# Mercury vapor bulb buzzing sound



## mini_max (Mar 25, 2016)

Hi! My new 125 watt mvb is making a really annoying hum/buzz that makes it sound like my ears are ringing whenever I'm near the enclosure. Does anyone know, is this normal for the higher wattage bulbs, or is it my fixture, or the bulb itself? Thanks.


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## DutchieAmanda (Mar 26, 2016)

A buzzing sound from electrics would worry me, could be a sign of a short circuit... Is the bulb screwed in tightly? Is the socket a ceramic one suitable for higher wattages?


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## Cowboy_Ken (Mar 26, 2016)

DutchieAmanda said:


> Is the bulb screwed in tightly? Is the socket a ceramic one suitable for higher wattages?


Is the fixture grounded, is this the proper fixture for the bulb, does the noise continue while using a regular incandescent lightbulb?


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## MPRC (Mar 26, 2016)

I've had buzzing MVB lights before. Sometimes repositioning them helped, sometimes tapping them lightly after they were cooled off helped, but nothing seems to be a permanent fix for me.


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## mini_max (Mar 26, 2016)

Thanks everyone. I replaced my fixture, to be safe. It can handle up to 170 watts. It still buzzed and upon further inspection of the bulb, i discovered that the stuff inside the bulb - the filament or whatever it would be called in this case was quite at an angle rather than straight up and down. A manufacturing defect I guess. So when I adjusted the bulb to make the actual guts of it hang vertically, the noise stopped. 

Thank goodness!


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