I'd been having a hard time sleeping because the dimmer I use on a lamp for a night light whistles or makes a very high pitch, continuous noise like a Cicada. I then move the dimmer to another location but the sound is still there. When I face the wall during sleep the sound gets louder. I have tinnitus so it's very hard to distinguish the two sounds until I sleep with ear muffs. I will get rid of this problem but I haven't found a solution since I lack sleep and not in my right mind. What are some repair solution or products I can use to dim night lights?
About the only thing I can think of that would whistle is the filter inductor inside. You might be able to coat it in varnish to keep it from vibrating.
The Dimmer probably uses PWM or is a equivalent switched mode power supply, unless it has a pretty large transformer on it. As the name of this circuit topology suggests the current is switched on and off very quickly with different mark:space ratios to give you a varying output current. The switching for these units is typically high in the region of 1kHZ or more, therefore the noise is actually generated from the switching itself, and it is inherent in the design.
I would suggest moving the dimmer further away if possible or trying another type/make.
Are you sure it's not the light bulbs that are making the noise, not the dimmer? I've noticed that certain bulbs will make a noise when dimmed, but others are completely silent. Try a different brand of bulbs.
It's not high frequency PWM, standard light dimmers vary the point in each half cycle at which the triac turns on and completes the circuit. This switching occurs at line frequency.
Hi, I had the same problem with my lamp in the living room. This lamp has the dimmer built into the cable and the switch/dial was remote. I just wraped the dimmer into some old thick cloth, which perfectly absorbed the noise. If you do the same trick, make sure the dimmer does not get too hot, to prevent fire.
Hi, Sam. Sorry about the tinnitus. If you view in in terms of productive capacity lost, tinnitus is one of the most costly diseases to the American economy (over a million Americans have it badly enough to be at least partially disabled, and most of those are adults who could otherwise lead productive lives), and a lot more research could be done to work towards a cure.
The high frequency sound is almost certainly coming from the bulb itself rather than the dimmer. The filament and filament mount on many bulbs are mechanically resonant at a multiple of line frequency.
The easiest thing to try is getting a different (usually a more expensive) brand of light bulb. More expensive ones are typically better-made, and seem to be more resistant to this effect. You can also slow down the turn-on of the triac in the middle of the AC cycle, to mimimize or stop this effect. In days of yore, triacs all had soft turn-ons, and this was less of a problem. Since you can't change the triac, you can also accomplish this by putting a small choke in series with the line. Lutron makes these, but I'm not sure you want to play with the electrical wiring. Either that, or get a different dimmer that has that protection built-in (quite a bit more expensive).
To get a little more sleep at night, you might want to try one of those "white noise generators" that make sounds like rain or waves. They're sold separately as stand alone desktop models, and are also built into some better alarm clocks. A friend of mine found that helped him for some time. Try to get one that has an external connection for speakers or headphones. That will give you more options.
If you're trying to find and isolate high-frequency sounds that are bugging you in order to minimize their effect on your life, you might want to buy, beg or borrow an old medical stethoscope, or use an automotive one (that has the horn funnel at the end).
Good luck, and let's keep hoping for a cure! Anyone who's interested in more information can check out:
No, this is the movement of the EMI suppressor inductor sheets sumitted to the electromagnetic field generated by the 50 or 60 Hz and the triac switching harmonics.
Nothing to do easily. The inductor needs to be impregnated with Rustol under vacuum to ease the penetratration deep beetween the sheets.
If the coil is made with a toroid, the material is probably iron powder (not ferrite) mixed with some kind polyester or phenolic resin. This technology is very good because the particles of iron create a spread gap. In this case the noise is pretty much low but rather located in the higher frequencies, 300 to 500 Hz.
The windings also move and make noise. The filtering capacitor as well if mylar type. The best is polypropylène which is very good due to its high dV/dT withstanding.
Typically, this phenomenon may occur after years of thermal fatigue or evaporation of the varnishes or glues.
Again, nothing to do easily.
The only way to solve the issue is to replace the inductor or to try to insulate it from the dimmer housing by some hi-temp rubber. Good luck !
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Good Info Chris: Been enduring the ringing -both ears - for longer that I can remember, plus the hypertussis thing which aggravates hearing one specific person when in a group, or in lots of ambient noises.<
I do relaxation and massage therapy and have had many clients with sleep issues. Lack of sleep or inadequate sleep can be a major factor in many physical problems. I had a client with tinnitus that went away after she had a few weeks of good sleep. Have you tried sleeping without a light? Not meaning to be trivial about this but there have been studies that show melatonin levels are lower in people who sleep with a light on. There may also be some underlying issues there. I personally cannot sleep with a light on and I have a tiny keyboard light because my desk lamp bothers my wife when I'm working late at night. As to the noise I think that the other posters have covered that quite well. Richard
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