We recently updatd the lighting in our kitchen, removing a single low-hanging light fixture with 8 filament bulbs to three pendant bulbs with LED bulbs on a dimmer. Now, whenever we have the lights on the lowest dimmer setting, our STOVE/OVEN emits a buzzing sound from behind where the clock display is. Also, when on the lowest dimmer setting, when the microwave turns on the three pendant lights dim a little bit more.
I thought that with less draw d/t the LED lights we shouldn't have the dimming with the microwave. Especially since the 3 LED lights are more efficient than the 8 bulbs they replaced, and we never had issues with the old light fixture (aside from it being ugly and low hanging and bumping our head on it a thousand times). The stove/oven and the lights are on different fuses too.
I've tried different brands of bulbs and wattage equivalent too. So far, the ones that make the least amount of buzz are (surprisingly) non-dimmable 40w equivalent LEDs from Target.
Tips on tracking the source of the buzz? Different frequencies interfering from mixing technologies? I'm stumped and annoyed, as everything looks great but lights shouldn't be heard...
Is your dimmer switch designed for LEDs? If its an older switch it may need to be replaced.
I have the exact same issue with a dimmer and leds. I think the above post is on the money.
Hal
UltraDork
9/26/16 7:13 p.m.
Strange in that your stove and microwave should not have any electrical connection to the light.
But as others have said, if you are going to put LED's on a dimmer, the dimmer must be made for use with LED's. I have converted our whole house to LED's and have had to change all the dimmer switches to get them to work properly. The best dimmers for LED's even have an adjustment so you can set the range of dimming.
I'd bet it's interference getting into the stove's beeper circuit, dimmers tend to be LOUD in terms of EMI. Bring an AM radio into the room, you'll probably hear it.
Microwave dimming the lights is probably just the microwave being a big load and causing a voltage drop.
It sounds like everything is on the same circuit. You are probably getting harmonics on the circuit from the dimmer. That is probably being heard through a transformer in the stove if it is gas. If the lights and microwave are not on the same circuit and the stove is electric I would check the grounding in your panel.
In the newest codes, lights are on separate circuits and all appliances should be separate plus the two circuits for the counters.
