Relay or Triac?

[fat-tony]

I'm planning on controlling some lighting for a frog tank using a microcontroller (probably 8051-based). To switch the 120V from the wall, I'm not positive if I should use a transistor and a relay or a Triac with an optoisolator. I do have more experience using transistors than Triacs (from EE labs), but I do like the fact that the Triac is purely electrical, so I don't have to worry about mechanical failure. However, I've been told that Triacs only work with purely resistive loads, and that fluorescent lights wouldn't work with them.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sebi]

If You need just ON-OF control, the triac with a zerocross-type optotriac work fine. Most of FL not dimmable.

 

[fat-tony]

If You need just ON-OF control, the triac with a zerocross-type optotriac work fine. Most of FL not dimmable.

So FLs will work with a triac, as long as I'm not trying to dim the output?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

So FLs will work with a triac, as long as I'm not trying to dim the output?

Yes, as long as you are only using it as an on/off switch.