How to Stop Humm or Buzz from LED Light Bulbs
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
- Stop LED lights from humming and buzzing on dimmer switches.
Lutron Slide Dimmer - amzn.to/2idYppq
Leviton Slide Dimmer - amzn.to/2yc29T3
Leviton Large Slide Dimmer - amzn.to/2NND9GB
Lutron Digital Dimmer - amzn.to/2zfZY10
GE Relax Bulb - amzn.to/2icRXPv
GE Reveal Bulb - amzn.to/2zg74CN 
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Thank you SO much for doing all that work so we don’t have to!! My buzz has been driving me nuts making the dining room fixture unusable. You answered every single of my questions. Nice work and video.
For those who just want the answer instead of listening to the whole backstory - *buy an ELV dimmer switch.* Make sure the ELV switch is rated to handle the total wattage of the all the bulbs.
Hey thanks for the tip. Been an electrician for 25 years and experiening this on some can light leds at my in laws house. Troubleshooting and i found your video. Thanks
Thank you so much for caring about the buzz! I have tonal hearing deficits and have a hard time understanding people talking, but I can hear electronic buzzing from another room. The hum of appliances, and lights makes me feel crazy.
I found your video because I was looking for help with tightening the wires inside the light socket of a mid-century lamp. The beginning of your video you mentioned the LED bulbs buzzing so I changed the light bulb in my lamp and the buzzing is gone!
This means so much to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Tried it and it worked for me. Thanks! The buzzing can be annoying. Both switches were Leviton and the ELV has also a smoother transition.
If i would have found this video a week ago it would have saved me from returning 5 other switches! I got the Leviton DSE06 dimmer switch and the humming/buzzing sound was gone! I couldn't believe it! If you purchase Infibrite dimmable led canless recessed lights fom HD, or any dimmable waffer style led lights, you MUST get a ELV dimmer switch.
This guy is the real MVP! I always hear the buzzing and always wondered about this
Thank you! We have been trying to find bulbs and dimmers that would work and getting very frustrated. This type of dimmer worked! Greatly appreciated.
No problem! Glad it helped!
The solution is a "Debuzzing Coil". I recently converted a number of light fixtures from incandescents and CFLs to LEDs. Some are dimmable. I thought the new Lutron LED-compatible (trailing edge, FET) dimmers would interfere less with my favorite AM Talk Radio stations than my original Lutron (leading edge, TRIAC) dimmers. No significant difference.
I tried various types of Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) filters to no avail. Then I discovered Debuzzing Coils, specifically intended to reduce light bulb and fixture buzzing. They're simply installed in series with the load, or if a dimmer is used, in series with either "hot" (BLK or RED) lead of a dimmer. Doesn't matter which. By slowing a dimmer's ON or OFF transitions, they also reduce AM Broadcast Band RFI from 30 to 40 dB. Typically a 10 milliHenry, toroidal (donut-shaped) inductor, they come in 100, 150, 300 and higher Wattage ratings. Lutron and a number of manufacturers sell them. They're on ebay.
Agency-approved Inductors aren't cheap, running anywhere from $25 to $100, depending on Wattage (Load Voltage x Current). Higher Wattage coils are larger, to accommodate larger wire and a larger ferrite core, to prevent magnetic saturation. A 150 Watt Inductor is about 2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. It can always fit somewhere in a multi-gang junction box. Larger Inductors are up to 4 inches in diameter and won't fit in a single-gang junction box.
If you're electromagnetically inclined, you can buy your own cores, enamel-coated Copper wire and wind your own. Please understand you're dealing with National and Local Electrical and Fire Codes when installing non-Agency-approved devices in your junction boxes.
Finally the answer to the annoying buzzing! You do a fine job at explaining your frustrations and your solution! Thank you so much!
Thank you for this great info. I have a Lutron Radio RA2 system, and the dimmers that support ELV are the RRD-6NA and RRD-PRO. You just have to make sure you set the phase to Reverse in the software!
YOURS is the best video on this issue. Other videos just play mix and match until you get lucky.
Thank you! I don’t want to add to all the youtube junk out there. So anything I put out will be fully researched and provide an actual solution.
Thank you, I've been feeling insane. We have buzzing on dimmers everywhere after our remodel - different models, Legrand, Lutron, etc. This helps to know it's ELV we should look for. Thank you!
