120 hz hum-- not from my audio gear but from my house-- what to do about it?

[antcollinet]

FWIW: Someone did the math, already:

Is this more plausible than the catfish?

Why does it have to have anything to do with Lorenz? (I assume you are considering the power lines themselves buzzing in free air)

Consider the magnetic field caused by 4000A (or 1000A if you like) in proximity to any ferro magnetic hardware of the pylon, or from resultant induced currents in such hardware. This is how induction motors move after all. I'd say that is somewhat more plausible than the catfish.

Oh - and any vibration so caused could also travel accoustically down the power line itself


I'll admit to not having done any maths

 

[Digby]

I continue to be plagued with an ever present 120 Hz, ambient, hum of unvarying loudness inside and outside my new house and , indeed, all around the neighborhood. Flipping off the main circuit breaker to my house does not change this in any way.

There used to be a old streetlamp I would visit that put out a delightful hum, it was quite enchanting. In your case, are you sure there is nothing in the street or, perhaps, even miles away (some kind of factory) that could be causing this hum? If it is at a low frequency, it might be something relatively far away from you.

 

[Andolink]

There used to be a old streetlamp I would visit that put out a delightful hum, it was quite enchanting. In your case, are you sure there is nothing in the street or, perhaps, even miles away (some kind of factory) that could be causing this hum? If it is at a low frequency, it might be something relatively far away from you.

I would think there would be at least some variation in pitch or loudness if it was something like what your describing.

Right now as I'm sitting in my home office writing this I'm hearing both 120 Hz and the octave above that at 240 Hz and even a somewhat fuzzy 280 Hz (major 3rd) above that.

 

[ozzy9832001]

Have you tried posting on one of those apps like Nextdoor and see if anyone else is hearing it around town? Maybe if enough people get together someone can look into it. I'd assume it has to be power related or some sort of motor or turbine.

 

[Andolink]

Have you tried posting on one of those apps like Nextdoor

Never heard of such a thing but that's an excellent suggestion and I'll follow up on it. Thanks.

 

[antcollinet]

Why does it have to have anything to do with Lorenz? (I assume you are considering the power lines themselves buzzing in free air)

Consider the magnetic field caused by 4000A (or 1000A if you like) in proximity to any ferro magnetic hardware of the pylon, or from resultant induced currents in such hardware. This is how induction motors move after all. I'd say that is somewhat more plausible than the catfish.

Oh - and any vibration so caused could also travel accoustically down the power line itself


I'll admit to not having done any maths

On the other hand I stood underneath this thing last night. Couldn't hear a thing.

Air was dry as a bone though if that makes a difference. There was also background noise from a breeze.

 

[Digby]

Right now as I'm sitting in my home office writing this I'm hearing both 120 Hz and the octave above that at 240 Hz and even a somewhat fuzzy 280 Hz (major 3rd) above that.

i don't know if you replied to this (it was mentioned earlier), but have you had your ears checked. I know you said you don't hear it everywhere, but perhaps it is related to pressure or sinuses...maybe try buying a sinus spray and try that, just to see if it provides any relief or change?

 

[JSmith]

have you had your ears checked

Indeed... may be low frequency or "musical" tinnitus;

Low-frequency tinnitus: Perhaps the most confusing type of tinnitus because sufferers aren't sure whether the sound is being produced internally or externally. Often, the tones correspond to the two lowest octaves on a piano and are described as a humming, murmuring, rumbling, or deep droning.

4 Types of Tinnitus | Audiology Associates

Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) does not always sound the same to everyone. Learn about the different types of tinnitus and management options.

www.audiology-associates.com

JSmith

 

[Deleted member 48726]

On the other hand I stood underneath this thing last night. Couldn't hear a thing.

Air was dry as a bone though if that makes a difference. There was also background noise from a breeze.

View attachment 310009

It does make a difference if the ceramic isolators are moist or not. Try to stand there on a cold foggy morning.
I guess you could call it the dampening factor..

