What are the different types of ballasts for dimming a fluorescent fixture?
Fluorescent ballasts use three different types of starting technologies: rapid, instant, and programmed.
What ballast do I need for fluorescent light?
Which light bulbs need a ballast?
| Technology | Ballast dependent? |
|---|---|
| Incandescent | No incandescent bulbs require a ballast. |
| Halogen | No halogen bulbs require a ballast. |
| Fluorescent | All fluorescent bulbs require a ballast. |
| Compact fluorescent | All compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs require a ballast, which is often integrated. |
What is a dimmable ballast?
The Purpose Of A Dimmable Ballast. A dimmable ballast has a dial or buttons that lets you select a pre-defined output wattage. If the ballasts were designed to dim a 1000w bulb down to different settings, they would look more like: 400/500/600/700/800/900/1000/1100.
Are there dimmable fluorescent bulbs?
Dimmable CFL bulbs are available, and they can be dimmed down to about 20 percent of full light output without problems. These bulbs come in packaging that states their compatibility with dimmers. Because dimming CFL bulbs are designed to work with dimmer switches, they will not harm the bulb or the dimmer switch.
Can dimmer switches be used with fluorescent lights?
FYI, fluorescent lights do not dim well at all. Furthermore, it takes the correct type of dimmer switch, like those made for incandescent or led lights won’t work with fluorescent lights and a fluorescent light fixture that’s rated for dimming.
How do you make fluorescent lights dimmable?
The only way to have dimmable tubes in a decent and reliable way, is by using LED tubes. With LED tubes, you can still make use of your own fixtures, LED tubes are plug and play replacers for the fluorescent tubes inside.