LOUD lights, are they broken?

[denimous]

i just got new powercompacts for my fish tank.
they used to use 2-24watt 50/50 dual spectrum power compact flourescent bulbs
now they use 2-24watt 6500k power compact flourescent bulbs
both are made by jbj

the problem is, when they first turn on in the morning, they make this really loud noise...it sounded like how a filter sounds when you plug it back in after a cleaning. it goes on for about thirty seconds, then its relatively silent.
my flip top is fan cooled as well. so it may be the fan?

is this normal?
should i be alarmed?
is it broken possibly?
and...do you know how i could fix it?

i dont want the lights to burn out faster as a result. they are "snap in" bulbs, so i dont see how i could've installed them wrong.

sorry for all the questions this month! ive never used this kind of fishtank before (all-in-one setup), i realize now that when something goes wrong with it...its harder to figure out what part of it needs attention!

i hope if other people get the same tank, i can save them grief and google search time by answering their questions =D.

thanks for your patience and consistent help!

 

[Lotus]

It sounds like something is obstructing the fan, or it is unbalanced. We have a light unit that does the same thing, and have checked that the wires aren't in the way (although they're close). It's most likely slightly off balance, but OK once it's up to speed. As long as it's not damaging wires, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. You might want to try to call the JBJ customer service and ask.

Edit: I believe this is the number: JBJ Lighting 1-310-672-4021

The fan is more of a benefit for the fish, to keep the water cool, than a benefit for the light fixture itself.

 

[denimous]

lotus...
thanks for the heads up...
i think i will see if my dad could take the fan apart for me to adjust its balance (he's my handyman).
ill post the results once he can take a look at it.

 

[Littlefishies]

I didn't want to start a new topic but I have a similar problem.

My Perfecto Full-Aquarium Top w/ Flourescent bulb was brought new back in Feb. 2002. Manufactured in Dec. 2001. It's been very dependable but now it makes really loud hums like flourescent bulbs in an office but much louder and it vibrates the tank a bit.

I've been trying to figure out what's causing it and I've switched between my daylight bulb and actinic but it still makes that noise.

Any insight on this?