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🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: pvignola on November 17, 2006, 08:09:37 AM

Title: Wall switch hums
Post by: pvignola on November 17, 2006, 08:09:37 AM

I have purchased and installed a WS467. It is connected to an incandescent light.  When the light is on there is a hum coming from the switch.  Is this normal and OK?

Title: Re: Wall switch hums
Post by: Puck on November 17, 2006, 08:56:39 AM

It is normal for Triac Dimmers to hum.

Here's another post with the same question (and some info):

WS12A Decora Dimmers buzzing (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=10515.0)

Title: Re: Wall switch hums
Post by: TakeTheActive on November 17, 2006, 11:35:33 AM

Is a HUM similar to a BUZZ? ??? :o ::) :-X Wall Switches  (Read 2042 times) (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=9163.0) :)

Title: Re: Wall switch hums
Post by: dave w on November 17, 2006, 11:49:20 AM

Quote from: TakeTheActive on November 17, 2006, 11:35:33 AM

Is a HUM similar to a BUZZ? ??? :o ::) :-X Wall Switches  (Read 2042 times) (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=9163.0) :)

Nope, a hum is at least 10dB down.  ;D

Title: Re: Wall switch hums
Post by: KDR on November 17, 2006, 11:57:55 AM

I have not so good hearing. I mostly hear barking. I can hear a buzz but never hear a hum. Thats why all my wall switches work perfectly. X10 turns them on and off so I never touch them. So they must be running cool and quit.  :-X

Title: Re: Wall switch hums
Post by: dave w on November 17, 2006, 12:23:51 PM

Yup. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around ..............

Title: Re: Wall switch hums
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on November 18, 2006, 12:53:33 AM

... the squirrel still gets flattened!   ;D

Title: Re: Wall switch hums
Post by: nklght on November 24, 2006, 12:47:29 AM

Is the hum comming from the switch of or the light?  Is the light in a dim status?  I have noticed that lights dimmed using an X-10 wall switch tend to make a horrible noise, altough lights controlled a plug in module are quiet.  The key is to make sure the lights on the wall switch are full on or off.  The second you start dimming a wall switch the horrible sound starts, and it gets worse the more you dim it.  I have several lights using plug in modules and wall switches, everytime I dim them the wall switch controlled lamps create a horrible noise.  I have several wall switches installed and we started hearing a bad hum, after my In-Laws came to visit, a couple of days latter it was pitch black and we noticed a subtle glow from certain fixtures.  The In-Laws never turned them off, just dimmed them to point in which they were not visible.  We hit the few switches, and stopped the noise.