Halogen Bulbs

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

OK, the ballast is responsible for the hum in fluorescent lights (which, BTW, I happened to have known), but what I don’t know is what caues the hum in halogen bulbs. There is no ballast, that I know of. Or is there?

2

Oops. Forgot the link. http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbuzzingbulb.html

3

Are you referring to the mercury or sodium vapor lamps used in streetlights? These aren’t halogen bulbs. They are gas-discharge bulbs similar to fluorescents, in that they operate by passing an electric current through an ionized gas, producing light. As with fluorescent bulbs, these lamps also need a ballast, for the same reason.

I’ve had halogen desk lamps–they are incandescent lamps, just like a standard lightbulb, and there is no ballast in them. If you are referring to low-voltage halogen lighting systems, then there is a transformer in them that lowers the 120 V mains to typically 12 V, and these can buzz the same way (and for the same reason) as fluorescent ballasts.

4

I was referring to halogen lamps for the household. I have two of them. Is this the same as the halogen lighting systems you refer to? I have 150 watt halogen bulbs in each, but they come in different wattage.

5

I’m not sure. Have you got a brand name and maybe a model number for the lamps? There’s so many variations of high-voltage/low-voltage/halogen/incandescent/fluorescent/whatever lighting solutions available, it’s difficult to say what might be causing the buzz in yours. Chances are it’s a transformer of some sort.

6

Regent 150 watt quartz halogen replacement bulb. Model HSL150BP. It’s 120 volt 150 watt.

7

I can’t find any specific information on their website (http://www.regentlighting.com/), but I suspect it’s some sort of transformer, especially if it’s the type of lamp with a switchable dimmer.

8

You can control the brightness by turning the knob, and the noise is most obvious when the bulb is brightest.

9

Yep, that would be why. I found a nice How Stuff Works article on this here.

10

Thanks for the updates. My questions are: (1) Is there a way to test for a “good” strip light using a multi-meter? (2) what is the correct disposal technique for used strip lights considering the mercury content? (3) Are the phosphors used posionous - what would happen if you were to break a tube and ingest some of the glass?