If you have a led light fixture, chances are you may have noticed this nasty buzzing noise that is cutting to the ear. So, if this trouble is familiar to you, then stay to read this article, we’ll go into more detail about the causes of this problem.
This buzzing sound of the light fixture can be found in LED bulbs, fluorescent tubes, and CFL lamps, and is also not uncommon in an incandescent bulb.
The reasons for this buzzing problem can vary, but fortunately, you can easily fix it yourself.
What are led bulbs?
LED lights are considered one of the most energy-efficient ways to light up your home. Their advantages are that they are energy efficient and very durable and can last you more than 10 years. And bulbs also give you the lighting you want, which is exactly as bright as you want it to be.
Is the buzzing sound a sign of malfunction?
You may not believe it, but the buzzing noise in the LED bulb is not a defective bulb.
That said, it is a common problem because this buzzing LEDs noise can make you nervous. Well, also such a situation depends directly on the quality of your led lights.
Attention! If you suddenly hear the sound of crackling or hissing, then immediately turn off the circuit breaker and call the electrician.
Why does my light make a buzzing sound?
Although the buzzing noise from the led bulb is not a defect, it is still desirable to solve this problem. Especially those who are tired of having to endure these humming or buzzing sounds should do so.
And now we will tell you in detail all the possible causes of such buzzing LEDs and how to get away from humming or buzzing noise.
A high-powered appliance in the same circuit
If you’ve ever noticed a buzzing noise coming from your lamp when you turn on any other appliance besides this one, it indicates that the appliance is drawing low or high amounts of power on the same power circuit as your lights.
Sometimes the light bulbs may even flicker. This happens most often in the kitchen because there are usually a lot of high-powered appliances in those rooms.
LED lights use a lower voltage due to their construction.
They have special internal drivers that reduce the supply voltage that goes to the LED.
That is, when we turn on any powerful appliances, there is a momentary voltage drop in the power circuit, and it already leads to a light buzzing or flickering.
Corrective actions
So, how do you fix this problem? To do this, you need to evaluate the electrical power circuit breaker. But since this is a complicated matter and you will also need to determine what the problem is, the best solution is to call an electrician. The electrician will have to make sure that you use a circuit breaker because circuit breakers are used to safely power your home.
The dimming setting is incorrect
A switching power supply is needed when generating and regulating the operating voltage of the lamps. The switch has a small transformer, which is an assistant in voltage conversion.
You can probably still use switches that are designed for traditional or incandescent lights, usually between 200W and 1000W. Except that LED bulbs require switches that generate 110W, and you only need 9W for them.
And that is one of the biggest reasons why LED bulbs are the most efficient!
For example: if you use a dimmer switch that is designed to use 40W+ CFLs or incandescent bulbs, that may not be enough to use an LED light because its wattage, as we said, is 40W.
In general, mismatched dimmer switches are the cause of the buzzing sound.
Corrective Actions
Someone is trying to solve this problem with resin, but this is the wrong corrective action. So, the surest solution is to call an electrician to replace the incompatible switches with the right ones for your wattage, as the switches must fit your LED bulb.
Loose connections and loose wiring
As we said before, voltage fluctuations in the wiring system are the most important cause of your buzzing LEDs.
Your LED bulbs are more likely to buzz or flicker if they lose connection or lose wires in your home’s electrical system.
Also, you may have old or loose wiring. Loose wiring is one of the most common causes of house fires.
Also, loose connections or loose wiring bring dust to the circuit.
Corrective Actions
And just as in previous cases, we first advise calling an electrician.
The wiring may be loose at the point of connection or a given point in the circuit. The electrician will assess the situation and advise you on what to do. Either replace the wiring or re-tighten the connection.
Also, you should blow out the connection points, as dust may be just clogged up there.
Other LED bulbs problems
The LEDs can illuminate even when turned off
Sometimes LED bulb can glow even after they are turned off. For some people, this may be surprising, but for others, it may be annoying, especially at night when you are trying to sleep.
LED bulb has a special fluorescent layer to emit white light. It can store some amount of energy. But it depends directly on the type of semiconductor material.
What to do?
Check the minimum load of the old dimmer switch and compare the dimmer switch to the existing LED bulb. If the load is not achieved, replace the old dimmer with an LED dimmer switch.
Narrow beam angle
Beam angle or beam scattering refers to the angle of led light that can spread to particular areas of the room. This is likely to result in an uneven and poorly lit home.
Strong dimming of light
LED lights can create a smooth effect, and if they don’t, it can lead to irritation. And it will be very unpleasant for you, as well as uncomfortable.
Uneven light flow
In such cases, your LED bulb can create different colors and brightness as well as different effects.
Corrective actions
If you have done all of the above, but there are still problems, you will need to choose higher quality LED light. You need to make sure that you get them from a reliable manufacturer.
Loose bulb socket
Loose incandescent light sockets can cause a buzzing noise. When the LEDs are not fixed, the LED lights do not properly contact the socket, and this leads to a current failure.
Why are my LED lights making a high pitch noise?
