220VAC Flourescent Bulbs on 110VAC

LoopyByteloose

Okay, I know this is odd and definitely sandbox material.

I bought myself a lamp for Christmas at Kaohsiung's B&Q.
Since lamps don't come with bulbs.

I bought a two pack of 23watt flourescent blubs [noparse][[/noparse]on sale] to go with it.
When I got home, the lamp seemed quite dim.· When I looked on the box, the bulbs are 220VAC! rates not 120VAC.

Since nothing is possible to return here, I am wondering if I can use these on 120VAC.

Fortunately for me, I have a 220VAC air conditioner outlet that I never use and it happens to be right next to where I want to use the lamp.

[noparse][[/noparse]But I still have one extra 220v bulb].

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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)

······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

PJAllen

No such thing as a step-up transformer there in the R-O-C?

Guenther Daubach

One day, the first bulb will die - you'll then be happy having a replacement .

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Greetings from Germany,

G

LoopyByteloose

I have been here since 1994 and have only had one flourescent bulb burn out yet.
{Maybe I am overdue} I have gone through a lot of incadescents.

This is just one of those silly things that a foreigner in Taiwan gets stuck with due to store managers not speaking English.

Of course I could buy a step-up transformer [noparse][[/noparse]for one bulb?], but Taiwan is mostly 110. Everything that I own that operates on 220 will also operate on 110 excepting this light bulb. And, I do understand that I could reverse the step up transformer and have a step-down.

But isn't a bit circular?. If I hadn't opened the package, I would have taken it back.
I know for a fact that incadescent 220VAC bulbs actually last longer at 110-20VAC.
I was merely wondering if the same applies to flourescent or if it is the opposite.

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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)

······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan

knightofoldcode

Kramer said...
Okay, I know this is odd and definitely sandbox material.
Since nothing is possible to return here, I am wondering if I can use these on 120VAC.

Worst case scenario, you're out the money spent on the 230V bulbs. You're already out that money, because you can't take them back. So, if the lamp provides enough light with these buls, I'd stay with the 230V bulbs, and if they die, oh well, you've already paid for them and can't take them back, so might as well use them.

As for using 230V, I don't see the point, at some point the lamp will die, and you'll want to use normal 110V bulbs, so you'd have to modify the lamp, twice.

I'd use the bulbs till they die, then buy 110V bulbs. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

I'm actually a little suprised they even light up, considering the dynamics of a flourecent bulb.

Knight.

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LoopyByteloose

I am beginning to feel guilty about wasting the bandwidth on this topic.

But I too am amazed that they do light up.· I suppose that I will just have to put one in a 110vac socket and see which dies first.· Obviously no one here really knows.· I must say that the 220volt 23 watt is pleasantly bright when properly powered.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)

······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan