Hi everyone,

Recently got a big box full of vintage tools and electrical stuffs. I came across this strange looking (seems vintage by its looks) button device. Its the first time I came across it.I googled and read that it can be of two types thermistor and diode type. The later actually uses one half of cycle to increase filament life.

So, will it do any good with other forms of lamps like halogen, CFL etc? I'm just curious, thats all Also does the button need to be installed in a particular direction?
Thanks.

 

These likely will only work on incandescent lamps.

The thermister type may cause problems with halogen lamps and may prevent CFL and LED lamps from working at all.

The diode type will only work for incandescent lamps. Running halogen lamps at half power will cause them to fail earlier than they are designed for since they must run at high temperatures to work right. I doubt that CFL or LED lamps will work at all with the diode.

 

The button will work with my LED, 1000 L, 15 W, dimmable with a slight drop in brightness & a bit of flicker ;
CFL, 900 L, 15W, non dimmable with no flicker & slight drop in brightness.
rated life of LED is 23 years. Seems that button was sticky on one side to keep it on a bulb ?

 

These likely will only work on incandescent lamps.

The thermister type may cause problems with halogen lamps and may prevent CFL and LED lamps from working at all.

The diode type will only work for incandescent lamps. Running halogen lamps at half power will cause them to fail earlier than they are designed for since they must run at high temperatures to work right. I doubt that CFL or LED lamps will work at all with the diode.

Those are notorious for generating gobs of radio frequency interference, as well. They're much more useful as slugs.

 

Hi everyone,

Recently got a big box full of vintage tools and electrical stuffs. I came across this strange looking (seems vintage by its looks) button device. Its the first time I came across it.I googled and read that it can be of two types thermistor and diode type. The later actually uses one half of cycle to increase filament life.

So, will it do any good with other forms of lamps like halogen, CFL etc? I'm just curious, thats all Also does the button need to be installed in a particular direction?
Thanks.

IMO: yes - but the beneficial effect will be a lot less.

The ones I've seen were NTC thermistor pellets to limit inrush current into a cold filament.

One text I've seen claims at least 12x the normal operating current when the cold filament is switched on. The filament is at least coiled (like a spring) and possibly coiled-coil, big surge current means a big magnetic pull or contraction of the filament - probably most failures occur at the instant of switch on.

Most CFLs have a bridge rectifier and reservoir - the reservoir causes an initial charging surge, the NTC device can't hurt but the increase in bulb life will be less amazing.

The type pictured is held in the E27 socket by screwing the bulb in behind it - there it gets heated by the bulb so the NTC achieves an even lower resistance. The heating from a CFL will be much less and the NTC won't get way down there - higher running resistance, more losses and dimmer bulb.

 

On CFL's the odds are that if the device is a simple diode the half wave rectified DC will make for a short service life simply due to teh high input voltage ripple.

With LEDs it will in most cases simply create a noticeable and annoying flicker effect.

If you want or need to save electricity look at reducing your high wattage loads first (water heaters, stoves, dryers, room heaters, air conditioners) and CFL/LED lights last. Or at least with the lights simply use a lower wattage bulb.

 

These likely will only work on incandescent lamps.

The thermister type may cause problems with halogen lamps and may prevent CFL and LED lamps from working at all.

The diode type will only work for incandescent lamps. Running halogen lamps at half power will cause them to fail earlier than they are designed for since they must run at high temperatures to work right. I doubt that CFL or LED lamps will work at all with the diode.

Yeah, you are right. That didn't cross my mind. Halos wont like it.

 

IMO: yes - but the beneficial effect will be a lot less.

The ones I've seen were NTC thermistor pellets to limit inrush current into a cold filament.

One text I've seen claims at least 12x the normal operating current when the cold filament is switched on. The filament is at least coiled (like a spring) and possibly coiled-coil, big surge current means a big magnetic pull or contraction of the filament - probably most failures occur at the instant of switch on.

Most CFLs have a bridge rectifier and reservoir - the reservoir causes an initial charging surge, the NTC device can't hurt but the increase in bulb life will be less amazing.

The type pictured is held in the E27 socket by screwing the bulb in behind it - there it gets heated by the bulb so the NTC achieves an even lower resistance. The heating from a CFL will be much less and the NTC won't get way down there - higher running resistance, more losses and dimmer bulb.