I've been researching about dimmers about a week now and couldn't find the solution to the humming problem, yet to install the dimmers and hopefully ELV will address that issue. Thanks for sharing. Will leave another comment once I test the ELV
Jay Ram h
Waiting for your return and Report
Put up a new dining room fixture and it was humming like crazy. Put in a new dimmer for led and same thing...tried a cl dimmer and was the same. Was able to run a neutral wire to the box and then put in an envelope dimmer and perfectly quiet. Thanks.
Here's a much better solution: Have at least 2 kids.
Your house will never again be quiet enough to hear any buzzing.
Thanks for this, I have been doing the same thing as you, trying to narrow down this buzz! Your video and links are super helpful 👍
Thanks a lot that worked, i was so tired of the buzz, even my breaker panel had this buzz too, I went with the Leviton ELV Sureslide Dimmer 😀
My god the companies should really explain this better! This is great to finally know. The ELV’s are crazy expensive ($80-110 per switch). The new “LED+” classification switches are $30-40, I suppose they don’t work?
I think those LED+ dimmers are just Lutron rebranding the CL dimmers. I had no luck with the CL dimmers so don’t have high hopes for the LED+ ones. If you have free time try it! I would love to know if they changed anything besides the name.
I have heard it also has to do with the variance between LED bulbs, from model to model. It indeed seems like swapping these Ecosmarts for Feit Electrics has helped reduced a good portion of the noise. There is still a a very slight hum with the Maestro CL dimmer.
Great video man. Well done. Thoroughly thoughtful.
Or you can put a ceramic 250v capacitor on the hot and neutral wires on the back of the outlet. That will smooth out the signal, actually when put in a circuit like that its called a smoothing cap.. like those littke blue circular pieces on a circuit board typically right around wgere ever the power cable meets the board..
Great video, man. I have been going through the exact same situation in my home.
Thank you! I've been trying to figure this one out myself. 👍🏼
Thanks! This was super helpful. I got an ELV dimmer and no buzzing!
It's called a trailing edge dimmer ... more expensive than the leading edge dimmer type.
It's the hard on from the leading edge dimmer that causes a subtle noise (from the current spike ), which you don't get in trailing edge dimmers
How do you prevent your dimmer from having a hard on?
Thank you!!
Old but good video, very informative. Thanks for posting it. It helped me very much!
Can you recommend a SMART ELV Dimmer that with not have the buzz with LED bulbs?
Thank you!
This is the exact problem I am having right now after changing the light fixture in my dining room. The light fixture takes three 13w GU24 bulbs. After I changed the fixture, I am hearing a humming from both the light fixture and the dimmer switch on the wall. Also, the dimmer is not even working. I guess I need a new ELV dimmer switch to correct the problem??
I think it’s worth a try.
@@CiscoSal I found out what the problem was. The three GU24 bulbs I installed were not "dimmable". In the end, it will have taken 2 weeks just to install a simple light fixture with the three correct bulbs that had to be purchased online.
thank you
Mine are not connected to dimmers, but one light fixture has a hum and the other is silent. Both are are the are model of GE refresh from Lowe's.
Thankyou for this!!
Awesome! Thank very much..!
Also, you look a bit like Spiderman Peter Parker ;D
I have an Anderson 22" enclosed fan. It has LED strips for lighting. I'm having issues with the light buzzing when it's not turned all the way on. If I attempt to dim it at all the buzzing is too much. When left all the way on it's very very faint. Will changing the switch like you've suggested help with LED strips?
Have you run into flickering issues also? I have a bunch of FEIT LED dimmers and Ecosmart LED dimmable bulbs and, although, there was not much flickering at the start, there is much more flickering a year later.... As it turns out, with conversations with FEIT and HD, neither are "tested" or "compatible" with each other. FEIT dimmers are only tested with FEIT bulbs. I wish I knew that before the electrician wired up the whole house full of mostly dimmer switches. So frustrating.
I have 2 red ones "' 1 red to black" that powers to a standard switch & 1red to red which I think powers the dimmer/1 black to black/1green which is ground. So how would these color wires match up?
Is it a 3-way switch? Usually in my house i see red when it’s a 3 way or they ran 3 wire for a fan.
Thank you a TON!!! Learned a lot..
Going to try your recommendation. More to come....
Let me know how it works out!
Insteon dimmers with a neutral wire (the ones that communicate through the power line) seem to brown out LEDs slightly whenever a packet is being transmitted - hit a switch for lamp A and lamp B will brown out for about 1/10 of a second while lamp A switches on or off.
