I replaced a plain single light bulb fixture with 2 dual 8' fluorescent fixtures mounted end to end from where the original light was. This was for half of a basement workshop area. The light is great but it has an annoying humming noise. The fixtures were basic industrial type without even a bulb cover. Are there more expensive fixtures that don't hum? Any way to quiet this one?

 

If these are older model fixtures the ballast could be getting old .They do this when they get older and make noise before they give out.The newer Ballast are now solid state and allot lighter in weight that is.But you can get a new fixture just as cheep as the Ballast.The fluorescents bulbs (when in cold weather ) do give the Ballast hell when used in a cold environment until they warm up.

 

If you have F96T12 slimline [ a single pin light socket type] that rated for either 60 or 75 watts those typically are magatic ballast and they will buzz some degrees.

the other type is F96T12HO [ a double pin black plastic base type much narrower than standard T12 or T8 pins are]
they are Magatinc ballasted and of course they will buzz as well.

but if you got the electronic ballast they generally little more expensive than standard magatic ballast are but they are far much more quieter than plain jane magatic ballast type.

Most big box store useally sell the magatic and electronic verison of this so next time you shop for it please read the label very carefully with it.

the most common 8 foot strip flourscent luminiares i useally get are 4 lamp electronic ballast and they will start pretty good in cold weather IIRC either 20°F or 0°F [-6°C or -18°C]

costwise they are not too bad just few more bucks over standard verison i useally get all the time.

but if you dont like the noise of magatinc ballast you can swap for electronic unit but PLEASE follow the connection diagram very carefully with it and make sure they are propely grounded.

Merci, Marc

a small tibbit here you can add a rubber washer between the luminaire and the ceiling or joist to really reduce the noise but please make sure you have good grounding wire there this is very impoart to get the flourscent luminaire[s] to work propely

 

Its not the fixture mate, its the gear. Either get a new magnetic gear or relamp the fitting with T8 and HF gear, the hum's gonna go to a sleep

 

Or give the lights the words to the songs so they will stop just humming. No, really, I agree with Frenchy and the others on changing the ballast and isolating the fixture.

 

the ballast may not be tight enough in the fixture (black tranformer under the cover with a bunch of wires coming out of it). Unscrew it, putting silicon weather stripping, on the back of the ballast, the part that is 'tight' against the florescent metal frame and put it back onto the florescent, it may help reduce allot of the hummning.

 

I concur. Change to an electronic ballast.