congressional mandate last year to eliminate all incandescent bulbs by 2012 “All the fan companies had to retool,” she said. “Now you can’t put a CFL bulb in the socket” nor any of the old standard base incandescent bulbs for that matter because the newer ceiling fans are being manufactured with smaller sockets. Only the lower wattage candelabra with the smaller base will fit.
The good news I suppose is with increasing innovations in the technology, CFL bulbs are available as candelabra style and as dimmable bulbs. Nonetheless, they still, cannot be used in a vibrating light fixture. Looking ahead it would seem there are many consumers who will have a huge stock of incandescent and CFL light bulbs on the closets shelves with no where for them to go. I’ll figure out what we can do with them and spread the word. Meanwhile, here are some things to know about dimmer controls and CFL bulbs.
>>Dimmable CFL bulbs are compatible with most standard slide, rotary, toggle and “touch light” dimmers. They are not compatible with Lutron electronic dimmers.
>>Dimmer controls vary. The dimming capability might be limited, not allowing the bulb to glow to its brightest range.
>>If two or more bulbs are controlled by a single dimmer, all of the bulbs should be of the same wattage and model. This will help ensure dimming consistency.
>>Mixing CFL, incandescent or halogen bulbs on the same dimmer is not recommended since the dimming may be inconsistent with different types of bulbs.
>>The first time you install and switch on a dimmable CFL bulb, keep it turned on at full brightness for at least one hour. This initial “burn in” will help ensure good dimming performance.
