different type of faint buzzing sound-please help

[ESing]

Hello everyone, I was hoping someone could help me out. I have a Samsung HLS5087 that is about 2 1/2 years old. Bulb life is around 5700 hrs and I have never had any color/projection problems. The only thing I have recently heard is a faint but noticeable from 10ft, buzzing sound coming from what seems like the bulb itself. The best I can describe it would be as a ware house light before it burns out...kind of like a faint "unnnnnnnn".

I haven't read anything with people only having the buzzing noise without other symptoms (like tv shutting on/off or not turning on at all/recycling). My tv has no other problems at all.

After reading all the reviews online (I should have started with more research) I thought it could possibly be my color wheel. I got a new color wheel, installed it and still the same sound. Therefore, I would rule out the color wheel. Plus it is a low frequency noise not the high pitch most people complain about.

I also checked all the fans by running the tv without to see what they sounded like. Definitely not the fans as I can hear them running and stopping after the tv shuts down.

The sound itself appears to me to be coming directly from the bulb. I have not read anything regarding bulbs making noises though. I do have another bulb on order, but the one I have has no problems powering up. The noise starts about 10 seconds after startup, when the bulb itself gets fully lighted and stops as soon as the bulb shuts off. I read from another board that if you remove the bulb and turn on the tv you can find out if the color wheel or ballast is bad (which I did) and heard the color wheel start and the ballast try to turn on the lamp. I did not hear the noise without the bulb. I am leaning towards the bulb itself making the noise, but have not heard anyone else mention it happening to them. Could this be the problem?

Otherwise, if it is not the bulb making the noise, I guess the last thing would have to be the ballast, but everything I have heard about the ballast is problems with firing up the light or keeping the tv on. Overall performance is like new. I might be drawing unnecessary connections, but the day before the noise started we had a candle burning in the room that created alot of soot everywhere. Because I originally thought it was just dust or soot inside, I took the back apart and vacuumed everything and cleaned all the circuitry boards to no avail. Could it be the ballast having trouble keeping the bulb fully running even with no problems firing it up? Or maybe dust somewhere I didn't get?

Has this ever happened to anyone else?
I've done so much research and found nothing that sounds like my problem, besides this low humming the tv has no other problems.

Hopefully someone can help...Thanks in advance.

[Jason1976]

it's not the lamp. i would say it's the color wheel. when they starting going out you can hear them. the barrings go bad.

[ESing]

I replaced the color wheel and the sound was still there.

[ESing]

Just wanted to follow up for everyone since I couldnt find my answer on the internet, hopefully this will help someone else out.

I got my lamp today in the mail, switched out the housings, reinstalled the new lamp and just like picture came on and no more low hum. It appears it was my lamp. Cant quite pinpoint why it was making the noise, but it was.

Being the person I am, I actually took the new lamp back out, replaced the old lamp back into the housing and tried it again. TV fired right up, but then came that low hum sound again. Once again put the new lamp back in and no more noises.

New lamp appears to have about the same intensity brightness as the old lamp. The old one had 5700 hrs on it, works fine, just the noise so I guess I will keep it as an emergency backup. Only thing I can see is that maybe the inside filament looks a little dirty.

Hopefully this helps some people out! Good luck!

[Jason1976]

maybe the lamp was making the ballast make a hum.