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malinablue

05:29AM | 12/29/00
Member Since: 12/28/00
3 lifetime posts
Bvelectrical
I've noticed that when I have my lights dimmed, a slight buzzing sound comes from the light switch (a slide dimmer switch). The sound is there , but much more faint, hardly noticable, when the lights are all the way on. I hear it more on the bedroom dimmer switch, but if I put my ear close to other dimmer switches in the house, they're buzzing faintly too. Is this normal? Just the sound of electricity passing through? If so, why is it louder when the lights are dimmed?

ElectrcBil

08:12AM | 12/30/00
Member Since: 07/21/00
77 lifetime posts
Yes this is a common occurrence. The dimmer switch is "absorbing"(for lack of a better word) more electricity when the lights are dimmer.

Lawrence

07:53PM | 01/08/01
Member Since: 11/14/00
333 lifetime posts
Dimmers work as sort of mini-transformers: they reduce the amount of electricity that travels through the circuit, thereby dimming the lights. Just like outsides transformers hum and buzz, so do these. It is a very common occurrence, especially with cheap dimmers.

However, the buzzing is NOT a neccessary feature of dimmers. Better quality dimmers cost more mostly because they do not buzz. If it bugs you (which it does me), then replace them with better quality dimmers that are rated to handle the amount of wattage for which you are using them.



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