CFL bulb sparking

[FredLooban]

Our bathroom lights are CFL right now with 3pcs. of 13W daylight CFL bulb.

They used to have incandescent bulbs but since these consume more power 40W I replaced them.

Now when I turn the lights on, I hear like that there is a short sound, like a 25KV of picture before.

What is causing it?

[swanner]

Sounds like a bad transformer in one of the bulbs...
Pull them all and try one bulb at a time...

does the light fixture it self have a transformer in it? maybe it cannot handle the load reduction??
do you have a tester to check for open ground or maybe the wiring is reversed polarity...?

just throwing it out there.. go luck

[swanner]

something I just read

c/p "less expensive bulbs can be a bit noisy as they heat up. Even expensive one's make some noise. Usually a defective one will make one snap or rcrackel and go dead"


Here is a quick link I used to check some stuff out....

http://askville.amazon.com/bathroom-light-making-sizzle-cracking-sound/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=1159640

I had that problem in my basement, I ended up having to remove a dimmer switch... Cracking and buzzing went away..

[FredLooban]

Sounds like a bad transformer in one of the bulbs...
Pull them all and try one bulb at a time...

does the light fixture it self have a transformer in it? maybe it cannot handle the load reduction??
do you have a tester to check for open ground or maybe the wiring is reversed polarity...?

just throwing it out there.. go luck

It is an AC 110V so no polarity and no transformer though.

I don't have a tester anyway.

I will try to switch it on other bulb.

[FredLooban]

something I just read

c/p "less expensive bulbs can be a bit noisy as they heat up. Even expensive one's make some noise. Usually a defective one will make one snap or rcrackel and go dead"


Here is a quick link I used to check some stuff out....

http://askville.amazon.com/bathroom-light-making-sizzle-cracking-sound/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=1159640

I had that problem in my basement, I ended up having to remove a dimmer switch... Cracking and buzzing went away..

I forgot to write that I have a solar panel installed.

[steveOtoo]

I forgot to write that I have a solar panel installed.

Maybe solar flare causing sparking.......

[Terryl]

Sounds like a bad bulb to me.

I don't CFL bulbs, too much of a risk for mercury contamination if one breaks.

I use LED lightining, they cost a bit more but use even less power then the CFL's.

Come in differant degrees of K, (the higher the K the brighter, the lower the K the warmer)I use the 5600K in the kitchen and the 6500 K for reading.