Tapping Noise ...

RobertWilber

I have an FAQ page on my site and get emails from people with questions

I got this one and am a bit stumped

"I keep hearing a tapping noise from my breaker box. When I switch the frig breaker off the noise stops. I replaced the breaker but the noise returned. Any help would be appreciated. thank you"

I sent this back:

"When you replaced the breaker, did you make note of the condition of the busbar?
Overheated? discolored? burned? perfect like new?
Move the breaker to a different location in the panel?
Does it make noise with cover off and on both?
Does it make the noise if you unplug the fridge and leave the circuit on?
What is the fridge doing [duty cycle] when the noise occurs?
How loud?
Does the noise come from the breaker for the fridge circuit, or from the main?
Timing? frequency? every second? 10 times a second? every two minutes?
How old is your fridge?
Anything else on that circuit?
Got a schematic of the fridge wiring? Look for a relay and capacitor in series...
Talked to your appliance repair people?
Keep me posted."

Anyone have any other ideas?

Peladu

My return email would have looked more like this:

"To make sure you receive the best customer service I would like to
come out and take a look at your problem because it may be severe.
I charge $XX.oo for my visit, but if it's something that will take no
time to figure out, then I may waive the fee. I suggest you have your
problem addressed sooner then later due to the danger that
may be involved should you have a short elsewhere."

mdshunk

I have seen shorts in circuits at a level below the trip point of the breaker cause cables and conduits to hum, tap, vibrate, whistle dixie, and buzz like a kazoo. I'd unplug the stuff on the circuit and do a megger check on the associated cabling/wiring to rule that in or out.

RobertWilber

nicely phrased Peladu ... copyrighted? [heh, heh ...]

unfortunately, these folks are not local, so I can't do first hand evaluation of the problem, and I doubt they have test equipt.