Strange low frequency noise

jpb001 · 09-10-2024 8:50pm #1

This sounds like I'm going a bit mad….

Ive recently started hearing a low frequency noise in our house in Blackrock. It cooincided with being home with a bout of covid. I cant hear it when theres other background noise. No one else in the family can hear it. Turned off all electrics and it was still there. the noise seems to cycle through a couple of frequencies.

I thought about tinnitus, but it doesnt seem to happen anywhere else. It seems louder in one corner of the house than other areas but is audible throughout.

Some potential sources that I've thought about: 1.Tinnitus, 2. We have an electric pole in our front garden where 5 houses are fed from, 3. Next door neighbour (not joined) has a sattelite dish close to the corner where it seems loudest. 4. Neighbour has an EV charger close to same corner. 5. NTL cables cross the house at this location.

Has anyone else experienced similar? Any thoughts on most likely causes?

L Grey · 09-10-2024 9:09pm

Somebody close to you running a pump or dehumidifier?

Larbre34 · 09-10-2024 9:15pm

Beg pardon, sprouts are back in season.

odyssey06 · 09-10-2024 9:36pm

Could be tinnitus from covid.

Do you hear it in both ears or only one?

Lie down on your side with one ear flat to pillow.

Does the location of the sound seem to.l shift?

Put ear plug in the other ear and repeat.

Might help you to figure out if hearing it internally or externally.

SwissToni · 09-10-2024 9:43pm

https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/07/the-hum-mystery-noise-says-a-lot-about-modern-life

jpb001 · 09-10-2024 9:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702750#Comment_122702750

Seems that I hear it equally in both ears. If I put in earplugs and cover my ears it stops.

The reason I dont think its tinnitus is that I dont hear it outside the house orin other quiet locations.

I downloaded the decibel X app and its registering 47Hz and 30-33DB but its definitely oscillating

jpb001 · 09-10-2024 10:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702688#Comment_122702688

I came across the Hum but this seems more 'local' to our house.

4Ad · 09-10-2024 10:18pm

A Heat Pump somewhere ?

09-10-2024 10:21pm

Since there are at least 4 places called 'Blackrock' in Ireland - I've no idea.

Simi · 09-10-2024 10:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702816#Comment_122702816

It could be that covid has made you more sensitive to certain frequencies? Ever since my bout back in 2021 I have been far more sensitive to low frequency noise, be it from diesel engines, construction, pumps, water moving through pipes, refrigerator's, oil boilers, electric cars charging etc. Low frequency noise is everywhere, all the time, most people just don't notice it or can filter it out.

Unfortunately low frequency noise can carry for many kilometres, easily pass through solid walls and even resonate in buildings. If earplugs work for you then use them. I see you've already tried turning off the power to no avail, so the noise is probably external.

jpb001 · 09-10-2024 10:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702875#Comment_122702875

Sorry, I should have been more specific. Blackrock South Dublin

jpb001 · 09-10-2024 10:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702866#Comment_122702866

Would that be Air to water type? I havent seen any in action. Do they hum?

jpb001 · 09-10-2024 10:52pm

Could a sattelite dish, or EV charger give off this type of noise?

L1011 · 09-10-2024 10:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702946#Comment_122702946

Only the LNB on a satellite dish isn't passive, and they don't emit noise. An EV charger might

Westernyelp · 09-10-2024 11:02pm

Is there anything burrowing in your shed?

Lewis_Benson · 09-10-2024 11:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702963#Comment_122702963

its probabaly Millhouse.

o1s1n · 09-10-2024 11:10pm

When you say it doesn't happen anywhere else, have you sat in another location in absolute silence?

If you have you can rule tinnitus out and it's environmental. But until you've done that you won't totally know.

I'm very sensitive to electrical frequencies. Had one recently where every time I sat down to watch TV I heard this high pitched whine.

Was totally located in this one area but couldn't figure it out.

Plugged everything out one by one and crazy enough, it turned out to be my wife's keyboard.

When the RGB lights were on, it was omitting a high pitched whine. My head was to the right of her desk when I was watching TV so I was right beside it.

jpb001 · 10-10-2024 12:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702963#Comment_122702963

Doesnt seem to be.

EmmetSpiceland · 10-10-2024 8:20am

Bees in the walls?

skallywag · 10-10-2024 8:26am

I have the exact same thing, I was convinced it was an electrical hum from my house somewhere. It drove me crazy trying to find it. I then noticed that I also heard it at two other houses which I spent the night at. I tend to hear it only at night, or during the day if it is v quiet in the house. It tends to be the same ear, so I am thinking it's all in my head. I never hear it when outside, at the office, etc.

Deebles McBeebles · 10-10-2024 10:59am

Your head is humming, and it won't go, in case you don't know…

The piper's calling you to join him.

Vita nova · 10-10-2024 12:33pm

My initial thoughts were that this sounds like mains hum, i.e. a 50Hz audio signal derived from the the 50Hz mains electrical network. However, you've measured 47Hz with a phone app which is well outside the mains frequency's allowable range 50 +/- 0.5Hz (long term average tolerance is much smaller).

I'm not familiar with the app you're using but it's worth confirming if it's misreading 50Hz as 47Hz by changing the settings for max resolution. If you still get 47Hz then one final check would be to generate a 50Hz audio signal with a phone or PC app and see if you measure it as 50Hz or 47Hz. If it's the former then you really have a 47Hz tone and if it's the latter then it's probably 50Hz mains hum.