 

[Timcognito]

AM transistor radios set between channels and turned up are good trackers of RFI as they will buzz louder as you get close to the source. An electrician friend uses one to to find poorly wired transformers in his rework lighting projects FYI

 

[pseudoid]

AM transistor radios set between channels and turned up are good trackers of RFI as they will buzz louder as you get close to the source. An electrician friend uses one to to find poorly wired transformers in his rework lighting projects FYI

Thanx for the wake-up call.
I had this similar problem with 1070[kHz] KNX/AM.
At times, it would get swamped with a [real] 60Hz hum, some days.
Not always when humid or dry.
Not always day or night or certain times.
Not through the powerlines and even w/portable AM.
Not directional or localized.
This hum (AM'd just around 1.07MHz) continued sporadically for about 18months.
Then, one night, we heard an explosion on a nearby utility pole.
When they replaced the blown up transformer problem disappeared.
But I would not suggest shooting down a few of those to see if @Andolink's hum goes away!

 

[Andolink]

maybe try buying a sinus spray and try that, just to see if it provides any relief or change?

I've used various sinus sprays and saline flushes, etc. most of my life for allergies/nasal congestion and most recently have been using a nasal steroid spray. None of these make any difference in what I hear or don't hear.

 

[Andolink]

Indeed... may be low frequency or "musical" tinnitus

Wow! I hadn't heard of this version of tinnitus before. It perfectly describes what I hear constantly. But why does my wife, who's never had any hearing problem in her life, hear it too?

 

[pseudoid]

But why does my wife, who's never had any hearing problem in her life, hear it too?

Maybe it is contagious, like Covid.
There was a good suggestion to try to tune to it in the AM radio band and then walk around to see if the hum gets stronger or changes pitch.

AM band antennas are usually tuned for lower frequencies and require a loop or a ferrite core (built-in) antenna.
Unlike higher frequency FM 'whip' antennas, which are more immune to such (Amplitude, as opposed Frequency) modulation mechanisms of lower frequency interference (H-field versus E-field pickup). burb

 

[sam_adams]

I hadn't heard of this version of tinnitus before.

Uncle Leo hears it all the time.

 

[pseudoid]

Uncle Leo hears it all the time.

I would rather recommend listening to ASMR videos on youtube, as a last resort remedy!
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a tingling sensation that usually begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine.

 

[sam_adams]

a tingling sensation that usually begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine.

I wonder what that could be?

 

[Fahzz]

So at my house, I hear a low rumbling, usually late at night, sometimes in the morning, sounds like a truck outside but a few blocks away. If it was a constant tone, it wouldn't be so bad, but it randomly changes like the truck engine is skipping. When I go to sleep, I have to mask the sound with an air filter machine at bedtime, which works out OK.

But I've been trying to figure out what causes it, and last night it occurred to me that the cause might be natural gas pipes, since they are on the side of the house where it appears to emanate from, and I use gas heat (although this happens even when I'm not using the heat). I did a quick internet search and somebody has looked at this possibility in depth:

https://docs.wind-watch.org/Kohlhase-180215-infrasound-hum-gas-pipeline-syndrome.pdf

Just throwing this out there for consideration and discussion.

 

[Martin]

I thought I started hearing "the hum" recently. It sounds exactly like the garbage truck idling in front of our home. It is very noticeable in our bedroom after we turn off the lights and TV for the night. I first went outside to see if a truck was idling nearby. Then, I quietly walked around in the dark and determined it was loudest in the lavatory cubicle in our bathroom. After some additional sleuthing I came to the conclusion that it is the neighbors AC condenser resonating through the vent tube of the exhaust fan in the lavatory cubicle. Here in southwest Florida most peoples AC is running 24 hours a day nearly 365 days a year.

Martin

 

[pseudoid]

Decades ago, while we were moving in together, I let it be known that she (my mate-to-be) would have to put up with one of my eccentricities:

I revealed to her that my MUSIC stays ON in the house day and night, and that is something that I cannot negotiate.
It has paid dividends over the decades and prevents any potential arguments/fights over my passion for MUSIC, as an integral part of the household!

The side benefit of this agreement is the fact that 'we' don't here any hum, or garbage trucks or gas-pipes trying to beat to our house music... day AND /OR night!