CFL Interference: Help!

[Jason Hanko]

Im wondering if anyone else has experienced a similar problem:
As they burn out weve been replacing the incandescent light bulbs in our house with the newer compact fluorescent ones (CFL).
A few weeks ago I noticed that our computer monitor (Samsung LCD flat panel) is making this terrible electronic buzzing noise. Later that day I go into the living room (next room over) and our Plasma TV is also making a terrible buzzing noise (louder than the monitor even). It didnt take me long to realize that the buzzing stops being emmited from both screens if I shut off the light in the computer room....
I had just recently replaced 3 burned out bulbs in the computer room fixture with CFLs. Sure enough if I unscrew the CFL bulbs and leave only the incandescent one going, the noise stops. Screw in even one of the CFLs and the noise comes back.
Whats going on here? We have CFLs in the living room where the TV is and they dont have a problem. Do I just have a few bad bulbs?

[Eric Larsen]

Probably bad bulbs. Try some LED bulbs from Costco. I love them -- amazing the quality light 5w can throw. I replaced 30 can lights at my house and saw an immediate $40/mo savings on my electric bill. The lights pay for themselves in less than a year, and last about seven. Not bad!

Although, that might cause your equipment to hum as well -- it's got a transformer moving the load around to the various LED bulbs.

[Jason Hanko]

Update:
I wandered down into the basement to see if we had any different bulbs I could try - I could hear the buzzing coming from our main breaker panel from all the way across the room! I grab the remote for the light in question (its a ceiling fan actually) and head back to the basement to stand next to the panel.
Light off, buzzing off. Light on, buzzing on.
Repeat.
Somethings not right with these bulbs...Im taking them out.

[Lee Schierer]

With some of the early CFL's we had problems with the remote for the TV working when the lights were turned on high. Apparently they were also emitting light in the same IR band that was being used by the TV control. If we kept the light on medium or low the TV remote would work just fine, but it wouldn't work when the light was on high. The interference was definitely IR since I covered the light with a black plastic bag while it was on high and the TV control would also work.

[Anthony Scira]

Update:
I wandered down into the basement to see if we had any different bulbs I could try - I could hear the buzzing coming from our main breaker panel from all the way across the room! I grab the remote for the light in question (its a ceiling fan actually) and head back to the basement to stand next to the panel.
Light off, buzzing off. Light on, buzzing on.
Repeat.
Somethings not right with these bulbs...Im taking them out.

If you have buzzing in the panel you its going to be other problems other than a light. I would have an electrician come out and look at it if your not comfortable around a panel.

[Dick Strauss]

Jason,
The bulbs are interfering with the devices on that electrical circuit. They aren't radiating interference through the air but are passing it down the power line. I'd be willing to bet that the TV and the light in the living room are on different circuits.

Make sure you buy energy star bulbs since they aren't supposed to buzz...
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2007/11/cfl-problems.html

[David G Baker]

as has been suggested, if you have buzzing coming from your main panel there is a good chance that you may have a serious problem. With all the lights off in the area of the panel check to see if there is some arcing in the panel. I had this problem once and the cause was a loose connection on one of my breakers. Call your utility company and ask them to come out and check for a problem.

[Ken Garlock]

The florescent bulb needs a high voltage source to cause the mercury to ionize and beat up on the phosphorus coating of the bulb inside thus producing light. In order to get the voltage without a big heavy ballast the makers use a tiny switching power supply in the bulb base. The output of these little gems is not a sine wave, but rather a square wave. A square wave has an infinite number of harmonics. Those harmonics are causing the "crap" on your TVs.

I would buy a line filter and try that. Better yet, get a UPS for your electronic equipment. Surge protectors are helpful, but tend to loose their usefulness after repeated surges.

I have a Samsung SyncMaster 244T monitor and have no problem. A 16W CFL is about 8 ft. away. But, I am using an APC UPS on my computer and monitor.

Yes, computers also use switching power supplies, but the makers know that they have to clean up their output prior to dispensing it to the mother board.

[David G Baker]

I have around 30 CFL bulbs scattered throughout my home and so far I have not experienced any issues in any of my monitors. All of my bulbs are the daylight color bulbs.

[Josiah Bartlett]

It is likely that the reason your panel was humming was that whatever frequency the bulbs were switching at was making the magnetic coils inside the circuit breakers hum.

CFL's are often made so cheaply and with such poor quality control that they can cause all kinds of bad power factor and high frequency content on the AC line.

[Myk Rian]

Check all the connections in the breaker panel. It sounds like you have a loose one. Also check the switch and outlet connections.

[Matt Meiser]

BTW, its also possible that you have a bad breaker. My parents had one that buzzed under load. My dad replaced it and the problem went away (after discovering that their panel was rusted out and needed replacing. :eek:)