So, this is one way to solve for buzzing LEDs. Always be careful around electrical and turn off breakers and check for hots even if you're certain you turned off the correct breaker.
Hi Robert! Great video, thanks! Here's a few ideas: 1)Overloading your dimmer with excess wattage can also result in buzzing and humming (check the wattage rating on that 3-way dimmer vs the total wattage of the bulbs). Going with Spec Grade Switches is always a great idea. 2) As you said: Change the bulbs: Buzzing coming from the fixture itself is usually related to bulb filaments. Longer filaments are more susceptible to electromagnetic changes, which can result in constant buzzing so changing the brand of the bulbs can help.
Thanks Bill! Good points and it turns out that these specific down lights are just not the best quality. About 1 out of 4 were buzzing ($5 each compared to $28 halos of the same variety). Now, the thing that puzzled me was why the main panel was buzzing when the lights were on. Normally I've just noticed it in the fixtures themselves, but have you ever heard buzzing in the panel with a certain dimmer/LED combination?
@@SparkyChannel That specific circuit is 12/2 on a 20 amp circuit. It has a combined wattage load of 320 watts on it from multiple LED downlights and some panels. Nothing but lights are on the circuit. The LED panels don't hum, only the downlights. Also, the humming goes away with a standard switch, so is it the millions of pulses of on/off from the dimmer that makes the hum?
@@MyFortressConstruction Interesting. I love that you used 12/2 for the lighting circuit. That circuit uses a maximum of about 3 amps so you're not even close to an overload situation. I think you're correct suspecting the 3-way dimmer and the can lights. For the humming at the breaker, have you tried a different breaker?
@sparky channel Yes, this house already had 12/2 everywhere and all 20 amp breakers, so I wasn't about to change anything, though it's definitely overkill! 😄 It's so common to see a 20 amp breaker when there's 12 and 14ga. wire spliced throughout a circuit! I have tried a different breaker, checked neutrals and ground to make sure no loose connections, and the only thing I came back to was that the dimmer and certain LEDs were fighting. It's in the garage, so, no big deal there. Thanks for your troubleshooting tips!
I am here too because of the same issue. Changing the lights in my downstairs. When turned on, my new lights buzz. Also when I turn on those new downstairs lights my upstairs bathroom LED light buzzes, it is on a different circuit. Bad harmonics being induced into the circuit is all it can be. Crazy thing is as I install the new downstairs retrofits when powered on as soon as i make the clips contact the can, ground them, they buzz way worse. Take the dimmer out of the equation and all is well more or less. Lights just keep getting made cheaper and cheaper, the led drivers are not what they used to be.
Same problem. I have never experienced such issues with dimmer and LED capability before. Bad harmonics is definitely the issue, though is it really the dimmer switches that are creating the harmonic distortion? Or, are the dimmer switches disrupted more easily by harmonic distortion, compared with straight rocker switches? Many thanks
@cpg8000 I believe it is honestly the new LEDs that are the over all problems. Not being build well with cheap drivers, if you can even call them drivers. They lack capacitors, when shopping for LED lamps, call me crazy, I look at the more pricey option and feel the weight difference in the lamp. That weight difference is the driver is built better imo. All that said, all new lamps made cheap, if we want dimming without buzzing, our only control is the dimmer option we chose.
@@wesleynichols5676 I think you are correct on all accounts. I also think dirty power makes current digital dimmers and dimmable LEDS go nuts. I only seem to be able to solve this by using a straight rocker switch and non-dimmable bulb. It seems the non-dimmable bulbs are “weightier”, and maybe resist noise or voltage fluctuations a bit better than dimmable counterparts. I’d be curious to understand the difference in internal architecture of dimmable bs non-dimmable, and why that might make a difference.
OK What you need to do is replace your dimmers with and elv dimmers with neutral and you will correct your problem. Go with Leviton dse06. There is 2 different drivers for led. forward or reverse phase drivers. you have a reverse phase so you need an elv dimmer. Let me know how it goes. Gates
I just paid 170 to an electrician who switched me from a regular light to a dimmer -which was a good call, however as soon as he left and the house was quiet I heard the bussing noise. It has been frustrating to deal with either bright lights or buzzing. I'm going to change the light bulbs to see if that makes a difference but if that doesn't work I'm going to call in another electrician to do what I originally wanted...which was to separate the two lights that are on the same circuit
In electrical there is always potential for danger. If you have ground wires properly run then you minimize your risk, but an intermittent buzzing coming from an LED light sounds like the driver inside the LED might be dying. If you only get buzzing when you dim the light, then it might just be an incompatible switch for the LED light.
So incandescent bulbs operate differently from fluorescent and LEDs. So, if you are using a dimmer with them then you might want to check that your dimmer is made for the bulbs you are using. However, there are many different reasons why bulbs might be buzzing and it could be from another appliance on the circuit, low voltage, old filaments, loose neutral or ground, etc. I would first start removing each bulb individually and see if one might be faulty, if every bulb is buzzing the it's more likely the dimmer and you might try replacing it with a regular on off switch ($.70 for a single pole) and see if that solves the issue. If you're set on having a dimmer, then try out a different dimmer or switch to LED and use an LED dimmer. Trial and error are the best method for tracking down the cause.
