Noisy flourescent light

[louise]

I have two flourescent tube lights on my kitchen ceiling. One of the is making a constant, irritating humming noise. It isn't due to the tube-bulb 'cos I've swapped it with the other one. Have also tried a new starter with no improvement.

The noise is coming from inside the fitting. What can I do about it? Can I fix it or do I have to buy a whole new fitting?

Also - a bit OT (feel free to ignore) - I've looked at B&Q website 'cos wanted a rough idea of price if I have to buy a whole new light, but there doesn't seem to be any mention of flourescent lights. Are people not buyimg them so much now? Are there better types of lighting I could use instead if I did have to replace the whole thing?

[Andy Hall]

It's from a component inside called a choke - basically a chunk of metal with windings like a transformer.

You can replace them quite cheaply and easily, or new fluorescent fittings are pretty inexpensive.

If you never want to have buzzing and flickering again, you can buy fittings with electronic ballast (control) inside. More expensive though but they start first time, every time.

That' because it is spelled 'fluorescent'. "Flourescent" is something that might have been made by McDougalls.

It depends on the kind of lighting that you like.

Personally, I prefer wide beam halogen lights for the room lighting and mood lighting against the walls and small fluorescents over worktops under the cupboards.

[Richard Sterry]

The B&Q website is without doubt one of the most useless I have ever encountered. Even if you try and find items you know full well are in store, the search comes up with all sorts of utterly irrelevant stuff. Absolutely hopeless!

Yes, of course they stock fluorescent fittings, as do all the other DIY 'sheds' - about a tenner for a 5 footer AFAICR.

Rick