Insteon Device Controlling a Light with a CF

[Michel Kohanim]

 

On a completely different and unrelated subject that probably should not be posted here, you might want to put in your FAQs someplace, thanks to a tech at Smarthome, that if an Insteon device is controlling a light with a CF bulb, the voltage spike that it sends back to its controller when it is switched off can trigger the device's internal switch to immediately turn the Insteon device back on. This happened at my house: I have two identical lamps, both with the same type of 34W CF bulb, each plugged into separate lamplincs. I happened to be in the room when it came time for the ISY to switch one off. I heard its relay click and saw the lamp blink , but then it remained on. This still happens from time to time. Rarely a problem turning it on, but sometimes I find it on long after it should be off. Yet its twin has no such problems. I figure that either the lamplincs have different sensitivities to reactive 'flyback' voltage or there is enough variation in CF bulb construction that one puts out a bigger jolt to the lamplinc than does the other. Without this factoid, you might assume that the problem was with the controller. -GA

[Brian H]

One thing to remember is CF bulbs don't always like Triac type dimmers either. So use care. Fast ramp rate helps as does dimmable type CF bulbs.

I have seen ApplianceLincs of mine with some brands of CF lights do the samething and also with rare inductive type loadsalso