Dimming a 2 foot fluorescent tube

[Jon Bridges]

Fitted two 2 foot fluros for a customer but he now says they are too bright. Are there any cheap ways of successfully dimming them? I read that a dimmer switch will work to about 50%, turn on full power and once its fired up turn it down, has anyone tried this?

Thanks
Jon

 

[bugsy]

Changing the lamp type will change colour temp but not nessacerily the lumen output

 

[ban-all-sheds]

DALI or 0-10v ballest and suitable dimmer switch, proberbly cheaper to replace fitting

I think 1-10v ones are cheaper. MK do 1-10v dimmers.

 

[Engineer54]

Changing the lamp type will change colour temp but not nessacerily the lumen output

Right, ....but by changing from a 6500k of more tube, to a warmer light tube of around 3500 to 2700k the light is so much easier on the eye, and is, if only perceivable that much dimmer!!!

Cool white lighting is not my personal cup of tea either, makes everything look cold. But is essential in some situations like hospitals, for better colour perception for the medical staff....

 

[bugsy]

I hope your not being racist

 

[kenny james]

i must admit i didnt know that it was possible to dim a flourescent tube until i took my daughter to the eye department for an appointment at our local hospital the other day!, i was under the assumption that using a dimmer switch would make the tube flicker how wrong i was.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Egnineer54 - they're specified (6400K, daylight bulbs) in custody suites for scr0te mug shots!

 

[Cyberprog]

We had this problem with a trade counter, installed a new row of lights and the guy on there all day bitched that it was too bright, giving him headaches. We ignored him, and never heard anything more from it. Well, he quit, but that was unrelated. Good riddance

 

[anon]

or you could try what I did, which was to stick masking tape along the length on the inside of the diffuser. I found the extra wide masking tape from Homebase pretty much exactly matched the width of the diffuser unit.

 

[dingledong]

i've been led to believe that florries lose up to 40% of brightness over the year from new ????????????????????

 

[Marvo]

40% sounds high but I'm not sure what percentage and it probably varies with different manufacturers but fluorescent tubes do lose output with age. So do LED's as well.

 

[Adam W]

Is that strictly a loss of light being produced, or a loss through dirt on the tube?
I remember being told at college that light bulbs get surprisingly dirty over time; maybe not so much of a problem with tungsten filament bulbs because they don't last that long before they're replaced for new.

 

[Inteificio]

Dimming bulbs does reduce the frequency of emission, the key difference with a dimmable ballast is they start at WAY above 50hz so you don't see the flicker.

I tend to fit high frequency balasts anyway as they are more efficient and easier on the eye (just because most peoples eyes cannot see a 50hz flicker does not mean that all can't).