They hum but very very slightly, you won't hear it unless your lamp shade is shaped like a parabola and you are standing right under it. They also make a model without a neutral wire, there is very little hum but the bigger problem is that even the lowest brightness setting is way too bright.
Thanks for all the research!
Great review!
I tried the Lutron. Worked but the thing barely dims. Any suggestions for a dimmer than can dim LOW!?
Thanks for this. Alas, our new LED kitchen fixture is on a 3-way switch circuit using the old "alternate" wiring with no neutral. So we either live with the buzz or pay an electrician to rewire. OH well...
Great video! I only have a single switch but no neutral either. Stupid question but is the neutral necessary for this switch to work and eliminate the buzzing.
Not sure if this is true, but heard that you can leave at least one incandescent bulb in the circuit. For example, 5 light circuit, 4 led and 1 incandescent, and it may stop the buzzing. I have not tried this but I remember it has something to do with the incandescent bulb acting as a "bleeder". The ELV sounds like the logical permanent choice. I know my brother in law has the Lutron dimmers and they work fine.
You can try it and let us know! The only problem I have with that is the different look of the incandescent bulb. Even with different LED bulbs they look different. So if you have a set of 4 of them on a circuit the incandescent might look odd.
I have 9 bulbs on a single dimmer switch, which started humming once I replaced them all. By placing a single incandescent light, 60W, in the circuit, it acts as a resistor and removed the humming. So I was able to replace the majority of the bulbs and reduce the overall electricity, without having to replace my dimmer switch. Just another option. Thanks for the video!
Awesome! Good trick! Do they look all the same?
@@TheErock2626 Which dimmer are you using? Is it LED rated
This is known as trailing edge dimming in other countries 👍
Thanks for the helpful video.
Thanks good research
Is there 3 way solution for this that works? I need it to be able to dim as well. Right now have the Lutron 3 way dimmer switch with a companion switch that also dims and 1 out of 12 lights buzz. So basically, the one at the end of the connection chain buzzes.
This is what i put in 3 years ago. Been working perfect since. amzn.to/3E2Y4h4
Thanks for the info. We are having some really disturbing issues with an installation of led lights in the ceiling of our kitchen, The lights hum, but also go really bright and then go dark, The flashing is quite disturbing and our electrician does not have a clue...any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
Do they work ok on a regular switch? Is it just an issue when hooked into a dimmer?
Learned
You’re the man
Any idea about on a non-dimming switch? We've got MR16 GU5.3 bulb track lighting in our closet. When one of the halogens went out, I replaced with a SATCO LED, and the buzzing was apparent over 5' away.
I would first try a different bulb. Its probably an incompatibility between the driver and the bulb. I have had good luck with brilliance MR16 bulbs. They are not cheap but are good quality.
hrm thanks but I did buy an Eaton WFD30 and it's ELV slow turn on and it buzzes still
What kind of light fixture are you using?
@@CiscoSal a 12 pack led ilume set from hoke depot. 9w each. Lutron caseta reviews seem like a Hum killer
I hear a hum though there isn't a dimmer on the circuit. Any ideas why?
Could be the light fixture or the bulb. What kind of light fixture is it going into?
I purchased a George Kovacs ceiling light, Model # P981-077-L5(3) (Hidden Gems 150-Watt Equivalent Chrome Integrated LED Flushmount). With either a dimmer or a standard switch, the light buzzes and I see an afterglow after the switch is turned off. Can you suggest a switch that will remove the buzzing and afterglow? Thank you.
There might be a low voltage transformer built into the fixture. You can try one of the dimmers I have listed in the description. If that does not work I would call the manufacture. Not sure you can change the bulbs in that lamp but that would be my only other suggestion.
@@CiscoSal Thank you! I will indeed try one of the dimmers you mentioned. I appreciate you taking time to reply.
i have a strange issue, the buzzing is coming from the switch itself it has a faint led light to make it easier to find in a dark room and the switch is off.
When there is no bulb the faint led on the switch doesn't light up.
When there's and LED bulb in the socket the switch buzzes when the switch is off and the faint led on the switch doesn't light up
When there's a halogen or incandescent bulb in the socket the switch functions as it should and there is no buzzing.
PyroRomancer not really sure on that one. Sounds like the switch is not compatible with the bulbs.
