Dimmable strip lights

FrankGrimes

Hi,



An electrical engineer friend of mine recommended that we use some flourescent strip lights to light up the atrium ceiling in our extension. It's hard to explain, but the lights will sit behind a false wall so you'll see the light coming from them lighting up the ceiling, but won't see the actual lights themselves. We'll have separate lights for the dining room table, and will match the bulbs to produce the same light so it should be a nice effect, particularly since they can be controlled separately.



I bought 2 1200mm long flourescent strip lights in B&Q (the width of the wall is 2650mm), but now believe that these cannot be dimmed using a dimmer switch at the wall plate. It's crucial that these can be dimmed, so does anyone know where I can find dimmable strip lights (flourescent, tungsten, or anything else) that can be dimmed.

Thanks

rogue-entity

Fluorecent lights cannot be dimmed at all, they work by vapourising a tiny amount of mercury and firing an electric ark through the vapour, the same principle behind Neon light-strips. You cannot dim the lights, because the arc will flow only at the right voltage, and it will always produce a constant brightness.

The long tunsten strips, like the ones you use over your bed, if you can get them in the lenght you need, can be dimmed by a regular dimmer switch because they operate the same way as conventional lightbulbs.

bushy...

You can dim fluorescent lights just not with the ordinary type lamp dimmer.


http://www.apollolighting.co.uk/products/General/Altair/index.php

is one type of dimmable lamp , and example of dimmer for it http://www.apollolighting.co.uk/products/Accessories/DC-100/index.php

FrankGrimes

Many thanks for this lads. Picked up lights that I believe are dimmable 'electronic' flourescent as opposed to normal flourescent. I'll look into a 0-10volt dimmer for it.

Hoagy

You do know you need an extra pair of wires to each fitting to carry the dimming signal?

The extra pair can loop from fitting to fitting.

You need a switch as well.

FX Meister

I'm waiting on a quote for dimming gear for flourescent lights in an office. Looking at well over €500 I think. You could always use a row low voltage downlights or something similar as it's hidden like you say.

rogue-entity

bushy... wrote:

You can dim fluorescent lights just not with the ordinary type lamp dimmer.

http://www.apollolighting.co.uk/products/General/Altair/index.php

is one type of dimmable lamp , and example of dimmer for it http://www.apollolighting.co.uk/products/Accessories/DC-100/index.php

Thats news to me.. *makes note for future reference*

Ya learn something new every day

Hoagy

http://www.mem250.com/publications/brochure-downloads/consumer-products-brochures/DIMMERS-CAT979.pdf

There's a good technical piece in this catalogue about fluorescent dimming.

eoghan.geraghty

A customer wanted a similar effect some time ago.
I concealed halogen spots which worked fine.
before this i tried a "rope light", this was useless.
You might find this option cheaper than dimming fluorescents.
must confess i too had never heard of dimming fluorescents, thanks bushy!