Which companies make quality CFL dimmers?
by Randall Whitehead, IALD
Q: “Which manufacturers have a CFL that can be dimmed? Which companies have a quality dimmer for the CFL?”
We need to break this question down into two categories. The first would be manufacturers of CFLs that are dimmable and that screw into a standard socket and have an integral ballast. The other would be manufacturers that make hard-wire CFLs that have dimming ballasts within the housing.
Most people are looking for dimmable, warm-color-temperature (27K) CFLs that can replace existing household bulbs. More and more companies are starting to offer this type of lamp, but not all of them are created equal. Some do not have instant start and take a few seconds to come on, while others take a minute or so to come up to full brightness. In colder climates it can take even longer.
If you are doing a remodel or a new construction project in which you can specify a fixture made specifically for the use of a hard-wire CFL, the field is full of good products. These fixtures—whether recessed, surface-mounted or hanging—are available with rapid-start ballasts, as well as the ability to dim.
I can’t list all the manufacturers who are making good versions of these products; there are just too many. But I will name a few in order to help you get started on your research.
For screw-in, dimmable CFLs, take a look at Technical Consumer Products (www.tcpi.com). They have a lovely warm color and no hum, thanks to an electronic ballast. At normal room temperature they only take about three seconds to reach full brightness. I know that everyone is used to the instant-on that we get from incandescent lamps, but just suck it up and make a little sacrifice for the sake of the planet. I’ve found that TCP’s electronic ballast dims best with an electronic dimmer, such as the Lutron Diva DVELV300P (www.lutron.com). Match the dimmer type to the ballast type. The same is true for low voltage fixtures: Match the electronic transformer to an electronic dimmer and a magnetic transformer to a magnetic dimmer.