HALO RL560WH-R LEDs buzzing with Maestro Dimmer

[tommyxv]

My HALO RL560WH-R LED lights buzz after I installed the Maestro CL Dimmer. The LEDs buzz no matter the dimmer setting. The LED bulbs are on the Lutron Maestro compatible bulb list too.

I have 4 LEDs on a master and 2 companion for a 4 way circuit.
I have 2 LEDs on just a single master.

All the wiring is brand new and still accessible.

They all buzz, some louder than others. What can I do? Are there any LED lights for 6" HALO IC cans that will not buzz with the Maestro CL dimmers?

[tommyxv]

Not much support on these forum I see.

[Ty W.]

I apologize for the delay - we are actively working with our LED team to determine the cause of the issue you have described.

We will provide an update to you by the end of today. Thank you for your patience.

[tommyxv]

I apologize for the delay - we are actively working with our LED team to determine the cause of the issue you have described.

We will provide an update to you by the end of today. Thank you for your patience.

Ok thanks.

I have some CREE brand BR30 LED bulbs coming today via UPS. I'm going to test them today.

[Steve S.]

I’m glad that you made use of our compatible lamp list. When we tested this fixture, we did not notice any buzzing with either a single lamp or with a full 150W worth of load. It is possible that a component may have changed in this LED or there is something unique about your installation. Since we did not experience the buzzing with this control, it makes it difficult to suggest another dimming control that will definitely not produce any noise in your case. The dimming control of LED lighting can sometimes be a tricky task due to the sensitivity of the LED bulbs and the changes that occur frequently in the LED industry. LEDs are great when it comes to saving energy, however many will produce high current spikes that will put extra stress on to the dimming control. These high spikes are normally the main cause for audible noise in the fixture or even in the dimming control. They are also the reason why we are limited to 150W of LEDs on this control but can handle 600W of incandescent. If the noise is being produced from high current spikes, a reverse phase (or electronic low voltage) dimmer could be a solution. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee this will resolve the buzzing. You may also consider contacting Cooper to see if they have a recommended solution for this product.

If you would like to talk further about this specific application, please feel free to give one of our LED experts a call at 877-DIM-LED8 (877-346-5338).

[tommyxv]

I’m glad that you made use of our compatible lamp list. When we tested this fixture, we did not notice any buzzing with either a single lamp or with a full 150W worth of load. It is possible that a component may have changed in this LED or there is something unique about your installation. Since we did not experience the buzzing with this control, it makes it difficult to suggest another dimming control that will definitely not produce any noise in your case. The dimming control of LED lighting can sometimes be a tricky task due to the sensitivity of the LED bulbs and the changes that occur frequently in the LED industry. LEDs are great when it comes to saving energy, however many will produce high current spikes that will put extra stress on to the dimming control. These high spikes are normally the main cause for audible noise in the fixture or even in the dimming control. They are also the reason why we are limited to 150W of LEDs on this control but can handle 600W of incandescent. If the noise is being produced from high current spikes, a reverse phase (or electronic low voltage) dimmer could be a solution. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee this will resolve the buzzing. You may also consider contacting Cooper to see if they have a recommended solution for this product.

If you would like to talk further about this specific application, please feel free to give one of our LED experts a call at 877-DIM-LED8 (877-346-5338).

Thanks for the follow up. I installed the CREE brand BR30 LED bulbs and there is no buzzing at all. Completely silent. Looks like I may be using these instead with baffle/trim kits. I am going to give the HALO LEDS one more try to make sure there wasn't loose wire.

I rewired a 3 way switch circuit and changed it to 4 way switch circuit today. So I had to disconnect the 2 master dimmers to install a 4 gang box. I re-install both masters and added the 3rd master.

There will be 4 masters in this location for 4 lighting zones. 2 of the zones have 4 way switches. I have 2 companion dimmers in the other 2 location for each of those zones.

[tommyxv]

I put the Halo LEDs back in and they still buzz so I know my wiring is not the issue. I have 17 of them and all but 2 buzz. Its definitely the Halo LEDS. The small black ac to dc transformer on the back of them is what's buzzing.

Just some FYI:
There are a few version of these HALO RL560WH-R LEDS. On some, you can see the black transformer and red and black wire nutted wires on the back, and on others there is a black cap that covers it. BOTH VERSIONs BUZZ FOR ME.

Version with no back cover:


Version with back cover:



The CREE BR30 LEDS are working great with no buzzing.

[tommyxv]

I talk to Cooper tech support today. The Maestro CL MACL?153M dimmer is NOT compatible with their HALO LEDs. They said to use the Maestro MAELV-600-WH (electronic low voltage dimmer) that has been tested by them and on their approved dimmer list.

http://www.cooperindustries.com/cont...121480-tis.pdf

OUCH! That dimmer is $129!

[Steve S.]

Interesting, I see they list both forward phase (such as our C·L dimmers) and reverse phase controls (such as electronic low voltage dimmers) on their compatibility list. As I was mentioning earlier, many times (although not always), buzzing will be alliviated with reverse phase controls such as the MAELV-600. However as you noticed, the components inside of a reverse phase dimmer can be much more costly. I am happy to hear that the Cree BR30s are up and running without any noise!

[tommyxv]

Interesting, I see they list both forward phase (such as our C·L dimmers) and reverse phase controls (such as electronic low voltage dimmers) on their compatibility list. As I was mentioning earlier, many times (although not always), buzzing will be alliviated with reverse phase controls such as the MAELV-600. However as you noticed, the components inside of a reverse phase dimmer can be much more costly. I am happy to hear that the Cree BR30s are up and running without any noise!

I ordered one MAELV-600 dimmer to see if that eliminates the noise. If not, then I am definitely going with the CREE BR30's.

Thanks