Just put on a few energy saving bulbs and I can hear them "buzzing" a bit, is that normal? Maybe they are florencent bulbs so it's normal that they buzz.
Also, I put them on the ceiling fan which has a power control. The box say that do not use these bulbs in a socket with power control. If I'm not concern about bulb longevity, is it OK to put them on the ceiling fan with maximum power on?
Thanks.
They are most likely fluorescent. Buzzing is common, but should not be "normal".
No... You'll burn out the control.
I recently installed an indoor flood and outdoor flood. We are satisfied with both and the outdoor flood starts up fine even in very cold weather as promised by the manufactuer. We will change to these as the old incandescent ones burn out.
there's a lot of variables I've a 52" Emerson paddle fan with a Nutone vari speed control thats had various fluorescent bulbs in it over the last 15yrs with never a single problem except replacing bulbs about every two yrs or so as its almost always on except maybe 4hrs daily . Yea and sometimes a bulb will sometimes be heard slightly buzzing when everything is quiet.
How do the bulbs work in a regular lamp? Your not using cheap dollar store compact flourescents are you?
Some manufacturers use insects (typically wasps or hornets) to test their bulbs. Sometimes the insects are not pulled out of the bulb before the bulb is sealed, and the end result is a buzzing bulb. You can take the bulb back to the factory for a swap, or just live with it. I recommend you just live with it - I took some back once and they laughed at me, and then when I wouldn't leave and my facial tic started acting up again, they called the cops on me.
Some more than others, but most that buzz do so because it's normal. Ones with electronic ballasts tend to not prioduce any noticeable buzzing, but some fixtures can act like a megaphone.
Usually - but with no guarantee. Also, the reason to not use a power control (or dimmer, or any electronic control not specifically rated for fluorescent lamps) may have to do with increasing the chance that the bulb or the control electronics could catch fire. Advice: I have heard that using electrical equipment in a manner against directions, labels, nameplates, stickers, etc. could cause you a liability problem if a fire starts at electrical equipment being used in a manner warned against. I would not want to explain such a thing to my fire insurance company.
- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)
CAUTION - ceiling fan fixtures often confine heat and will accumulate heat where it has the worst effect - around the base region, where the ballast is. (For screw-in compact fluorescents, that is.)
Compact fluorescents will build up more heat in a fixture than people realize, since they don't throw much heat to elsewhere in the room in the form of infrared.
My expectations (no guarantee):
Life expectancy may be reduced noticeably unless the compact fluorescent is rated for such duty. Problems will be mostly worse with higher wattages. I expect that most 13 watts or less will be mostly OK, 14-19 watts maybe majority OK, 20 watts or more to have a greater chance of problems. And less chance of problems with Philips SLS 20 watts or less - the 15 and 20 watt Philips SLS are rated for use in recessed ceiling fixtures last time I checked.
- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)
The reason some bulbs buzz is they are made for outdoor or commercial locations. Buy a yellow bug lamp compact fluorescent, and it will buzz like a bugger. Go to home depot and buy a regular indoor compact fluorescent, and it should be absolutely silent. Cheapos bought elsewhere may just be noisy, since I guess its takes more $$$ to make a super-high-frequency bulb.
snipped-for-privacy@manx.misty.com (Don Klipstein) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@manx.misty.com:
Compact fluorescents should say whether they are for use in all positions or for upright use only. Cheap ones will also generate more RF EMI than quality ones.
CFLs will often buzz if they are on a power control or dimmer, unless they are specifically designed as dimmable. Put them into a socket without power control and I'll bet they buzz.
Mike
^--don't ?
Umm, yes. Tnx
Mike
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