Best troubleshooting call in years

[electricguy61]

Got called to a multi-million dollar home (that's not really saying much in the Bay Area).

There was an electrical hum in the master bedroom, such that the owner couldn't sleep in the room for the last 6 weeks.

1 general contractor, 2 electricians, one handy-man, and one "astrophysicist" friend had all tried to find the problem, but were unsuccessful.

We traced the noise with a telephone tracing amplifier tool and a stethoscope. The owner had thought it was coming from the wall behind the bed, but we could actually hear it in the floor, as well as in the kitchen ceiling below.

Shut off all power to the house, noise still present.

With all power off in house (amazing how much noise is present from electrical devices), did more tracing with the stethoscope.
The sound was seemed to be the loudest on the massive, wooden bedframe.

Dug out the bed linens, and found a Bulova watch, the one know for the "tuning fork" for accuracy. The watch back was flat against the backboard, and the "tuning fork" in the watching was vibrating against the wood, resonating through the bedframe, much like a piano resonates when the keys are struck, causing the hum.

Took 2 journeyman and an apprentice 2 hours to find. Customer said it was the best $500 she ever spent. She promised us a good write up in "Yelp".:thumbsup:

 

[kwired]

Got called to a multi-million dollar home (that's not really saying much in the Bay Area).

There was an electrical hum in the master bedroom, such that the owner couldn't sleep in the room for the last 6 weeks.

1 general contractor, 2 electricians, one handy-man, and one "astrophysicist" friend had all tried to find the problem, but were unsuccessful.

We traced the noise with a telephone tracing amplifier tool and a stethoscope. The owner had thought it was coming from the wall behind the bed, but we could actually hear it in the floor, as well as in the kitchen ceiling below.

Shut off all power to the house, noise still present.

With all power off in house (amazing how much noise is present from electrical devices), did more tracing with the stethoscope.
The sound was seemed to be the loudest on the massive, wooden bedframe.

Dug out the bed linens, and found a Bulova watch, the one know for the "tuning fork" for accuracy. The watch back was flat against the backboard, and the "tuning fork" in the watching was vibrating against the wood, resonating through the bedframe, much like a piano resonates when the keys are struck, causing the hum.

Took 2 journeyman and an apprentice 2 hours to find. Customer said it was the best $500 she ever spent. She promised us a good write up in "Yelp".:thumbsup:

Some of those types of calls can be interesting. I had a similar incident, but was in HUD funded low income housing unit instead of a big mansion. Tenant was complaining the heater (cove heater) was making noise and keeping her up at night. I went in there and turned off breakers to all heaters just to make sure I got the right one and the noise was still there. After looking around a little there was a pocket sized electronic poker game laying on top of the dresser directly below the heater location, stuck in some kind of mode where it made a constant sound, but was not all that loud so it wasn't all that obvious where the sound was coming from.

 

[mjf]

A few years ago I had a call from a HO worried about a fire because the wiring to the overhead luminaire in the 1st floor dining room ceiling was humming.

Turned out to be a massive bees nest filling the ceiling bay from the outside wall in about 7 feet.

 

[electricguy61]

A few years ago I had a call from a HO worried about a fire because the wiring to the overhead luminaire in the 1st floor dining room ceiling was humming.

Turned out to be a massive bees nest filling the ceiling bay from the outside wall in about 7 feet.

Actually, that was one scenario I thought of as well.

When I was a young firefighter, the shift before us said the previous night they had been called to a women's home for a strange buzzing sound in the closet. After investigating, a "personal massager" was found in the on position. The lieutenant, with two fingers, gently lifted it off the shelf, carried it into her bedroom,and set it down on her night stand, and said, very seriously, "I believe we've found the problem, ma'am" I can just imagine the women's face as four firefighters are standing in her bedroom,trying to keep a straight face. :lol:

 

[kwired]

Actually, that was one scenario I thought of as well.

When I was a young firefighter, the shift before us said the previous night they had been called to a women's home for a strange buzzing sound in the closet. After investigating, a "personal massager" was found in the on position. The lieutenant, with two fingers, gently lifted it off the shelf, carried it into her bedroom,and set it down on her night stand, and said, very seriously, "I believe we've found the problem, ma'am" I can just imagine the women's face as four firefighters are standing in her bedroom,trying to keep a straight face. :lol:

That story will be a little difficult for people to "one-up" on you, but I suppose it is possible.

 

[Rick Christopherson]

The sound was seemed to be the loudest on the massive, wooden bedframe.

I got to this point in the story and almost choked because I prematurely jumped to conclusions. Bad place to end a paragraph. :lol:

 

[electricguy61]

Sorry for all the errors in my story. I was really tired when I wrote it up. I got my high school diploma, honest!

 

[ggunn]

Actually, that was one scenario I thought of as well.

When I was a young firefighter, the shift before us said the previous night they had been called to a women's home for a strange buzzing sound in the closet. After investigating, a "personal massager" was found in the on position. The lieutenant, with two fingers, gently lifted it off the shelf, carried it into her bedroom,and set it down on her night stand, and said, very seriously, "I believe we've found the problem, ma'am" I can just imagine the women's face as four firefighters are standing in her bedroom,trying to keep a straight face. :lol:

There was a similar story on the news a few years ago, but the "massager" was in someone's luggage at an airport. The bag was isolated, dogs were called in, guy in a bomb suit, etc. Pretty funny, not to mention embarrassing for the woman whose bag it was in.

 

[norcal]

There was a similar story on the news a few years ago, but the "massager" was in someone's luggage at an airport. The bag was isolated, dogs were called in, guy in a bomb suit, etc. Pretty funny, not to mention embarrassing for the woman whose bag it was in.

Another reason to take batteries out while traveling w/ their "personal appliance". :lol:

 

[sparkyrick]

Actually, that was one scenario I thought of as well.

When I was a young firefighter, the shift before us said the previous night they had been called to a women's home for a strange buzzing sound in the closet. After investigating, a "personal massager" was found in the on position. The lieutenant, with two fingers, gently lifted it off the shelf, carried it into her bedroom,and set it down on her night stand, and said, very seriously, "I believe we've found the problem, ma'am" I can just imagine the women's face as four firefighters are standing in her bedroom,trying to keep a straight face. :lol:

I believe we have a winner!

 

[James S.]

There was a similar story on the news a few years ago, but the "massager" was in someone's luggage at an airport. The bag was isolated, dogs were called in, guy in a bomb suit, etc. Pretty funny, not to mention embarrassing for the woman whose bag it was in.

Yeah, because I am sure she is the one keeping that billion dollar industry afloat.

 

[ggunn]

Yeah, because I am sure she is the one keeping that billion dollar industry afloat.

Which billion dollar industry is that? The adult toys industry? The Homeland Security industry? The airline industry? The news reporting industry?

 

[guschash]

Ha ha that's a good one!