I bought 2 Lutron smart switch dimmers with no neutral wire required, but with the hub. In my daughter's room the bulbs do not buzz at all, but the one in my son's room buzzes and it drives me crazy! I'm picky about the stuff and I can't figure out why it's buzzing because it's the exact same bulbs and switch.
It could be the fixture. Depending on how is sending electricity to the bulbs. Try one of the dimmers I recommend.
Try switching the two bulbs.
I'm so limited because I don't have a neutral wire running through that room, so I'm stuck with lutron dimmer, but I'll try changing the two bulbs.
As long that your dimmer itself has a neutral white wire, it should stabilize the flinking plus buzzing sound.
If your light ball still hums to hard, then the most typical problem is that the average person tights it way to hard.
Only tight until it you feel a slight tightness.
Led lights 50w or 60w shouldn't hum much since they are equal around 7w depending the brand.
It all depends on how the electrician did the job or the average Joe
Thats about the most ignorant third world explanation and the advice couldnt be any farther from the solution as well as dangerous to anyone who uses it.. intentionally leaving loose connections will NOT fix any electrical issue ever.. this is how electrical fires start or people get shocked by a live conductor.. jeez.. is about as smart as telling someone who is saying their beer is flat to just shake it up and it will regain carbonation.,, or saying if you get a splinter the best way to remove it is to push it on through the other side.. lol
@@Z-Ack @Z Ack before bullshiting people.
Learn your shit.
If your minimum load from your led lights doesn't exceed for your dimmer, you won't be able to dim less then 30%. That is why, it's recommended a neutral wire for your dimmer to properly balance your load.
As for fire, If not properly screw or marretted depending on your device, it can cause arcs and breaker will activate and no fire here ( Residencial here not commercial)
Now the issue is a Residencial regular led lights 120v and not 347v .
If buzz , cheap led light balls or issue with the dimmer.
Is that enough explanation for you.
I fixed enough peoples house as a certified electrician to know what I'm doing mr know it all joe
I'm having the same problem. Thanks for the video.
+Russ Tanner thanks! I hope it helps you out!
I just started buying LED's 1+1/2 ago and didn't/don't know much about them. Hate the horrible buzzing sound. So I noticed tonight that I bought "Dimmable" LED's but I don't even have dimmers. Is there non-dimmer LED's and if so; would switching to those solve ~my~ problem?
I doubt thats the problem. Try Cree or GE bulbs. I have had good luck with those. Usually the buzzing only happens when trying to dim. If you are having issues and the bulbs are not on dimmer switches, its either a bad bulb or something with the wiring in the house.
My guess would be the wiring. I have rented a lower flat in this house for the past 24 years. The house was built in 1934 and my guess is it has the original wiring for I have noticed other issues from time to time. The bulbs are Fiet Electric and got them from Home Depot.
1 other question. I like ~a lot~ of light and I loved the idea that LED's don't get hot like the old ones. I thought it would be ok to use a brighter bulb in the fixtures that say only use a 60 watt. Are you familiar with this and could this be another reason why I have the buzzing?
LED's are not like old incandescent. If a light fixture says 60watt maximum, thats around 800 lumens in an incandescent bulb. Lumens is how bright the bulb is. LED's can use MUCH less power to give you even more brightness (lumens). So, you could use a 17Watt LED bulb like this one amzn.to/2EDv7K4 to give you 1600 Lumens! This would still put you well under the recommended wattage of the lamp. I Don't think this would cause the buzzing. My recommendation would be to try a different brand of bulb. GE and Cree have been good for me.
Thanks, that's why I like the LED's because I like Bright Light! I will definitely try the brands you suggest. Thanks for taking the time...:-)
So, I purchased and installed this dimmer in our nursery but we are still getting the humming. Any thoughts?
What kind of light is it? What kind of bulbs is it using?
@@CiscoSal It’s a ceiling fan. Using 3 GE Relax Dimmable LEDs.
Ceiling fans are not supposed to be on dimmers. They usually have their own dimming mechanism built into the fan. If that’s the case then your only option is to try different bulbs. If that does not work then it’s the fan.
You're a very nice man, thanks.
Unfortunately, our house does not have neutral. So for all the bulbs from home depot you tested, no one works with regular dimmer?
You can try. Maybe you will get lucky and the bulbs won't buzz on a normal cl dimmer
Cisco Sal Thanks for the reply. I tried three types of G25 "vintage" looking LEDs from lowes on Lutron CL dimmer. (GE basic, Utilitech and Kichler) Only the Utilitec one hums slightly (cannot hear it from 3 or 4 feet). So far I tried at least 8 brands/types LEDs, I would say the vintage looking types did work better for me. (IKEA's LUNNOM is the only exception, they cost $8 and buzz like hell)
Thanks for following up this is good info!