The way most dimmers work is that they send a rapid on/off signal to the light to basically create less time for the light to be on, thus "dimmer". Some lights have a certain frequency they like and will buzz less at. Generally, if the light is completely on with no offs then it will buzz less. So, I would get a $0.99 switch and wire it in and see if it still buzzes. If it does keep buzzing then it's not the dimmer and it could be a faulty driver or a ground/neutral that doesn't have a good bond. If the single pole regular switch removes the buzz then it is likely just cheap drivers on the light itself, or the "compatible" dimmer isn't as compatible as you'd like it to be and you can try other dimmers and see if they work better. I tried out four different dimmers with these lights and none of them made a significant difference (all of them were labeled as "compatible" by the light manufacturer). We just decided they had cheap drivers in them and if it got too unbearable that they could use a regular switch.
I thought you were going to Jimmy rig it to elimate the buzz like grounding it or something. No easy repair to this problem. All comes down to cheap components in the switch
My dimmer works fine, no buzzing until i plug my TV in the outlet above. Even without turning on the TV the lamp starts to flicker. Thd lamp has five 13watt bulbs. Have no idea whats goinh on.
You can see if it's part of that circuit by turning off that light breaker and seeing if you still have power at that outlet. If you do, then it just means that the frequency of the TV circuit is causing a disturbance with the frequency of the lights. It is a fairly common occurrence and a lot of Electricians will keep the light and outlets on separate circuits because of that. You could try different bulbs, or hire an electrician to move that outlet onto a separate circuit if it bothers you too much.
Unfortunately LED buzzing doesn't have a magic bullet. The wiring, internal driver, switch, etc. can all lead to buzzing. The easiest fix is to try a different switch, or remove a dimmer. It will at least let you know if it's the switch or driver causing the problem. Otherwise checking wiring, or replacing the light are the next steps.
Hi Robert! Great video, thanks! Here's a few ideas: 1)Overloading your dimmer with excess wattage can also result in buzzing and humming (check the wattage rating on that 3-way dimmer vs the total wattage of the bulbs). Going with Spec Grade Switches is always a great idea. 2) As you said: Change the bulbs: Buzzing coming from the fixture itself is usually related to bulb filaments. Longer filaments are more susceptible to electromagnetic changes, which can result in constant buzzing so changing the brand of the bulbs can help.
Thanks Bill! Good points and it turns out that these specific down lights are just not the best quality. About 1 out of 4 were buzzing ($5 each compared to $28 halos of the same variety). Now, the thing that puzzled me was why the main panel was buzzing when the lights were on. Normally I've just noticed it in the fixtures themselves, but have you ever heard buzzing in the panel with a certain dimmer/LED combination?
@@MyFortressConstruction Yes. That's the sound of current flowing. Are you running a 15A breaker and 14ga wire for that lighting circuit?
@@SparkyChannel That specific circuit is 12/2 on a 20 amp circuit. It has a combined wattage load of 320 watts on it from multiple LED downlights and some panels. Nothing but lights are on the circuit. The LED panels don't hum, only the downlights. Also, the humming goes away with a standard switch, so is it the millions of pulses of on/off from the dimmer that makes the hum?
@@MyFortressConstruction Interesting. I love that you used 12/2 for the lighting circuit. That circuit uses a maximum of about 3 amps so you're not even close to an overload situation. I think you're correct suspecting the 3-way dimmer and the can lights. For the humming at the breaker, have you tried a different breaker?
@sparky channel Yes, this house already had 12/2 everywhere and all 20 amp breakers, so I wasn't about to change anything, though it's definitely overkill! 😄 It's so common to see a 20 amp breaker when there's 12 and 14ga. wire spliced throughout a circuit!
I have tried a different breaker, checked neutrals and ground to make sure no loose connections, and the only thing I came back to was that the dimmer and certain LEDs were fighting. It's in the garage, so, no big deal there. Thanks for your troubleshooting tips!
This is by far the best video on RUclips. Super helpful and thanks for making it.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for sharing your troubleshooting! 🤗
I am here too because of the same issue. Changing the lights in my downstairs. When turned on, my new lights buzz. Also when I turn on those new downstairs lights my upstairs bathroom LED light buzzes, it is on a different circuit. Bad harmonics being induced into the circuit is all it can be. Crazy thing is as I install the new downstairs retrofits when powered on as soon as i make the clips contact the can, ground them, they buzz way worse. Take the dimmer out of the equation and all is well more or less. Lights just keep getting made cheaper and cheaper, the led drivers are not what they used to be.
Same problem. I have never experienced such issues with dimmer and LED capability before. Bad harmonics is definitely the issue, though is it really the dimmer switches that are creating the harmonic distortion? Or, are the dimmer switches disrupted more easily by harmonic distortion, compared with straight rocker switches? Many thanks
@cpg8000 I believe it is honestly the new LEDs that are the over all problems. Not being build well with cheap drivers, if you can even call them drivers. They lack capacitors, when shopping for LED lamps, call me crazy, I look at the more pricey option and feel the weight difference in the lamp. That weight difference is the driver is built better imo. All that said, all new lamps made cheap, if we want dimming without buzzing, our only control is the dimmer option we chose.
