Aquaspacelight Owners -- Ever Had It Buzz and Fix It?

[Dt'sReef]

My 2x250w Aquaspacelight buzzes loudly whenever it's on. It's the loudest piece of equipment on my 90 gallon SPS tank. I'm told this is not normal but I have not been able to find out the problem.

I don't think it's a loose part issue because I've taken it apart and noticed that the igniter on each end of the light is making all the noise.

I've seen a 3x250w fixture (actually 30 of them in a coral warehouse) and it was completely silent, even when I put my ear next to the side vent.

AquaMedic said it shouldn't be doing this and sent me a loaner (it looks new) while mine is getting fixed. This one buzzes loudly too. It seems like it's against the odds that both lights would have something wrong with them.

Anyone ever had the same problem but solve it?

 

[sanjay]

What you are experiencing is called Ballast Hum, caused by the vibration of the lamination in the transformer coil. The operating frequency of the ballast causes the lamination to vibrate creating this humming noise.

Transformer noise is inherent in lamp ballast. Most ballast have noise ratings, A thru F. With A being the quietest. I can hear them all in a quiet room, but in most cases the ambient noise will drown them out – esp the noise of the reef pumps.

To reduce hum:
1) Make sure the ballast is tightened securely in lamp fixture.
2) Make sure the fixture itself is tightened securely.
3) Voltage should be within the ballast rating.
4) change acoustical characteristics of the area in which luminaires are used.
5) Wear ear plugs

With the AB ballast, they actually have sets of transformer coils in there – one for the power supply (to go from the 110 to 240V) and another for the ballast itself. So there is 2X the likely hood of noise. Its quite likely that one of them could be bad.

sanjay.