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Strange low frequency noise

  • 09-10-2024 8:50pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18


    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?



«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 305 ✭✭L Grey


    Somebody close to you running a pump or dehumidifier?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,719 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Beg pardon, sprouts are back in season.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,028 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    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.

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 149 ✭✭SwissToni


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


    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



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,765 ✭✭✭4Ad


    A Heat Pump somewhere ?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 922 ✭✭✭65535


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,912 ✭✭✭Simi


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


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



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 71,188 ✭✭✭✭L1011


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,402 ✭✭✭Westernyelp


    Is there anything burrowing in your shed?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,301 ✭✭✭Lewis_Benson




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,606 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,437 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    Bees in the walls?

    “It is not blood that makes you Irish but a willingness to be part of the Irish nation” - Thomas Davis



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,022 ✭✭✭skallywag


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,943 ✭✭✭Deebles McBeebles


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

    The piper's calling you to join him.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭Vita nova


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 105 ✭✭Bazmo


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


    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?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 922 ✭✭✭65535


    There was an error displaying this embed.

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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,636 ✭✭✭FishOnABike


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭gidget


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



  • Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 12,875 Mod ✭✭✭✭iamstop




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,420 ✭✭✭corner of hells


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 316 ✭✭mehico


    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



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,864 ✭✭✭SuperBowserWorld


    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)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,187 ✭✭✭ondafly


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 365 ✭✭RockOrBog


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,217 ✭✭✭John arse


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 563 ✭✭✭CliffHangeroner


    Russians, obviously..



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,765 ✭✭✭4Ad




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 MarieTeresa


    I can hear the low frequency noise in Clontarf



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,292 ✭✭✭Ubbquittious




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,028 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


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

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators Posts: 12,526 Mod ✭✭✭✭miamee


    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 😂



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,892 ✭✭✭silliussoddius


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



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 305 ✭✭L Grey


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,200 ✭✭✭appledrop


    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!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


    Looks like it could be tinnitus….off to get it checks with the Dr.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,482 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    Register your hum

    https://thehum.info/newhummap/html_docs/

    and you'll see that there is another "hearing" (as opposed to sighting) nr Blackrock.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,093 ✭✭✭✭Esel
    Not Your Ornery Onager


    The amount of personal info they ask for! 😯 👀

    Not your ornery onager



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,738 ✭✭✭2011abc


    smart meter ?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,835 ✭✭✭✭nullzero
    °°°°°


    OP should go full on Chuck McGill ripping the house apart to get to them bottom of it.

    Glazers Out!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,549 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    Subtle "I've got a detached house in Blackrock" thread 😁

    In Cavan there was a great fire / Judge McCarthy was sent to inquire / It would be a shame / If the nuns were to blame / So it had to be caused by a wire.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 jpb001


    that’s what you took from the conversation? Pretty sad.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,549 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    If you don't want After Hours answers don't post in After Hours

    In Cavan there was a great fire / Judge McCarthy was sent to inquire / It would be a shame / If the nuns were to blame / So it had to be caused by a wire.



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