Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The good: They will start on an electronic "soft start" dimmer, such as a ZWave, X10 or Maestro unit. MOST DIMMABLE CFLS WILL NOT. However - if you try to start them "ramped full", they may freak out your dimmer and cause it to cycle on and off a few times, which isn't so good. If you start them at ~50% or less this doesn't happen. Note that MOST other "dimmable CFLs" will NOT start reliably AT ALL on a low setting, with an electronic dimmer, and some will cycle the dimmer incessantly with the electronics thinking it is shorted or open. The GEs are the ONLY CFL dimmables I've found that (mostly) work ok. Note thay many other brands interact VERY BADLY with one another if you have one (or more) fail to start on a circuit - gee, you think most rooms have more than one on a circuit? In particular "1000bulbs" sells a brand (unknown actual brand) that is called "most reliable dimmable CFL" - don't believe it for a second. Those are ok in non-dimmable applications, but they're absolutely unsuitable for anything in a dimmable application, in my view.
The bad: The dimmable range isn't as wide as I'd like as 20% output is about the minimum. If you try to turn them down too far they will go out instead. They do not reliably start on an ELECTRONIC dimmer at full power and in some cases will interact badly with the dimmer switch - this is especially troublesome on the Leviton Vizia-RF (Zwave) switches. But - other CFL dimmables do the same thing - or worse. These WILL start reliably (and not freak out the switch) at low to moderate levels (e.g. 20%, 50%, etc)
I have tried a half-dozen different brands of CFLs, and have over $200 worth of another manufacturers that are WORTHLESS for the above reasons.
The GEs aren't perfect, but they work and for the most part don't interact badly with dimmers. I really, really hate the fact that nobody has bothered to make a TRULY COMPATABLE CFL that will not interact badly with electronic dimmers, will reliably start and run at low output levels, and yet provides the energy savings of CFLs. I do NOT like my lighting on "full blast" as I find most household lighting to be radically overlit for 99% of circumstances. Yes, I want it "hospital bright" when cleaning, but not the rest of the time!
Click Here to see more reviews about: GE Energy Smart Dimmable Soft White CFL R30 Light Bulb, 65W Replacement uses 15W, 2Pk
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