MH bulb making weird buzzing sound

So I recently bought a new Adjust-a-Wing reflector and everything seems to be okay with it, except my MH now makes a constant buzzing noise when it's on, which it didn't do before in the old reflector. The noise is not there when I use my HPS, so it can't be the socket of the AAW that's at fault. I also screwed and unscrewed the bulb multiple times to make sure it was really in there as tight as possible. That doesn't seem to be the problem either, so that leaves the MH bulb itself.

Is this a cause for concern? It seems to work just fine aside from the noise (which I would describe as not exactly loud, but also not quiet). It kinda sounds like some tiny part is loose in there somewhere, creating the buzzing sound. Opinions?

ensure you have kept the safety glass on

test with new bulb

keep the screamer as a bkup

good luck

Have you tried it in a different reflector? If it's quiet in another one then there has to be a loose pop rivet or screw on the AAW.

Not the ballast is it?

are you dimming this mh ? this will cause them to make all kinds of funky noises . dimming a mh will shorten its live majorly

OldMedUser said:

Have you tried it in a different reflector? If it's quiet in another one then there has to be a loose pop rivet or screw on the AAW.

Not the ballast is it?

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As I said, it didn't make noises in the old reflector, but there are also no noises when I use my HPS, which led me to believe it's the MH bulb that's got something wrong with it, not the AAW. And no, it's definitely not the ballast.

bryan oconner said:

are you dimming this mh ? this will cause them to make all kinds of funky noises . dimming a mh will shorten its live majorly

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Nope, not dimming anything...

By the way, I'm planning on growing SoG-style from this coming grow onwards, so I'll only have veg times of around 2 weeks anyway. Should I therefore just forget about the MH and use my HPS for the entire grow cycle instead? It's a Sylvana Grolux 600W which says it's got some additional blue in it, making it also suitable for veg. Is this a good idea?

Joseph McGrowseph said:

As I said, it didn't make noises in the old reflector, but there are also no noises when I use my HPS, which led me to believe it's the MH bulb that's got something wrong with it, not the AAW. And no, it's definitely not the ballast.


Nope, not dimming anything...

By the way, I'm planning on growing SoG-style from this coming grow onwards, so I'll only have veg times of around 2 weeks anyway. Should I therefore just forget about the MH and use my HPS for the entire grow cycle instead? It's a Sylvana Grolux 600W which says it's got some additional blue in it, making it also suitable for veg. Is this a good idea?

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I wonder if it is a weird harmonic/vibration in the bulb that is radiating in the adjust a wing. Almost like feedback from a microphone or an electric guitar.

If you have a glove you may want to grab hold of the wing and see if that stops the harmonic.

The cycles of the MH and HPS bulb may be different.

I've had this before, it's the bulb on its way out.. I swapped the noisy bulb with one in a different reflector to confirm, I left it for a week and it started causing the ballast to hum which is an indication that the capacitor inside the ballast is under strain, replace the bulb to prevent damage to the ballast

i had this in a brand new hps hrtilux off amazon . makes me wonder if the bulb was actually new .

bryan oconner said:

i had this in a brand new hps hrtilux off amazon . makes me wonder if the bulb was actually new .

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This would not be the first time. Amazon let's a lot of stuff pass. I have heard of counterfeit junk being sold on Amazon.

I actually trust eBay more and individual vendors.

Samno said:

I've had this before, it's the bulb on its way out.. I swapped the noisy bulb with one in a different reflector to confirm, I left it for a week and it started causing the ballast to hum which is an indication that the capacitor inside the ballast is under strain, replace the bulb to prevent damage to the ballast

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Yeah, seems like that's what's happening... which is weird because it only lasted one grow. Maybe the the cold temperatures in my basement caused something to break inside? Or maybe it's just a shitty quality bulb...

Anyway, if there's a chance that it's going to ruin the ballast or something else, then I'd rather just use the HPS instead. Do you guys think I will be okay with that for 2 weeks of veg? As I said, it's got some additional blue in it. Or will my plants still get too lanky?

you can veg with the hps they will grow just fine . they will have slightly more stretch then the mh . a lot of people i know use hps for veg . if its that concerning to you stop using the mh its not worth it . nobody knows if it will damage your ballast or shut off and come on . or break . i seen a mh bulb was dimming and getting bright all by it self and it was only months old . tossed it