Is it my timer that keeps blowing my CFL's?

The Undertoker

The Undertoker

Active Member
Hi Peeps,

Im running 2 cfl's of one double socket, this is wired in through a digital timer.

I have one 45w blue spectrum which has been fine throughout, the other is a 65watt red spectrum cfl, it blew a resistor, i contacted the supplier and he sent me a new one, now this has give up the ghost too.

I believe cfl's are quite reliable on the whole so im reluctant to believe ive had 2 dodgy bulbs in a row, what do you think peeps, could it be the timer or does anyone have any ideas on what could cause this?

Cheers:confused:
 
theonetitty

theonetitty

Active Member
you have two bulbs in a split socket. the socket the splitter is plugged into, what is it rated for?

I have two sockets with splitters hanging in my closet for my plant. one socket has a 250W rating while the other just a 40W rating. They both have splitters with 18W CFL's in them. havnt had any problems at all. I have these two socketrs, another lamp, and a fan, plugged into a power strip that is ALSO plugged into a timer...
 
grapesnowcone

grapesnowcone

Well-Known Member
I dont have a digital timer, so I dunno if anything I say will matter.. but I had 302 watts of cfls, 8 different bulbs, plugged into three different power strips, all plugged into a 3-way splitter, then plugged into a non-digital timer.. and never had a problem..
 
The Undertoker

The Undertoker

Active Member
Sounds good to me Grapesnowcone, ill try the analogue timer on my next bulb and see what happens.

theonetity, the splitter is a 2400 kw and the bulbs only add up to 110w so i think im ok there, i havent checked the wattage on the timer yet as it aint lights out time yet but i will later, im doubtfull that it cant handle 110w though, i wondered if there was some kind of frequency clash or likewise and maybe cfl's and digi timers just didnt get on, what d'ya think?

cheers peep's :)
 
theonetitty

theonetitty

Active Member
The Undertoker said:
Sounds good to me Grapesnowcone, ill try the analogue timer on my next bulb and see what happens.

theonetity, the splitter is a 2400 kw and the bulbs only add up to 110w so i think im ok there, i havent checked the wattage on the timer yet as it aint lights out time yet but i will later, im doubtfull that it cant handle 110w though, i wondered if there was some kind of frequency clash or likewise and maybe cfl's and digi timers just didnt get on, what d'ya think?

cheers peep's :)
Click to expand...
oh no, not the splitter....the socket your splitter is in. you can have a high watt splitter (mine are rated for over 600W) but in a socket that cant handle as much power as the splitter...

one of my sockets is a 40W socket, with a 660W splitter...but only 2 18W bulbs. you have to remember that one socket is feeding both lights in the splitter so you have to make sure the socket can handle it. like even though my splitter can handle 660W i cant go over 40W cause the socket the splitter is in cant handle it. thats why i chose to use 18W bulbs.


btw, my timer is non-digital...
 

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The Undertoker

The Undertoker

Active Member
theonetitty said:
oh no, not the splitter....the socket your splitter is in. you can have a high watt splitter (mine are rated for over 600W) but in a socket that cant handle as much power as the splitter...

one of my sockets is a 40W socket, with a 660W splitter...but only 2 18W bulbs. you have to remember that one socket is feeding both lights in the splitter so you have to make sure the socket can handle it. like even though my splitter can handle 660W i cant go over 40W cause the socket the splitter is in cant handle it. thats why i chose to use 18W bulbs.


btw, my timer is non-digital...
Click to expand...
Cheers dude, the socket is part of the house ring main, and its got a 15amp fuse with 240v running through, i aint sure what the wattage works out to on that but i'd bet its well capable of running a couple of cfl's,

Im gonna run with changing the timer though for the next bulb, i reckon theres a theme showing here so i'll go with it and see.

:)
 
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