In November, I replaced a pair of light bulbs in one of my ceiling lights. Tonight, the light bulbs in the other ceiling light also burned out. However, instead of replacing the burned out light bulbs with incandescent lights, I installed a pair of U Lighting America dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs.

So, this is the first time I have ever used dimmable CFLs. At full power, the dimmable CFL works just like a standard CFL. At anything less than full power, the dimmable CFL hums. At the lowest dimmer setting, the dimmable CFL flickers. So, while the CFL is technically “dimmable,” the humming and flickering basically renders this feature useless.

The only upside to this is that I now have two ceiling lights side-by-side with different types of bulbs that were installed at relatively the same time: one with incandescent light bulbs and one with dimmable CFLs. So now, it’s a durability contest between them to see which one lasts the longest. Theoretically, the CFLs should win. However, theoretically, these CFLs are dimmable as well.

While a high ceiling offers an occupant a sense of spaciousness, it does present some downsides. This one light bulb immediately above my work space has been out for weeks now, if not months. I finally got tired of squinting at the computer screen and dragged in the ladder. If all I needed was a folding chair, the light bulb would have been changed a long time ago. Some how, bringing in the ladder into the house seems like a lot more work than grabbing the closest folding chair. In the end, I just swapped in a new incandescent light bulb. I would use a compact fluorescent light bulb if the State didn’t require me to install dimmers, which I end up turning on at full power anyways. Next time, I’ll pick up some dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs.

If the occupant sensors you are using are not good at sensing occupants, then treat them as a timer. Behind the faceplate, the occupant sensor I am using has a dial that adjusts the shut-off time. Basically, the light will shut off a certain number of minutes after it last senses someone moving around. After I adjusted the shut-off time from 8 minutes to 15 minutes, no one gets left in the dark anymore.

Sure, this basically fixes my occupant sensor problem, but I still hate them. Before, I will tell people to turn off the light when they leave a room and there would be no problem. Now, I am told that I shouldn’t worry because the light turns itself off. There you have it. Title 24 training people not to turn off the lights.

Title 24 is absolutely the bane of homeowners. I’ve griped about Title 24 before. After a year of using occupant sensors in bathrooms, I’m ready to proclaim them a complete failure. When guests come over and stay the night, I have to train them on how to use the bathroom lights, as in if you only turn on the light controlled by the occupant sensor, it may turn off on you and leave you completely in the dark. So, everyone now turns on all the lights just in case. Not sure how this saves energy.

I’ve had the lights turn off on me when I was hidden from the sensor, to the side of the sensor, and directly in front of the sensor. Fortunately, in each instance, I had all the lights on. Install an occupant sensor in the bathroom and it will train you to turn on all the lights and use more energy than you would have otherwise used. The occupant sensor simply cannot detect someone taking a shower. It is completely useless in the bathroom.

In a previous post, I griped about a fluorescent bulb that expired before its time. Well, I finally got around to changing it and what did I discover? The bulb had a meltdown. Yes, that is a burn mark around where the bulb meets the base. And, the heat did melt and eform the plastic base. I’ve never seen anything like this from an incandescent light before. Have you?

Despite their faults, Home Depot and Lowe’s are incredibly convenient. Most of the time, I can find what I want at either of the two stores. But what happens if Home Depot or Lowe’s doesn’t stock an item? Then, instead of heading to the one-stop shop by default, I have to do some detective work.

For example, I had a hard time tracking down all the dimmers and occupancy sensors that I needed. Both Home Depot and Lowe’s had an adequate selection of dimmers. However, if you required something different—say, a 1000 watt dimmer—then the selection was surprisingly non-existent at both stores. Same too with occupancy sensors for the bathroom. At least, ones that didn’t look too bulky and grotesque, or weren’t already obviously returned merchandise. So, I ended up heading out to Galaxy Lighting in San Jose for my dimmers and occupancy sensors. They’re in that part of West San Jose that one may mistaken for Cupertino. And, their prices were surprisingly competitive with a contractor discount. So, if you are a contractor or work with one, let them know.

Supposedly, the “great” thing about fluorescent lighting is their long life span and low energy usage. The Energy Star web site tells us that compact fluorescents use 2/3rds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, and save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime.

Well, last up to 10 times longer is not the same as last 10 times longer. For one group of lights in my kitchen, the compact fluorescent was the first to go out. I guess that one won’t be saving me $30.

In California, lighting in bathrooms must be high efficacy, or must be controlled by a manual-on occupant sensor. The 2005 Residential Compliance Manual further states, “At least one high-efficacy luminaire should be installed so that it can be left off the occupant sensor circuit to ensure that all of the luminaires don’t switch off while someone is in the bath. Even dual technology
sensors may not detect a motionless and silent occupant.”

So, if you don’t have a 4-pin fluorescent light in your bathroom, then your lights must be controlled by an occupant sensor. Persons with dimmers need not apply. However, depending on the location of the sensor and the activities of any occupant, all the lights may go off. Well, there you go. Someone taking a shower in a wet, soapy area and the lights go off. Tell me there won’t be a lawsuit if the occupant slips and falls.

Let’s say the bathroom does have a high efficacy luminaire, in addition to an incandescent or halogen light above the sink. As the compliance manual states, the occupant should never just turn on the vanity light. Instead, the occupant should turn on all the lights, just in case the vanity light goes off. Now, how exactly is energy being saved when you have to turn on all your lights?

I still don’t understand how the State can mandate the installation of an occupant sensor that may cast the unwary into darkness when the State is aware of the sensor’s shortcomings. Why exactly is California sending people to Sacramento to require us to install a defective product?

I think after the lawyers get done with this silly law, we will all need to post a sign in our bathrooms warning family members and guests that the lights may go off on them while they are in the bathroom. Furthermore, before anyone may use the facilities, we will need them to sign a disclaimer stating that they are aware the lights may go off on them and that they waive all rights against the homeowner should they slip and fall in a darkened bathroom.

For hallways, dining rooms, family rooms and bedrooms, California requires that permanently installed luminaires shall either be high efficacy or shall be controlled by an occupant sensor or dimmer. Here’s the problem with this rule. If the ceiling or wall light that you like only comes in an incandescent, what do you do?

The optimal choice I would imagine would be to use an incandescent lamp with a screw-in compact fluorescent bulb. This is called a win-win solution. You get your style. The state gets its energy savings.

However, by requiring you to install a dimmer, what bulb will you be choosing now? According to GE, to use a compact fluorescent bulb on a dimmer switch, you must buy a bulb that’s specifically made to work with dimmers. Great! That’s one more thing to look out for. Actually, instead of figuring out whether a compact fluorescent will work with your dimmer or not, the easier solution is to just use an incandescent bulb. Who wins now?