I have an exterior light fixture, possibly low pressure sodium standard screw base 30w bulb, someone put in 100w standard incandesant bulbs years ago and it works fine. I wondered what would happen if I put in a cfl, would I blow the cfl circuitry.
Not aware there is a standard base low-pressure Na -- there are some hi-pressure I believe.
If an incandescent bulb fits the socket, there's no electrical problem other than whether the cfl is outdoor rated -- think there's a temperature issue w/ most (if not all, still -- I've not paid much attention to them so far so what they've done on that score I'm not sure at all).
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The voltage across the CFL's base, after voltage drop of the ballast, may cause the pulse starter for a usual HPS fixture to actuate. The pulses are something like 3-3.5 possibly 4 kilovolts.
Although the CFL's impedance will probably be enough to load those pulses down to pretty much nothing, I would not count on it. I would not want to explain this to my homeowner insurance company if a fire resulted.
- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)
Yesterday I just bypassed the ballast, I figure why risk ruining new cfl floods, fire never occured to me but since its an apt Im happy I didnt try.
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