If it's 47Hz then I'm not sure what could be causing that. It's unlikely to be a pure beat frequency (50Hz-3Hz or 97Hz-50Hz), so more likely some mechanically derived audio signal, perhaps the wind acting on the satellite dish etc.
If it's 50Hz then you need to turn off all power at the ESB consumer board ("fuseboard") isolation switch, which I think you've done but to no avail. The next thing is to check if you still hear the hum when power goes off in the neighbourhood. If you're like me then you'll have a planned/unplanned neighbourhood power outage once or twice a year, just make sure you check if the hum disappears or diminishes in all locations and if it returns to normal the minute power is restored.

If the hum is from the external (to house) electrical network, you could talk to the ESB or you could ask your nearest neighbours to turn off their power at the mains isolation switch and work with them if the problem comes from their houses.

Bazmo · 10-10-2024 12:57pm

I had something similar recently. First thought it was electrical. Cut power but sound persisted.

Mainly a constant humming sound. Occasionally is was louder: when it was it sounded like a neighbour's water pump was on constantly or (at it's worst) a washing machine on spin cycle - I live in an apartment block.

Ruled out anything electrical in mine and neighbours. I happened to touch one of the pipes going from my water storage tank and I could feel it vibrating and the sound diminished as I gripped it.

Fiddled around with some of the valves and removed some stuff that was wedged between the pipes and wall (rolls of wrapping paper - tennis racket etc…). As I did so I heard it stop. Couldn't believe it - I was 100% convinced it was an electrical sound. Hasn't happened since.

jpb001 · 10-10-2024 1:10pm

Thanks for all the great comments / feedback.

I found out that construction work is going on at a new housing development about 0.5km away. Does anyone know if there anything that would be on overnight on a sire that would submit a low frequency pulse?

10-10-2024 1:28pm

They might have a genny (Electric Generator) running overnight to keep security lamps working

FishOnABike · 10-10-2024 1:38pm

Would it be mmm-mmmmm or would it be mmmm-mm? The first one there, now that’s the sound of a fridge humming and the second one, now that’s the sound of a man humming. You never hear a woman humming. I knew a woman once, but she died soon afterwards.

gidget · 10-10-2024 1:53pm

How far are you from Blackrock train station? Could be from the power lines or signal boxes from there!

iamstop · 10-10-2024 2:04pm

Ya know…?

corner of hells · 10-10-2024 4:27pm

Are you sure it's just not the hum of After Hours , most times it's a gentle hmmmmmm sometimes it's a loud screech.

mehico · 10-10-2024 7:19pm

I have heard this as well. Like a previous poster I thought it was from the fridge or something else electrical from within the house but after turning everything off I could still hear it. I then realised I could hear it outside the house but couldn't find what direction it was coming from. Have also heard it in a neighbours house.

There was a programme on BBC a few weeks back about a lot of residents in Omagh hearing an unidentified hum sound.

Article here about possibly identifying the cause:

https://bbc.com/news/articles/cmm3jerqvero

SuperBowserWorld · 10-10-2024 7:21pm

Had something similar years ago. Thought it was something like an insect chewing the wall. But it was some small electric device with a battery (I can't actually remember what it was)

ondafly · 10-10-2024 7:27pm

Coil whine ? Nothing worse if you are susceptible to hearing it.

RockOrBog · 10-10-2024 7:31pm

Sometimes electrical transformers on pole make humming noises, especially if the day is damp

John arse · 10-10-2024 7:32pm

Any of the crash test dummies living near you???

CliffHangeroner · 10-10-2024 7:35pm

Russians, obviously..

4Ad · 13-10-2024 3:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122702945#Comment_122702945

Yes

MarieTeresa · 13-10-2024 7:39pm

I can hear the low frequency noise in Clontarf

Ubbquittious · 13-10-2024 10:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715695#Comment_122715695

Must be Joe Duffy humming away to himself

odyssey06 · 14-10-2024 5:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715695#Comment_122715695

Could be noises coming from Port operations or wind blowing through some drainage pipes or culverts.

miamee · 14-10-2024 11:33am

I had a low humming noise driving me mad in the house a few weeks ago. I narrowed it down to the hallway, I even went outside to see if I could hear it out there, maybe a neighbour was using a machine I could hear but I couldn't hear it outside. It turned out to be the ring box for the door bell up on the wall (don't actually know what it's called), OH had it down when replacing the front door bell and it has been humming since he put it back up. I can only hear it when the house is very quiet or when I am in the hall.

This one is less likely but I woke up to an awful humming electrical noise one night, I was up and down the stairs trying to pinpoint what it was. Eventually I realised that it was one of the speakers connected to my laptop in my office (spare room), for some reason it had started to hum loudly. That one was an easier fix than the door bell 😂

silliussoddius · 14-10-2024 5:33pm

Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to hum to you again

L Grey · 14-10-2024 8:27pm

Would it be mmm-mmmmm or would it be mmmm-mm?

The first one there, now thats the sound of a fridge humming and the second one - now thats the sound of a man humming.

appledrop · 14-10-2024 8:38pm

Could really be anything as others said so you kinda need to go to other places /houses and sit as quiet as possible to make sure it definitely isn't Tinnitus or anything like that. If definitely not I'd start trying to rule things out.

I had a hum driving me mad a few years ago and couldn't figure it, said it to my husband he couldn't hear anything. Could hear it in bedroom and all but thankfully stopped when i was going to sleep. I eventually coped on after about two weeks that my husband had changed all the light bulbs in lamps to more energy efficient ones that gave off a hum and drove me mad🫠.

He couldn't hear a thing with them, needless to say they all got dumped in the bin!