Have you walked past a wall in your home and suddenly stopped, thinking that you heard an odd buzzing sound? With all of the sounds coming from electronic devices and appliances, it can be hard to notice those slight humming or droning buzzing noises, but they are important. However, when you do hear buzzing coming from within the walls of your home, it is essential that you pay attention and take action quickly. This sound is not a regular occurrence and could be your only warning of a severe electrical hazard that is lurking inside the walls of your home.
What Is Making The Buzzing Sound
There are a lot of electrical components inside the walls of your home. Many El Paso homeowners think that there are only long wiring runs, but that is just the beginning. The sound you are hearing could be the vibrating or humming of electricity in motion. And several reasons it could be coming from inside your walls, but not all of them are related to your electrical system. Some common culprits include:
- A bad electrical connection inside one of the boxes housing a junction of wires or an outlet or switch
- There could be a loose ground screw in an electrical box.
- Ceiling fans are also known to create a slight buzzing or humming. Be sure no ceiling fans are running in the area to eliminate that potential cause of the sound.
- If you have any fluorescent bulbs in your home, ensure those light fixtures are turned off to eliminate that constant humming sound.
- Check for any partially open air vents that could be the cause of the humming.
- If there appears to be nothing in the wall to cause the sound, check the outside of the wall. On some occasions, a worn meter outside could be creating the humming sound you hear indoors.
- If the humming sound is variable, gets louder and quieter, see if you have bees or wasps that have invaded your walls and are building a hive.
Does Electricity Really Make A Sound?
When an electrical system is functioning correctly and safely, the is no noticeable sound coming from it. So when you do notice crackling, buzzing, or humming from an outlet, junction box, or electrical wire, know that there is a problem. And that you need to call in a licensed electrician immediately to avoid a catastrophe.
The most common reasons for an electrical wire to hum are a loose connection or bad wiring. This is not uncommon as an electrical system ages. For example, you might be noticing that an outlet moves slightly when you are plugging a cord into it. This is because the mounting screws have become loose over time, which could also occur inside the electrical box to create the humming or buzzing.
If your home is new, the most common cause of humming is improper wiring. When the wires are reversed and not wired together correctly, they create a buzzing sound. Think of any buzzing from your home’s electrical system as a warning or alarm going off. It should be a signal to you to seek professional help.
Safety Should Always Come First
It can be easy to decide to explore an odd sound in your home before calling in a professional. And when there are many potential causes of a humming sound in your walls, it is understandable that you want to eliminate some harmless causes. However, once those are eliminated, it is essential that you call (915) 221-8214 instead of tackling an electrical problem on your own. The licensed electricians at Secure Electrical Contractors have the expertise to locate and correct the problem safely and cost-effectively.