The Buzz on CFL's and Radio/TV Noise

So you want to save energy and you've gone out and started to or have completely replaced your incandescent light bulbs with CFL's - Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs! That's good news because you are saving money and energy, with a bulb that will last about 10 times longer than an old fashioned filament light bulb. What to do though if suddenly this smart solution is causing you frustration because of this ongoing humming sound when you turn on your AM radio or even TV? It's a question I've been getting from readers and listeners and I have the answer here! CFL's are energized differently than incandescent light bulbs and that can create a noise inteference with electronic devices in your home. In an incandescent, electric current runs through a wire filament and heats the filament until it starts to glow. In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing argon and a small amount of mercury vapor. This is what creates an invisible ultraviolet light that in turn emits visible light.

Depending on where your CFL bulbs are installed, this may or may not be a problem, or it may be so severe, you will be unable to use CFLs in some applications. They can interfere with radio receivers, especially AM radio, but also TV too.

A solution may be to move the radio or TV farther away from the CFL, or plug the radio, TV or other device receiving interference into another outlet or branch circuit.

Check your circuit breaker. A lot of older homes have several outlets on one circuit. You may want to change the circuit your radio or TV are on so they don't interfere with the CFL.

Something else I've learned is that the radio frequency interference from some CFL's may interfere with smart home systems, like burglar and firm alarm systems that rely on wireless modules like motion detectors. So do some homework and check to see which CFL is best for you!

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Here's a helpful how to shop for CFL guide by the EPA and Dept of Energy:

http://www.energystar.gov/

Cindy

cindy@homewizards.tv