Yep. The one from bulb miser was thermistor based. But the one I've is diode based when I checked now. The multi meter in continuity/Diode tester shows me 0 on one direction and 578 vice-versa.
I do still have a big box full of old incandescent lamps that I had collected over the years, from 120V, 130V and some 230V bulbs too. Tough I don't use them anymore except when I ocassionally blow a CFl and I don't have spare with me until I get a new one.

 

On CFL's the odds are that if the device is a simple diode the half wave rectified DC will make for a short service life simply due to teh high input voltage ripple.

With LEDs it will in most cases simply create a noticeable and annoying flicker effect.

If you want or need to save electricity look at reducing your high wattage loads first (water heaters, stoves, dryers, room heaters, air conditioners) and CFL/LED lights last. Or at least with the lights simply use a lower wattage bulb.

I'll just maybe just add this to my vintage collection. I don't use incandescent lamps in my house anymore. Also you are right CFLs and LEDs these days don't need them as they are way more efficient already.
Nah. I wasn't really worried about power-saving. Just curious what this device actually is as I have never seen on before.

 

How long back did they uses these devices?

 

Yep. The one from bulb miser was thermistor based. But the one I've is diode based when I checked now. The multi meter in continuity/Diode tester shows me 0 on one direction and 578 vice-versa.
I do still have a big box full of old incandescent lamps that I had collected over the years, from 120V, 130V and some 230V bulbs too. Tough I don't use them anymore except when I ocassionally blow a CFl and I don't have spare with me until I get a new one.

The way LED bulb prices have been falling, I more or less replaced all the CFLs, there's a couple of CFLs that hardly ever get switched on and I haven't got around to them yet. The only LED failure so far is the kitchen light left on 24/7.

LED bulbs are slowly edging towards only half the energy consumption of CFLs.

 

The way LED bulb prices have been falling, I more or less replaced all the CFLs, there's a couple of CFLs that hardly ever get switched on and I haven't got around to them yet. The only LED failure so far is the kitchen light left on 24/7.

LED bulbs are slowly edging towards only half the energy consumption of CFLs.

Yep. That's right LEDs seems to have become cheaper now. I'm planning to first replace the halos in my ceiling first with LEDs first. Always been a fan of halos due to their color temperature. Now there are LEDs with proper halogen like color. I actually don't like they slightly higher color temp the old LEDs used to put out.

 

Yep. That's right LEDs seems to have become cheaper now. I'm planning to first replace the halos in my ceiling first with LEDs first. Always been a fan of halos due to their color temperature. Now there are LEDs with proper halogen like color. I actually don't like they slightly higher color temp the old LEDs used to put out.

When I had filament lamps, I rigged a DIY NTC behind the switch plate - when CFLs came along, the actual life span was something of a disappointment - and nowhere near as advertised.

Some years ago the landlord upgraded the lighting in the flats - TBF: the 2D fluoro in the bog only lasted a week because the numb nuts electrician fitted the wrong ballast. The now non starting tube worked again after I fitted an electronic ballast, but didn't last all that long. The new tube I bought along with the ballast gave up a few days ago. Out of a couple of salvaged fittings and the now suspect ballast that I bought, I wasn't able to cobble together a working light.

Candle style LED bulbs are slim enough to fit, so I glued 4 of them to the mounting plate and wired it up. Its slightly less bright, but uses less than 1/2 the electricity.

 

when CFLs came along, the actual life span was something of a disappointment - and nowhere near as advertised.

Same revelation here as well. The only CFL's I have tht lated their estimated life times or beyond were the yard/shop night lights I have that turn on and off once a day vie photo controller and ran for 10 - 14 hours at time. Those typically put in ~4 - 7 years (20K - 30K hours total) on a 12 hour a day average. Pretty much all of my other ones in normal household use maybe lasted 1/10th that.

 

Same revelation here as well. The only CFL's I have tht lated their estimated life times or beyond were the yard/shop night lights I have that turn on and off once a day vie photo controller and ran for 10 - 14 hours at time. Those typically put in ~4 - 7 years (20K - 30K hours total) on a 12 hour a day average. Pretty much all of my other ones in normal household use maybe lasted 1/10th that.

The first CFLs I got were very dodgy, but they were Ikea seconds being flogged off at a car boot sale.

They have improved over the years, but still not making the claimed life.

Only a couple of LED bulbs have failed on me (so far) one of those is left on 24/7.

 

The first CFL's I bought barely lasted long enough for me to get them home. I went back to the store and had them swapped for new ones. These did not last any longer. This time I got my money back.