Strange Electrical Interference
 

We all know that dimmers can cause huge electrical interference but I've got
a strange situation right now that I can't figure out. I've got several
dimmers in my house and any one of them causes a cyclical buzzing in my
phone line, even the hard-wired phones. That's strange enough, but this buzz
is not constant...it alternates on/off/on/off with a constant rhythm...about
one second on then one second off, and any one of the dimmers causes the
same noise to start. It seems as if the noise is actually coming from one
source with some cyclic pattern, yet any of the dimmers introduces it into
my phone lines. And it seems odd that this affects my phone lines...not my
am or sw radio reception.

Any ideas where I could look?

Jay

JAY,

Check the Mechanical Connections of your Phone Lines.
If you are hearing a "Audio" Noise on the Phone Lines
then a 'bad' or 'dirty' Connection may be the problem.

Also look for places that your Phone Lines and the household
Electrical Wires run parallel.

Finally put "Clamp-On" Ferrite Cores on the A/C Power Sources
for any Phone Equipment that you are using.

iane ~ RHF
..
..
= = = "Jay" wrote in message
= = = om...
We all know that dimmers can cause huge electrical interference but I've got
a strange situation right now that I can't figure out. I've got several
dimmers in my house and any one of them causes a cyclical buzzing in my
phone line, even the hard-wired phones. That's strange enough, but this buzz
is not constant...it alternates on/off/on/off with a constant rhythm...about
one second on then one second off, and any one of the dimmers causes the
same noise to start. It seems as if the noise is actually coming from one
source with some cyclic pattern, yet any of the dimmers introduces it into
my phone lines. And it seems odd that this affects my phone lines...not my
am or sw radio reception.

Any ideas where I could look?

Jay

Do you have a blinking caution light near you?

Bill, K5BY

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 17:53:22 -0500, RHF wrote
(in article ) :

JAY,

Check the Mechanical Connections of your Phone Lines.
If you are hearing a "Audio" Noise on the Phone Lines
then a 'bad' or 'dirty' Connection may be the problem.


Piggybacking on RHF's reply: What kind of telephones?

Do you have an "old" (POTS) type phone? One of the Western Electrics?

[If not, grab one at a yard sale/thrift shop for $1-$4.]

Disconnect every other telephone in your house, both power and telephone
wiring, and see what you get.

Like Bill, I'm tending to think that the dimmer may not be causing the
interference as much as it "introduces" the interference.

Also, I've seen a lot of wall-dimmers that have two blacks or two whites so
there is that (possibly).

Another possibility: Using the circuit breakers, try combinations of circuits
and dimmer switches and "other" electricity users. (I realize that is using
three variables but I'm not the one who has to do this dux!!.)

Have you double-checked that you don't have a flourescent unit going bad?
Come to think of it, the "fast blinking" from that would give out about that
frequency.

Let us now how this is going; it's an interesting probelm.

++ Gray //



Also look for places that your Phone Lines and the household
Electrical Wires run parallel.

Finally put "Clamp-On" Ferrite Cores on the A/C Power Sources
for any Phone Equipment that you are using.

iane ~ RHF
.
.
= = = "Jay" wrote in message
= = = om...
We all know that dimmers can cause huge electrical interference but I've
got
a strange situation right now that I can't figure out. I've got several
dimmers in my house and any one of them causes a cyclical buzzing in my
phone line, even the hard-wired phones. That's strange enough, but this
buzz
is not constant...it alternates on/off/on/off with a constant
rhythm...about
one second on then one second off, and any one of the dimmers causes the
same noise to start. It seems as if the noise is actually coming from one
source with some cyclic pattern, yet any of the dimmers introduces it into
my phone lines. And it seems odd that this affects my phone lines...not my
am or sw radio reception.

Any ideas where I could look?

Jay

It's not mechanical...not like a static of loose connections. It's a loud
buzz, equal timing on/off/on/off, at about 1 second intervals. Definitely
electrical in nature and it affects all my phones, hard wired and cordless.
And once again, the strange thing is that I can turn on any dimmer light and
the same noise will start, so it's like the noise is being generated
somewhere else but being somehow introduced when a dimmer is activated. I
don't know how to isolate this at all. This is independent of the fact that
some of the dimmers cause their own buzzes...some very loud, others are
quiet, but any will start this intermittent buzz.

Jay
"Gray Shockley" wrote in message
.com...
On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 17:53:22 -0500, RHF wrote
(in article ) :

JAY,

Check the Mechanical Connections of your Phone Lines.
If you are hearing a "Audio" Noise on the Phone Lines
then a 'bad' or 'dirty' Connection may be the problem.


Piggybacking on RHF's reply: What kind of telephones?

Do you have an "old" (POTS) type phone? One of the Western Electrics?

[If not, grab one at a yard sale/thrift shop for $1-$4.]

Disconnect every other telephone in your house, both power and telephone
wiring, and see what you get.

Like Bill, I'm tending to think that the dimmer may not be causing the
interference as much as it "introduces" the interference.

Also, I've seen a lot of wall-dimmers that have two blacks or two whites
so
there is that (possibly).

Another possibility: Using the circuit breakers, try combinations of
circuits
and dimmer switches and "other" electricity users. (I realize that is
using
three variables but I'm not the one who has to do this dux!!.)

Have you double-checked that you don't have a flourescent unit going bad?
Come to think of it, the "fast blinking" from that would give out about
that
frequency.

Let us now how this is going; it's an interesting probelm.

++ Gray //



Also look for places that your Phone Lines and the household
Electrical Wires run parallel.

Finally put "Clamp-On" Ferrite Cores on the A/C Power Sources
for any Phone Equipment that you are using.

iane ~ RHF
.
.
= = = "Jay" wrote in message
= = = om...
We all know that dimmers can cause huge electrical interference but
I've
got
a strange situation right now that I can't figure out. I've got several
dimmers in my house and any one of them causes a cyclical buzzing in my
phone line, even the hard-wired phones. That's strange enough, but this
buzz
is not constant...it alternates on/off/on/off with a constant
rhythm...about
one second on then one second off, and any one of the dimmers causes
the
same noise to start. It seems as if the noise is actually coming from
one
source with some cyclic pattern, yet any of the dimmers introduces it
into
my phone lines. And it seems odd that this affects my phone
lines...not my
am or sw radio reception.

Any ideas where I could look?

Jay

On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 21:17:25 -0500, Jay wrote
(in article ):

It's not mechanical...not like a static of loose connections. It's a loud
buzz, equal timing on/off/on/off, at about 1 second intervals. Definitely
electrical in nature and it affects all my phones, hard wired and cordless.
And once again, the strange thing is that I can turn on any dimmer light and
the same noise will start, so it's like the noise is being generated
somewhere else but being somehow introduced when a dimmer is activated. I
don't know how to isolate this at all. This is independent of the fact that
some of the dimmers cause their own buzzes...some very loud, others are
quiet, but any will start this intermittent buzz.

Jay


Did you try "introducing the buzz and then flippinh circuit
breakers in various combinations?

Also, you might want to ask for suggestions in one of the "Home
Repair/Improvement" newsgroups.


++ Gray //