GFCI Noise

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

The GFCI in my bathroom has always made a very slight humming noise. None of the others make this noise. It seems to work and the Test button works. Should I replace it anyway? ever heard of this?

[Pagan]

I'd haul an electrician out ASAP to deal with it.

I'm all for replacing fixtures, switches, and receptacles myself, but when things start making strange noises, or other weird poltergeist type thing are going on, I step back and let the pro figure it out. With a 60 year old house and an unknown number and quality of contractors and fiddlers making 'improvements' over the years, I've found some strange methods were used to get things working, not all of them safe. For instance, in the kitchen I went to replace a light and receptacle combo, and found a mess of wires behind the old switch. A visit from the electrician found that there were two circuits, branched off the same wire, stuffed in there. The second one was chock full of power. Another time the conduit and the ground wire had

110v across. That would have been interesting.

Pagan

[Pop]

I"d replase it pronto, and if the next one does the same thing, there's something "differnt" somewhere. A GFCI, AFAIK, only hums when it's defective or under heavy load. The TEST button is an indicator of whether it's working or not, but it's NOT necessarily an indicator that it's tripping WHEN it should, or of how much protection it's affording. Stuff happens, so check it out. Is this new? How long has it been doing that? Etc.

While you're at it, check out the rest of the things on that line; is there a heavy load there and is the switch rated to handle it? Is everything else working correctly?

Cheers,

[Bud]

Good chance it is the transformer for it's power supply. Same as flourescent ballasts, the 60 Hz changing magnetic field can cause physical movement which you hear. If this is the source and it is not a nuisance, it can be ignored. If it is loud enough it is a defect and could probably be replaced under warranty.

Bud--

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

Yes, thats probably it. I remember one time brushing my teeth in the shower and wondering if I brushed at 60Hz because so many external sounds were 60Hz. I wonder what speed eurpoeans brush at?

Anyway, its a 3 year old house, and its been humming since I got there

1.5 years ago. Everything seems to work, and there is usually no load on the circuit. It hums regardless of load though.

[Tekkie®]

CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert posted for all of us... I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.

It doesn't know the words...

Tekkie