short in a tube-what happens?

Here is my experience. I was getting a kind of popping/rumpling sound coming from one of my speakers. It was intermittent, not extremely loud, but with no music playing it was very noticeable. Could not figure it out but ultimately traced it back to one of my mono blocks which was brand new. I started by testing the “6DJ8” driver tubes and sure enough one of the sides of one of the tubes registered a short. I replaced both tubes and the amp is now dead silent.

Some tubes will light up a 'shorts' light on some testers, even when there is no short.

A short is two elements touching that should not be doing so.

-Ed

A tube can short when heater wires within the tube deform under high heat and touch the cathode. Excessive heating happens when air leaks in the tube. With a heater to cathode short, excessive current can destroy an amp output transformer unless the mains are fused.

by short, I mean, my tube testers light lights up when it senses a short in the tube being tested.

the tube in question is a nicer SQ tube, so id rather not throw it away if it has some value.

6dj8 is a relatively common tube, to be on the safe side, I think if you know there is some kinds of short in the tube, then replace it with a good one. I assume the audio gear you have is expensive.

Define a clear short.