Will changing my dimmer switch allow me to convert to CFLs?

Question

I have a room with about 7 wall mounted lights on a single circuit, with an OLD dimmer switch. Regular CFLs don't work with dimmer switches, and the new "dimmable" CFLs generally only work with NEWER dimmer switches. Since we don't USE the dimmer at all and I have a TON of free CFLs from Yahoo Answers, can I just replace my dimmer switch with a normal ON/OFF switch and then use the CFLs? Or is there still a problem because there are 7 of these lights on one circuit? Anybody know?

Answer 1

Yes.

The average light switch and corresponding circuit is rated at 15 amps. To see how many CFLs it will handle, first compute the total watts the circuit is capable of by multiplying 15 (amps) times household voltage, 120 volts (assuming you're in the USA). That gives you a maximum load potential of 1800 watts available for that circuit. Then, add the total (actual, not equivalent) wattage of the CFLs you intend to use. Let's assume you're using a CFL with the equivalent output of a 100 watt incandescent bulb. The actual power consumption for a 100 watt equivalent CFL usually runs between 23 and 30 watts. Let's assume 30 watts (worst case scenario). Let's also assume you have 10 sockets instead of 7, for ease of computation. 30 watts times 10 bulbs equals 300 watts. Given these data, you could run 50 more CFLs off that one circuit. Compare that to 18 100 watt incandescents and you have a pretty good idea of the power savings of CFLs. And this doesn't even take into consideration the room heating that takes place with power hungry Edison bulbs.

The only drawback I've found with CFLs is their ballast (the electronics in the base) makes them somewhat frail when compared to incandescent lamps. They don't like confined spaces. The electrolytic capacitors and other electronics can suffer from heat build up. So, use them in an open fixture only.

Answer 2

The CFLs should be fine, but check the wattage of the CFLs and the bulbs in the current configuration to make sure you don't overload the circuit. Some bulbs are only 25 watts, which can be less than some CFLs. Since you have seven bulbs on one circuit, the total power could potentially overload the circuit.

If everything checks out, then go ahead, change the dimmer to a conventional switch and install the CFLs.

Answer 3

Yes, you can replace the dimmers with standard on-off switches, and that will keep the CFL's happy. The switches cost about half a buck each, and installing them is trivial. You may need new wall plates as well as switches. As for the previous response, if you are using CFL's where incandescent lamps once were, you aren't going to overload anything.