All this + a WiFi enabled dimmer....is this possible?
I've tried 3 dimmers, including an ELV. All on compatibility list. Still buzzes and easily heard from 10 feet away.
What kind of light is it? What elv did you try out?
Are you sure you tried an ELV? Which brand?
Home Depot doesn’t carry ANY ELV dimmers in the store, unless the smart home dimmers are, but I can’t afford to test them!!!
Check out the links in the description. I put a few ones i tested in there.
Cisco Sal having trouble finding a dimmer for a fixture totaling 42 watts
what is their is just a switch no dimmer
Usually the buzzing is from the dimmer switch. If you just have a regular on off switch you should not have a problem.
I have it with a regular switch
Does anybody know if the problem will be fixed if I removed the dimmer switch and put a regular switch?
Most buzzing is caused by the dimmers. So switching to a regular toggle switch would also fix it. Unless the buzzing is coming from something else. It’s an easy enough of a swap to try it and find out. Let us know if it fixes it!
@@CiscoSal it worked!!👍
ELV dimmer
Where does the neutral wire go connected??
You need to have a neutral wire (usually white) in the wall box. If you have an older home that does not have a neutral wire the ELV switches will not work.
Just went to Home Depot and a profesional electrician overheard my conversation with the staff at Home Depot and told me I should use a magnetic dimmer.
Have you tried one and if so what was the result? He said it take away about 90%+ of the buzzing.
You could try a magnetic dimmer. It may do the same thing. I just have not tested those so I cant say they will work or not.
you really have to check the type of lighting u have ... you could need an ELV(electronic low voltage) OR* a MLV (magnetic low voltage) ...not the same (both are $$$ tho lol)
Okay so i have no clue where to begin I just recently had put led dimmer bulbs in my ceiling three bulb flush mount light fixture which was also just put up not too long ago I have a huge issue with the bulbs buzzing so loudly it gives people migraines and Is the first thing people hear but here's the thing it's remote controlled due to the fact the room it's in has no light switch hardwired in the wall
How do you remote control the light? The light is wired directly to the fusebox with no way of shutting it off unless you turn off the breaker? Can you find me a link that shows what kind of light you have?
Cisco Sal I've been looking I can't find it but it's a brushed bronze 3 bulb done light with some module on it I have a tiny white remote with the brand name Hunter
mod no:99118
P/n:K0470-01
Fcc I'd/I'd fcc:IN2TX40
Ic:3558A-TX40 that's everything on the back of the remote my dad had done the replacement and I don't think he anticipated me using led bulbs
Since its the light fixture controlling the dimming then your only option is a new light fixture or not using LED bulbs in it. The problem with buying a new light fixture is, you might have to try a few of them before you find one that works.
I do apologise in advance as I know nothing at all about this but I installed three Hamilton led dimmer bulbs that were the equivalent too a 60w
_2 FEET?_
We just put two led bulbs in a ceiling fan and noticed the buzzing my main concern is if it is a fire hazard
I would consult an electrician for a definitive answer, but I would not think so. As to fix the buzzing sound, it may be hard with the ceiling fan. You should try different manufacture for the bulbs or go back to incandescent.
Cisco Sal so far so good and when the glass dome is in place it muffled the buzzing
i hate when people say 24 by 7
You a dimmer that works with trailing edge tech.
.... 😳 i think ima just go back to incandescents
God speed.
Its still humming ):
wait that was a flashbang from the police
get video
Thank you!
How this crappy led stuff ever managed to sell whilst making so loud noises is bizarre to me.
Little ridiculous pricing wise. I mean $70 vs $20 for the other Leviton one. Seems very overpriced.
Agree, but these are the only ones I have found to stop the buzzing.
Is the noise completely gone with the ELV type?
In my experience yes. This was the only type of switch that fixed it for myself and others I know.
For what it's worth I did some more testing and it turns out my fixture didn't like the 40 watt equivalent Led bulb. Swapped for 60 watt equivalent Cree Soft White and the buzz is completely gone. Oh well saved me swapping the dimmers :)
Awesome! Happy you got it working!
Get to the point!!!
Lol sorry. I like to explain everything in detail. Hopefully it was helpful once you finished watching it.
get to the point