Very dim lighting

[jsnow]

I just bought my first house [built around 1900] and the light given off by the light fittings in the living room and dining room is incredibly dim - each has a fiting with 5x 42W halogen candle light bulbs controlled by a dimmer switch [ceiling roses above the light fittings, if that makes any difference].

These rooms are approx 11ft x 11ft but even with the dimmers turned up to maximum the rooms are still very gloomy [a single 42W table lamp actually lights the rooms better]. If i turn the dimmers down to halfway or below the lights go completely out. The lighting in other rooms is fine.

Any idea what the problem might be?

Thanks

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

What colour are the walls?

 

[jsnow]

Kind of a blue/grey [more blue though], not overly dark

 

[ban-all-sheds]

a fiting with 5x 42W halogen candle light bulbs

If you remove a bulb do any other lights go out?

 

[jsnow]

no, with a bulb removed the other 4 stay the same

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What colour are the walls?

The same colour as when a single 42W table lamp actually lights the rooms better than a 210W halogen ceiling light, it would seem....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

no, with a bulb removed the other 4 stay the same

All other lights in other rooms still work?

What happens if you replace the dimmer with a switch?

 

[jsnow]

I didnt think to check if lights in other rooms were still working, I'll have a look tonight.

I havent tried replacing anything yet [other than lightbulbs], just thought I'd check online first in case someones come across it before.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

What colour are the walls?

The same colour as when a single 42W table lamp actually lights the rooms better than a 210W halogen ceiling light, it would seem....

It depends on whether the position of the table lamp gives it a better surface to reflect off.

 

[bernardgreen]

Some halogen lamps when run on a dimmer will degrade over time as tungsten from the filament condenses on the inside of the glass because the lamp is not running at the normal temperature. This darkens the glass and the lamp is there fore dimmer than when new. ( at normal temperature the tungsten cannot condense on the glass )

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well - I suppose it's possible that the ceiling light encloses the candle lamps in narrow tubes so as to make them project a narrow beam straight downwards.

Possible, but very unlikely IMO.

I can't think of any reasonably likely, or even pretty unlikely, environment which would make a 40W table lamp outperform a 210W halogen ceiling light.

 

[JohnW2]

I can't think of any reasonably likely, or even pretty unlikely, environment which would make a 40W table lamp outperform a 210W halogen ceiling light.

As bernard has suggested, 'blackened' envelopes of the lamps making up that 210W of ceiling lighting might be one possible explanation.

jsnow: have you tried putting new lamps/bulbs in th ceiling fitting?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I havent tried replacing anything yet [other than lightbulbs]

 

[JohnW2]

jsnow: have you tried putting new lamps/bulbs in th ceiling fitting?

I havent tried replacing anything yet [other than lightbulbs]

Do you perhaps know (for sure) something I don't know?

Kind Regards, John

 

[RF Lighting]

Take ALL the bulbs out of one dim fitting and see if the other fitting still works.