@@wesleynichols5676 I think you are correct on all accounts. I also think dirty power makes current digital dimmers and dimmable LEDS go nuts. I only seem to be able to solve this by using a straight rocker switch and non-dimmable bulb. It seems the non-dimmable bulbs are “weightier”, and maybe resist noise or voltage fluctuations a bit better than dimmable counterparts. I’d be curious to understand the difference in internal architecture of dimmable bs non-dimmable, and why that might make a difference.
OK What you need to do is replace your dimmers with and elv dimmers with neutral and you will correct your problem. Go with Leviton dse06. There is 2 different drivers for led. forward or reverse phase drivers. you have a reverse phase so you need an elv dimmer. Let me know how it goes. Gates
Thanks! That's in line with what I had read, except I didn't know the reason was because there was a forward and reverse phase.
I just paid 170 to an electrician who switched me from a regular light to a dimmer -which was a good call, however as soon as he left and the house was quiet I heard the bussing noise. It has been frustrating to deal with either bright lights or buzzing. I'm going to change the light bulbs to see if that makes a difference but if that doesn't work I'm going to call in another electrician to do what I originally wanted...which was to separate the two lights that are on the same circuit
try elv dimmer switch
Helpful video, thanks
Is there any danger having the buzzing, if the LED lights causing the noise, is temporary? Thanks in advance.
In electrical there is always potential for danger. If you have ground wires properly run then you minimize your risk, but an intermittent buzzing coming from an LED light sounds like the driver inside the LED might be dying. If you only get buzzing when you dim the light, then it might just be an incompatible switch for the LED light.
I'm using regular bulbs in my dining room chandelier. However, there are 8 bulbs on it. Could that be causing the high pitch buzz?
So incandescent bulbs operate differently from fluorescent and LEDs. So, if you are using a dimmer with them then you might want to check that your dimmer is made for the bulbs you are using. However, there are many different reasons why bulbs might be buzzing and it could be from another appliance on the circuit, low voltage, old filaments, loose neutral or ground, etc. I would first start removing each bulb individually and see if one might be faulty, if every bulb is buzzing the it's more likely the dimmer and you might try replacing it with a regular on off switch ($.70 for a single pole) and see if that solves the issue. If you're set on having a dimmer, then try out a different dimmer or switch to LED and use an LED dimmer. Trial and error are the best method for tracking down the cause.
My levinton switch is rated 600w I have 6, 75w lights and I hear buzzing from the back of the dimmer only
Hello, we are using led bulbs and a led compatible dimmer. We still get that annoying buzzing sound from the chandelier. What could be the issue?
The way most dimmers work is that they send a rapid on/off signal to the light to basically create less time for the light to be on, thus "dimmer". Some lights have a certain frequency they like and will buzz less at. Generally, if the light is completely on with no offs then it will buzz less. So, I would get a $0.99 switch and wire it in and see if it still buzzes. If it does keep buzzing then it's not the dimmer and it could be a faulty driver or a ground/neutral that doesn't have a good bond. If the single pole regular switch removes the buzz then it is likely just cheap drivers on the light itself, or the "compatible" dimmer isn't as compatible as you'd like it to be and you can try other dimmers and see if they work better. I tried out four different dimmers with these lights and none of them made a significant difference (all of them were labeled as "compatible" by the light manufacturer). We just decided they had cheap drivers in them and if it got too unbearable that they could use a regular switch.
@@MyFortressConstruction thank you so much for taking the time to respond sir! I will be investigating more today
just make sure the dimmers are rated for led lights to avoid overload by any means
I thought you were going to Jimmy rig it to elimate the buzz like grounding it or something. No easy repair to this problem. All comes down to cheap components in the switch
Yep, or cheap components in the light.
Hall lights do it too I just installed them and have same issue
Halo*
Hmmm... I figured a more expensive brand wouldn't have issues. Did you try it with different dimmers or just a regular single pole?
My dimmer works fine, no buzzing until i plug my TV in the outlet above. Even without turning on the TV the lamp starts to flicker. Thd lamp has five 13watt bulbs. Have no idea whats goinh on.
You can see if it's part of that circuit by turning off that light breaker and seeing if you still have power at that outlet. If you do, then it just means that the frequency of the TV circuit is causing a disturbance with the frequency of the lights. It is a fairly common occurrence and a lot of Electricians will keep the light and outlets on separate circuits because of that. You could try different bulbs, or hire an electrician to move that outlet onto a separate circuit if it bothers you too much.
Can I just change the light bulb?
Potentially, but a lot of fixtures have the LED assembly built into them, like these recessed lights, and you can only change out the whole unit.
Just go back to incandescent
They don't make a 1/2" thick incandescent down light. 😉
That was NO help.
Unfortunately LED buzzing doesn't have a magic bullet. The wiring, internal driver, switch, etc. can all lead to buzzing. The easiest fix is to try a different switch, or remove a dimmer. It will at least let you know if it's the switch or driver causing the problem. Otherwise checking wiring, or replacing the light are the next steps.