A hum from a dimmer is a mismatch. A buzz from the fixture itself can be a loose connection — worth a visit.
Three causes cover almost every call we get for this.
Bulbs or dimmer not rated for each other. The hum changes with the dim level.
Fluorescent ballasts and LED drivers hum as they fail. Replace the component or the fixture.
A wire nut or fixture terminal arcing. Constant buzz, sometimes with flicker or a smell.
Takes a minute, costs nothing, fixes it more often than you would think.
If the buzz changes when you move the dimmer, it is the dimmer and bulbs — not dangerous, just mismatched.
Still happening? That's our job.
We open the fixture, check the connections, replace a failing ballast or driver — or the whole fixture with an LED unit if that is cheaper — and match the dimmer to the bulbs.
Online or by phone. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour.
Traced to the box or device it lives in. Exact price before any work, you approve it first.
Right parts, tested under load, next connection checked so it does not come back.
A buzzing or humming light fixture is one of three things: a dimmer that is not matched to the bulbs (the hum comes from the bulbs or the dimmer), a failing ballast in a fluorescent fixture or a failing driver in an LED fixture, or a loose connection inside the fixture or its box that is arcing. The first two are annoying; the third is a fire risk, and you cannot tell them apart from the floor. An electrician can, in minutes.
A dimmer hum is not. A buzz with flicker, heat, or a smell is a loose connection — turn it off and call.
Often that is the better value, especially for fluorescent fixtures. We bring options.
Exact price before any work starts.
Usually within a day or two. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour.
Licensed electricians across South King and Pierce County. Exact price before any work starts.