February 23, 2009
By ©2007-2012 Author - Licensed Electrical Contractor+ Filed under Fixture Questions


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Question – Dimmer Switches Can Cause Bulbs to Hum

What is causing my lamps to hum in the fixture?

The humming you hear is actually the bulb filament vibrating. This is caused by the dimmer switch, but certain bulbs can contribute to the problem. Dimmers work by cutting the power to the bulb on and off at a high frequency. This causes the bulb filament vibrate.
So what are your options?
Try one of the following: Rough Service 130 volt bulbs have heavier supports for the filaments. Consider using fluorescent bulbs that can be dimmed. They will not hum because they do not have traditional filaments. Upgrade your dimmer. Inexpensive dimmers do not have the internal devices to correct this problem. High-end dimmers contain inductor chokes and interference capacitors to smooth out the electricity.


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