Why does a light fixture in the ceiling make a crackling sound if you had an energy-saving bulb installed and it holds three bulbs but you are only using one socket?

Answer 1

Without being there to hear the "crackling" sound you mention, I cannot be sure what it is, but I can provide some information which may help you to decide what to do. Also, I have to assume that the subject sound only occurs when the light switch is turned on, AND only since the installation of the energy-saving bulb. I suspect that the crackling noise is the result of the "ARCING" of 60 cycle Alternating Current [AC], your household electricity. To me 60 cycle AC arcing sounds like one, or more, of "cracking, popping, sizzling, and crackling." If I am right, that IS what is causing that sound, and that SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING! If a "cooking" arc is OCCURING, then this is a DANGEROUS condition which COULD LEAD TO A FIRE, AND should be corrected IMMEDIATELY. Also, you should NOT TURN ON the switch to that light fixture UNTIL THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN FOUND AND CORRECTED !!!!! There are several possible sources for the arcing, and without being able to personally troubleshoot the problem I cannot determine which of the following is the cause: 1) The "energy-saving bulb" COULD be DEFECTIVE. 2) The socket into which it is screwed could be worn, or "cooked out," with some parts not making good contact, resulting in a very small gap over which the arc is occuring. 3) The bulb MAY not be completely screwed in, resulting in a loose connection between the center contact on the bulb and the center contact in the socket, with the same result as in 2. 4) The wire[S] AND/OR connection terminals inside the fixture base may be loose, or cooked out. Again, I suspect that the symptom you describe is the result of ARCING of 60 cycle AC current, and constitutes a dangerous condition which should be checked out by a QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL, a LICENSED ELECTRICIAN. This problem is too important to allow some "jack-leg" to fix, use a professional!