Your LED light can make a clicking sound in all states: when it is first turned on, sometime after it is turned on, or even when it is turned off.
And an important tip: you can keep a notebook where you write down when you hear it, from where, and how often.
The causes
This problem usually occurs when people change led lights or move to a new home.
There are 3 different reasons for this problem. And now you and I are going to learn about them!
Light fixture
Those with recessed lighting may often notice a clicking sound when turning it off or on.
But this problem has nothing to do with wiring or electricity. It’s all about the built-in light fixture.
It works like this:
- If the light fixture is made of bad material, its housing heats and cools at the same time, and the metal in turn makes a noise.
- In most cases, the trim is to blame, as it may be made of the wrong material and not tested for heat dissipation.
- The sound they make is somewhat similar to that of an oven. When the walls make noises when heated.
Dimmer switch
If there is a clicking sound when you first turn on the LED lights, most likely the culprit is a lack of a dimmer switch.
It works like this:
- At the time the LED light bulbs turn on, there is a surge current, representing a large surge of current flowing through the circuit to turn on the LED fixture.
- You have to consider the power of the dimmer switches and the number of LED dimmer switches in the circuit.
Bulb
If you hear clicks after turning off the dimmer switch and hear noise after a while, then in this situation there are problems with the lamp.
It works like this:
- There are chains in the bases of LED lamps. This circuit has a voltage regulator that lowers the main AC to DC.
- Sometimes, this process makes a ticking noise due to the voltage still being supplied.
- That is the dimmer switch is still on and provides a small voltage that leads to sound.
- There is also a reason why the light bulb is to blame.
- If the base of the LED lamp is made of ceramic or aluminum, then there may be such sounds.
- The parts heat up at different speeds and expand. As they expand, they touch and make sounds.
If a fluorescent lamp buzzes
All visible light bulbs make any sound. Most often it is a faint buzzing sound or maybe a humming noise. Normally, you will hear something if you get close to the lamp.
But if the sound is heard throughout the room, then there are problems.
And now we will figure out what to do in such situations.
Adjust the fluorescent tubes
Fluorescent lamps can weaken either strongly or partially. It is important to check each tube so that everything stands in its place and is well-tightened.
Replace light ballast
The ballast controls everything inside the lamp and also regulates the supply of electricity to the lamps. Sometimes it happens that ballast can become outdated and need to be replaced.
Black and white wires are called linear, they pass from the electrical panel and saturate the ballast. Blue and red wires go directly to the fluorescent lamps themselves. Yellow wires exit the tubes and return to the ballast.
- Disconnect the circuit.
- Remove the tubes and diffuser.
- Remove the housing.
- Disconnect the line wires.
- Cut any remaining wires.
- Remove the ballast.
- Install a new one.
- Connect the power wires color to color using wire nuts.
- Replace the housing.
- Replace the tubes and cover.
Now you can buy lamps without ballast, replacing fluorescent lamps. Removing ballast requires a small replacement of the wiring, but the instructions that are attached to the lamps can be easily followed.
It is necessary to fix the metal case and the diffuser itself
Fluorescent bulbs are made of sheet metal and plastic and can become loose or damaged over time. A minor hum that might otherwise be tolerable would be amplified by a loose or broken bulb.
Remove the diffuser. If it cracks, replace it with a new one. Place the diffuser in place and make sure it is firmly fitted.
Replace the fluorescent light bulbs
Replace the entire lamp completely, if it is not possible to replace the ballast at all.
It will be easier and more profitable to replace the lamp completely than to separately buy ballasts and then spend time and money on installing them.
If the body of the lamp is damaged or has any defects, it must be replaced. Since deformed metal is difficult to return to its previous shape.
If the CFL light fixture buzzes
CFL lamps are spiral bulbs that can be screwed into sockets. They contain a scanty ballast device that can sometimes make a buzz.
Many CFL lamps are not on dimmer switches. You can just remove and replace the buzzing CFL bulbs.
If the incandescent light fixture buzzes
If your incandescent bulb is buzzing, the incandescent thread is likely vibrating. Turning off the lights with a dimmer switch that adjusts the brightness can help you. But it is better to replace the light bulb with an energy-saving one.
If you find a defective light fixture: what to do?
LED lights from well-known and trusted brands have little chance of letting you down. Since their brand reputation is very important to them and they try very hard for consumers. But, if, nevertheless, it happened that you came across faulty LED lights, then they have support for such situations, which you can contact at any time.
But still, check the new LED bulb immediately after purchase. The warranty period of the lamp is from 2 to 4 years.
Protective equipment and risks of further use of a faulty lamp
If you have problems with the buzzing or humming sound from your bulb, then the only correct solution will be to replace the light.
If you don’t, it could eventually overheat, explode, and start a fire.
You just need to replace it, for the sake of your own life and health. This can be done either after the warranty period has expired, or you can simply buy new bulbs. But this time when buying, count on more expensive and well-known brands. It will save you money and nerves going forward.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to say that the best solution to any malfunction is to buy a new device.
We hope that this article helped you and gave you a lot of useful and necessary information!