dimable electronic transformers

[Paul Barker]

My mate has 12v halogens with electronic transformers (one per lamp) on a dimmer. I didn't check the make. Anyway she shows me they flicker when dimmed.

Question is do the so called dimable electronic transformers flicker below a certain lumen so I would have to buy her toroidals at considerable expense? Or is there a chance she has not got dimable's?

Anyway I could just buy one so called dimable and see what the effect is but was wondering if anyone has experience of this issue.

 

[ericmark]

No personal experience but reading manufactures web sites and forums it seems there is some incompatibility between some dimming switches and some inverters (transformers) and to guarantee they will work the two need to be matched.

 

[bernardgreen]

Dimming halogen lamps will shorten their life.

 

[Steve]

Dimming halogen lamps will shorten their life.

And your home may be at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other loan secured on it. Never eat yellow snow.

 

[ericmark]

Dimming halogen lamps will shorten their life.

You make a very valid point as the whole idea of a quartz halogen lamp is the tungsten can't deposit itself on the very hot quartz so it is re-deposited on the tungsten.

I have often wondered why they produce dimmers for quartz halogen lamps but I suppose some people don't care how much they cost in replacements and having seen some of the silly placements of the lamps I suppose many are really only good for getting hot kitchens even hotter and I know I would never fit a quartz halogen lamp unless it was to work like a bambery to keep the food warm but I consider the old hostess does a far better job.

I do use them in the bed room as reading lamps but even there I have already replaced one with a cold cathode lamp and tried replacing the other but it would not fit in the holder I must try again to get another as they are better now.

They are fitted in the bathroom but really this is to give some extra warmth while the room is in use as towel rails don't give off as much heat as radiators.

In the kitchen I am considering changing to an induction hob to keep the room cooler and there is no way I would do anything to increase the heat of an already hot room that would be rather crazy yet people still do it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I consider the old hostess does a far better job.

That's no way to talk about your wife.

I have already replaced one with a cold cathode lamp

Do you really mean cold cathode?

 

[Taylortwocities]

My mate has 12v halogens with electronic transformers (one per lamp) on a dimmer. I didn't check the make. Anyway she shows me they flicker when dimmed.

Question is do the so called dimable electronic transformers flicker below a certain lumen so I would have to buy her toroidals at considerable expense? Or is there a chance she has not got dimable's?

Anyway I could just buy one so called dimable and see what the effect is but was wondering if anyone has experience of this issue.

Dimmers will flicker for several reasons. These include:

Not enough load
Too much load
Too many transformers
Not the right sort of transformer or dimmer

***some dimmers have technical info. Eg the excellent iQ dimmers state
"Transformer must be suitable for dimming using phase delay (leading edge) and NOT only phase cut (trailing edge) type of dimmers.***

So, you need to gather some information like:
what is the dimmer rated at, what is the make.
what are the transformers rated at (VA, not the wattage of the lamps)
how many transformers

Get all of that together and you may then see what the problem is.

Or you could ask again!

 

[Paul Barker]

thanks, there is obviously a lot too it. Personally I have no use of dimers. At home lights are either required or they are not.

 

[mattylad]

Why turn a light on then turn it down? might as well have it off

 

[flameport]

Dimmers and halogen lamps are found together because:

1. People remove a perfectly good light fitting and install rows of downlighters because they looked good on some TV wreckover programme or in a kitchen showroom.
2. They find they downlighters produce huge amounts of glare, bright spots and shadows and therefore (wrongly) think a dimmer will help.
3. They fit the dimmer, and find it makes the room dark. The glare and other problems remain.
4. After months/years/decades of replacing failed lamps and failed dimmers, they finally realise that the downlighters are the problem and replace them with a more suitable light fitting.

 

[ColJack]

the way to dim downlighters is as follows..

1. use ONLY 20W lamps..
2. install 2 or 3 times as many as you thought you'd need.
3. wires them odd and even ( or every third one ) and switch them as same..
4. to lower the amount of light in the room.. SWITCH HALF ( or a third ) OF THEM OFF!!!!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

After months/years/decades of replacing failed lamps and failed dimmers, they finally realise that the downlighters are the problem and replace them with a more suitable light fitting.

I wonder if at that point they say to themselves "why didn't I listen when people told me that the problem is not how bright the lamps are, or what type of lamps I use, the problem is the basic unsuitability of 50mm recessed luminaires"?