[fikkser]

When I turn on a light (fluorescent strip light) I hear buzz in my speakers/headphones and the TV shows noise on the screen for a split second. The light flickers for about three seconds before it's lit.

I'm afraid it's harmful to my equipment since some buttons on the TV has stopped working for no apparent reason.

Any advice?

[Lloydy]

Short circuits cause arcing ( sparks ) which emit can emit some kind of radio frequency, you can often hear a short circuit through something with a loudspeaker.

Whether that can affect something to the extent you are experiencing I don't know. But I would seek the advice of a good electrician.

[DAZ]

What you are seeing/hearing is called RFI. Radio Frequency Interferes. With all do respect to Tesla the florescent light is probably one of the worst lights ever conserved. What is happening inside the florescent light when you start/use it is an electric arc traveling down the tube. The arc is in an ionized mercury plasma. If the mercury is cold it takes longer for all the mercury to go from a liquid/gas to a plasma. This is why it flickers at first. Newer florescent light will do this less but if a tube gets old it will also start to do this. This arc will radiate radio waves. This is what you other electronic devises are receiving. For the most part the only thing this will hurt is your nerves not the equipment. If this is bothering you try to A) move the light or electronic farther apart. B) Try a new florescent light (this may not help, as florescent lights are inherently noisy). C) Try a different kind of light. Incandescent lights are hot and not very efficient. I like LED light (especially for work spaces). They are more expensive but much more efficient (and in the long run is cheaper/last longer) than just about any other light, better for the ecology, cooler that just about any other light, have better color fidelity and can be place just about anywhere.

DAZ

[fikkser]

Thanks for answers!

[reeftool]

What you are seeing/hearing is called RFI. Radio Frequency Interferes. With all do respect to Tesla the florescent light is probably one of the worst lights ever conserved. What is happening inside the florescent light when you start/use it is an electric arc traveling down the tube. The arc is in an ionized mercury plasma. If the mercury is cold it takes longer for all the mercury to go from a liquid/gas to a plasma. This is why it flickers at first. Newer florescent light will do this less but if a tube gets old it will also start to do this. This arc will radiate radio waves. This is what you other electronic devises are receiving. For the most part the only thing this will hurt is your nerves not the equipment. If this is bothering you try to A) move the light or electronic farther apart. B) Try a new florescent light (this may not help, as florescent lights are inherently noisy). C) Try a different kind of light. Incandescent lights are hot and not very efficient. I like LED light (especially for work spaces). They are more expensive but much more efficient (and in the long run is cheaper/last longer) than just about any other light, better for the ecology, cooler that just about any other light, have better color fidelity and can be place just about anywhere.

DAZ

Yes and sometimes you can hear your flourescent lights, usually a humming noise but I have one in the bedroom with CFL bulbs that has a high pitch whine.

[BillM]

will sound strange, but if you can arrange equipment so that its parallel with light
might minimize sound(wont eliminate), recall riding in auto with radio on am station
and what would happen if travel intersected power lines at right angle? you guys
get a 50 hertz hum, here in u.s.,60 hertz. newer electronic ballast with flourescents
will do much to negate too. my compliments to Daz, wonderfully brief on complex subject.