Flourescent bulb whines

Sep 20, 2019 8 Replies

I have a Sylvania 75w CFL fluorescent bulb that makes a high-pitched whine when it is on. I could understand a 60hz or even 120hz hum, but what could possibly make a high-pitched whine? Otherwise it works fine, and others from the same package do not make the noise.


-dan z-


I've seen the same thing. Cannot remember the brand. Mildly annoying and I would put them in places where noise was not as noticeable like garage or outside. Still burning through retained CFL's but replacing with LED's.

I gave my CFL's to my son a couple years ago. When LED's got pretty cheap I figured the cost of operating the CFL's - just because I had them - was a losing proposition. If my son didn't take them, I would have tossed them. They didn't cost much anyway.

In the old days there was a ballast in the fixture. It was just some laminated iron with wire wrapped around it (in simple terms) The laminations would get loose and viborate.

Newer bulbs may have an electronic circuit and that large heavy iron core replaced by a much smaller one and the circuit changes the 60 hz AC to a much higher frequency so less iron can be used.

Interesting to know. I remember the first time looking at the CFL circuit diagrams that they almost looked as complex as a computer board.

Hey wait a minute-- ain't Laminations a chapter in the Bible?

Probably correct. I've been using these bulbs for decades, and this is the first time one has done this. I'm guess it's not dangerous, but it is annoying. Thanks.

-dan z-

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