Engineering Asked by Ufuk on April 17, 2021
I am suffering from a strange hum in my home. I have just bought my home and living in 3 months. A month ago I’ve started to hear a humming noise. Then, I recorded the sound and looked at its frequency response. The peak was at 50 Hz. After a while, I started to use an application named “SignalScopeX” for iPhone. It gave me the same results, in this app you can see the response in real time and there is a peak at exactly 49 Hz. I measured several times (in night and day) and the sound exists every time. Is there a possibility that in pure silent mics response 50 Hz, or is it real sound? I hear it but still I want to be sure about that. I suspected an electrical machine vibrating my walls (I am living in Turkey, main electricity is 50 Hz). Me (living in 6th floor) and my neighbours (living in 5th and 7th floors) cut of our home electricity but still, the sound is exists. What can be the reason of the sound?
Some of my thoughts are:
Indeed, if the spectral content of the noise is peaked at the mains frequency, it is evidence of a motor somewhere in the building that runs all the time. This could be a ventilator or exhaust fan for a kitchen or bath, an aquarium pump, a refrigerator, or a component of the plumbing system that either boosts the water pressure for the upper floors or scavenges sewage from them.
If that motor is well-coupled to the frame of the building, you will hear it almost everywhere, so I would recommend walking through the building with your sound meter app running and check the basement, attic, hallways, lobby, etc. Somewhere you will find that motor!
Answered by niels nielsen on April 17, 2021
It does "sound" like it could be from an electrical device assuming you are in region that used 50 Hz power. If you are able, try turn off the power at the circuit breaker panel one circuit at a time and see if the sound goes away. That would help limit your search for the cause.
Answered by James Cook on April 17, 2021
In addition to a motor, a transformer carrying a relatively high current at 50 Hz can also be a source of mechanical vibration.
Answered by Phil Freedenberg on April 17, 2021
Probably it is a small transformers or even an abandoned electrical door chime.
You can try both closing the electrical breakers one by one and or using a stethoscope or directional mic to pick up the location of it. It may well have been buried under some cabinetry or tile work.
If it is actually shorted by connection with a pipe or similar conductor, you pay the utility bill for it. Use magnetic Ohmmeter to find it.
Answered by kamran on April 17, 2021
Some large buildings have a transformer attached to them for the mains supply for all apartments. The vibrations are probably being transmitted via harmonic resonance due to acoustic amplification. This may have been why previous owners sold the property.
Human body operates at 25Hz which means harmonic octave frequencies are more noticeable to us. It may be possible to use noise cancelling sound to negate the impact and an audio specialist may be able to help out with creation of an inverse sine wave oscillator.
Answered by Rhodie on April 17, 2021
Get help from others!
Recent Questions
Recent Answers
© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP