Loud Noise Lights??

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GREENIE_420

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I have read all the posts I can find about the humming noise and I still have to ask this question.... My MH ballast hums about as loud as a wore out pair of hair clippers. It is louder than my fans and I can hear it through the closed door. Is this normal? I recall certain streetlights or security lights that make some noise louder than others before they burn out. I realize that now it seems louder than normal because it is in a inclosed area and not 15 or 20 feet above my head. How loud are they supposed to be? I know thats tough to answer but any info will help.
 
I use a 400W magnetic ballast and it does not make a lot of noise. I use a 4" inline fan in the same room and the fan is way louder.
 
I have the same size fan but hard to say how loud yours and mine is! How about... it is as loud as a tattoo machine, one about 5 yrs. old ? Doesn't seem right does it? Makes me think the ballast has ran its race. I got for free so no telling the hours on it
 
Mine is silent. Sometime it starts to hum and i just knock it and it stops.
 
Magnetic 600w, I have to put my ear right near it and no other noise around. Otherwise don't notice its around.
 
I used to use a 400 mH magnetic and my air pump always seemed louder to me then the ballast.
 
i had one that was pretty loud before it fired and took a bit longer than normal to fire also, i think something may going wrong with yours. might want to get it checked out before a fire or something happens.

both my huge magnetic and little digital are both silent.
 
It should be near silent but mag ballast, especialy older units can have the laminations of the tarnsforner get "loose".
It really is not a safety issue but a noise issue it should still work for quite some time.

If its too loud you could swap it with a ballast kit and keep your enclosure.
 
Thanks for the info, it is an older "looking" setup. Hushpuppy said If the plates and coils are accessable to coat them with epoxy resin and let dry for 4 or 5 days. That sounds like a good idea. I know nothing about these lights or ballast but it doesn't seem to lean towards the dangerous side of things. I HOPE!:holysheep: :eek: :holysheep: I'm gonna invest in a auto fire ext. anyways, regardless what type of lights i'm using. Anyone know how much they cost?
 
Growdude said:
It should be near silent but mag ballast, especialy older units can have the laminations of the tarnsforner get "loose".
It really is not a safety issue but a noise issue it should still work for quite some time.

If its too loud you could swap it with a ballast kit and keep your enclosure.

what would you consider "older"? i have a hydrofarm mag that i run every day. i got it used and had it for close to 5 years. maybe theres a date on it somewhere. its still completely silent.

just wondering if theres a typical lifespan when this starts to happen.
 
There really isn't a typical lifespan for these ballasts. It really depends on how well the unit was built and how good the metal in the coil core is. The cores are made out of multiple metal plates that are pressed together and either welded or riveted together. The ones that are riveted together often will get loose over time from heating and cooling and this allows them to rattle from the current frequency flowing around them. That rattling is the hum that you hear. Often one will fail after rattling causes the copper windings to be rubbed until they short internally or break. Pouring the epoxy resin over and around the coil core will both seal the plates together and dampen the vibrations. :)
 
PuffinNugs said:
what would you consider "older"? i have a hydrofarm mag that i run every day. i got it used and had it for close to 5 years. maybe theres a date on it somewhere. its still completely silent.

just wondering if theres a typical lifespan when this starts to happen.
I have the same thing (Hydrofarm, mag, silent) in 430w and have used it since 1997.
 
GREENIE_420 said:
I'm gonna invest in a auto fire ext. anyways, regardless what type of lights i'm using. Anyone know how much they cost?


50 bucks, ive been looking at them, peace of mind is worth alot more than 50 bucks if ya ask me. here is a link but there are tons of choices.

hXXp://www.ebay.ca/itm/FLAME-DEFENDER-2-KG-FIRE-EXTINGUISHER-SELF-CONTAINED-AUTOMATIC-GROW-ROOM-/250976963484?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6f648b9c




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