Two q's about CFLs
 

In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. Today, it didn't buzz. I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

Q #2: Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it. But i had to screw that CFL
into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

TIA for any help

HB

Two q's about CFLs
 

On 12/23/2010 9:15 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. Today, it didn't buzz. I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

I really don't know. But with something screwy like that I'd be looking
at the wiring, specifically the grounding.

Q #2: Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it.

Not really. They age and will produce less light at the end of their
life. You can see the tubes darkening at the ends. It used to be you
could tell when those dollar store CFLs went bad because they would
catch fire.

Jeff

But i had to screw that CFL
into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

TIA for any help

HB

Two q's about CFLs
 

On Dec 23, 9:38*pm, Jeff Thies wrote:
On 12/23/2010 9:15 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:

In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. *Today, it didn't buzz. *I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

I really don't know. But with something screwy like that I'd be looking
at the wiring, specifically the grounding.



Q #2: *Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? *With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it.

Not really. They age and will produce less light at the end of their
life. You can see the tubes darkening at the ends. It used to be you
could tell when those dollar store CFLs went bad because they would
catch fire.

* *Jeff

* But i had to screw that CFL



into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

TIA for any help

HB- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

There are two ways CFLs die. One is the ends of the glass spiral tube
darkening, as the filament vaporizes and deposits on the ends of the
spiral. Eventually the light will fail to light because the filaments
either open and don't heat up at all, or the filaments lose the
ability to give off enough electrons to start the arc inside the tube.
The second failure mode, all too common, is for the electronics to
fail. When the electronics die, it can be a simple failure to light
the CFL, or it can be more spectacular, ie, smoke and little flashes
of light inside the base of the bulb where the electronics reside.
The electronics tend to run hot because there is little space in the
base of the CFL, and if the CFL is used in a very confined space, like
upside down in a ceiling recessed light, the probablility of the more
spectacular failure is increased.

Two q's about CFLs
 

"Higgs Boson" wrote in message
...
In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. Today, it didn't buzz. I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

Q #2: Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it. But i had to screw that CFL
into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

TIA for any help

HB

I'll throw this at Q#1.
Chances are, the CFL had a faulty diode or capacitor and was creating
"noise" on your electrical circuit. That would be enough to cause an
unfiltered device such as a flourescent fixture to buzz.
Most electronics are have filters in the power supply to clean up line noise
today. If you are old enough, you might remember when mom would be mixing a
cake in the kitchen and you'd have fuzzy lines across the old Electrohome.
That would be the same principle.

Two q's about CFLs
 

On 12/24/2010 8:16 AM, Iowna Uass wrote:
"Higgs wrote in message
...
In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. Today, it didn't buzz. I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

Q #2: Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it. But i had to screw that CFL
into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

TIA for any help

HB

I'll throw this at Q#1.
Chances are, the CFL had a faulty diode or capacitor and was creating
"noise" on your electrical circuit. That would be enough to cause an
unfiltered device such as a flourescent fixture to buzz.
Most electronics are have filters in the power supply to clean up line noise
today. If you are old enough, you might remember when mom would be mixing a
cake in the kitchen and you'd have fuzzy lines across the old Electrohome.
That would be the same principle.



I've noticed that CFL's buzz too - some more than others. They can also
be annoying.

One's I've had burn out, just dimmed down, losing light at ends.

Two q's about CFLs
 

On Dec 24, 5:16*am, "Iowna Uass" wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

...

In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. *Today, it didn't buzz. *I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

Q #2: *Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? *With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it. *But i had to screw that CFL
into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

TIA for any help

HB

I'll throw this at Q#1.
Chances are, the CFL had a faulty diode or capacitor and was creating
"noise" on your electrical circuit. That would be enough to cause an
unfiltered device such as a fluorescent fixture to buzz.

OK in theory, but that would mean that the replacement CFL had the
same problem. Statistically, not too likely?

I replaced the CFL because I didn't think I had the skill to trace
possible problems with that fixture and/or extension cord, which plugs
into the main outlet. Especially after the replacement CFL also
seemed to cause buzzing in the fluorescent fixture.

But on second thought, that's no biggie, even for a non-tech, so I
think I will replace those two elements and see what happens.

Another interesting experiment would be to remove bulbs from both CFLs
and see if buzzing ends.
Will report back for anyone interested.

Tx to all who responded.

HB

Most electronics are have filters in the power supply to clean up line noise
today. If you are old enough, you might remember when mom would be mixing a
cake in the kitchen and you'd have fuzzy lines across the old Electrohome..
That would be the same principle.

Two q's about CFLs
 

In ,
Higgs Boson wrote:

In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. Today, it didn't buzz. I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

If each of the CFLs are pin-base ones with separate external ballasts,
then the explanation is almost certainly a ballast that can be quieted by
tightening its mounting. Slight chance the ballast needs to be replaced
to shut it up - fair chance hard or inconvenient to do without replacing
the fixture.

Q #2: Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it. But i had to screw that CFL
into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

Fluorescents including CFLs usually have one end, sometimes both ends of
their tubing, significantly blackened when they kick the bucket. Much
less frequently, a small region of the glass tubing around the filament at
one end cracks. Sometimes a plastic base or ballast housing has visible
minor melting or minor scorching around one or both ends of the tubing.
If you see this at one end and not both, then the usual cause is that the
bulb has sung or is singing its swan song.

Sometimes a CFL with an integral electronic ballast will croak with
ballast failure being either the cause of death, or ballast failure being
caused by an early stage of the bulb going into a terminal condition.
Then, the only sign that the CFL is dead is that it refuses to work.
--
- Don Klipstein )

Two q's about CFLs
 

On Dec 26, 2:05*pm, (Don Klipstein) wrote:
In ,

Higgs Boson wrote:
In my garage, I have a fluorescent light -- the long kind with two
"bulbs" -- nd two CFLs-- the spiral type.

Q #1: When I put on the garage lights, the fluorescent buzzes
horribly. *Today, it didn't buzz. *I looked around and saw that one of
the CFLs was out. I replaced it and the fluorescent buzzed again.
What's the connection? Why did this happen?

* If each of the CFLs are pin-base ones with separate external ballasts,
then the explanation is almost certainly a ballast that can be quieted by
tightening its mounting. *Slight chance the ballast needs to be replaced
to shut it up - fair chance hard or inconvenient to do without replacing
the fixture.

Q #2: *Is there a way to tell that a CFL is burned out? *With an
incandescent, you can tell by shaking it. *But i had to screw that CFL
into another lamp to make sure it really was burned out.

* Fluorescents including CFLs usually have one end, sometimes both ends of
their tubing, significantly blackened when they kick the bucket. *Much
less frequently, a small region of the glass tubing around the filament at
one end cracks. *Sometimes a plastic base or ballast housing has visible
minor melting or minor scorching around one or both ends of the tubing.
If you see this at one end and not both, then the usual cause is that the
bulb has sung or is singing its swan song.

* Sometimes a CFL with an integral electronic ballast will croak with
ballast failure being either the cause of death, or ballast failure being
caused by an early stage of the bulb going into a terminal condition. *
Then, the only sign that the CFL is dead is that it refuses to work.
--
*- Don Klipstein )

Thanks for that tutorial on dead or moribund CFLs. Very helpful!

HB