Energy saving bulbs won't light Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[Ady33]

Hi all, have never had any problems with lights in house using normal lightbulbs but recently bought some energy saving ones. sometimes they will light straight away and other times can take half an hour or more before they will light, its as though there is not enough power to light them.
would appreciate any advice
Thanks Ady

[ericmark]

Your not the only one with these problems my sisters house is the same. The energy saving light bulb or compact florescent lamp CFL can work with either of two methods. A small coil both limits the current and provides a high peak volts together with a starter to fire and run the lamps as any standard florescent fitting and if the volts fall it will not start and if they rise it uses a lot more power than it should.
There is also an electronic method where the incoming supply is turned into DC then back into AC at a very high frequency and transformed with a very small HF transformer and the parameters are measured and the electronics will compensate for voltage variation so will work on anything from 150 to 250 volts.
Although in the conventional lamps HF units are sold as such for a lot higher price than induction start units with CFL's there seems a general lack of information as to what system is used.
I would be interested if anyone could point to a make of lamp with is HF rather than 100Hz but no look to date.
Eric