buzz

[theo32]

hi guys

ive recently had a lot of electrical work done on my house ie new downlights sockets etc.

anyway i had my consumer unit changed a few days ago and ive noticed on a few of the lighting circuits you can hear a buzzing sound from the mcb's.

it seems to be on the circuits which have dimmers on them, now ive changed the dimmers for normal switches and the buzzing stops.

is it normal for this buzzing noise? i really want to put the dimmers back on but im just a bit concerned why it would buzz.

thanks

 

[tim west]

The coil inside the mcb acts as a pickup for the noise induced into the circuit via the dimmer, similar to using a choke to reduce noise in a motor circuit where the "buzzing" then occurs in the choke which can be located elsewhere from the motor(especially invertor controlled) in environments where noise is a problem.

 

[theo32]

thanks for the reply

so am i right in thinking that this is a normal thing to happen on a circuit with a dimmer and im ok to put the dimmers back on?

ger paranoid about stuff like this

thanks

 

[JJ32]

alright mate

sounds like your well paranoid...anyone would think you spend all day standing by the box waiting for a buzz and ordering your bird to turn them lights on...and off...on....and off....and on and off again....if i were you id spend your time pampering your lady and cooking her tea instead of waiting to hear a buzz that aint there.....



hope this helps

 

[RF Lighting]

Idiot.

The chap has come here asking for advice.

At lease he has the intellegence to make sure all is well, instead of just making his tea and hoping his house doesn't burn down.

So, no. It doesn't help.

 

[JohnD]

I think JJ might be theo's wife

 

[tim west]

I wouldnt say its a usual thing as it depends on the components of the circuit and how their values interact with each other, bit like a tuned circuit if you like, in other words you might try to duplicate what you have elsewhere and get no buzz at the mcb. As for normal meaning safe, its hard to say what detriment the vibration may cause to the breaker, We have a particular breaker in one part of the campus at work and its been doing the same for years now without causing any problem but who knows whether it has shortened the lifespan of the breaker or not?