What’s Causing My Circuit Breaker to Buzz?
Is your circuit breaker buzzing? Are you wondering what’s causing it to make noise? Electrical components are supposed to run silently most of the time. So when they start making noises, it can be a sign that something is wrong. The only hard part in figuring out the source of the problem is that unless you know what to look for, it can be hard to pin down. With this guide you’ll have a better idea of what might be wrong with your system and what you can do to ensure it’s safe.
Light Buzzing
If you’re hearing a slight hum coming from your circuit breaker, don’t worry. That’s completely normal. Because of vibrations created by electrical currents, a slight hum is to be expected from electrical equipment like a breaker box. If the hum coming from it is louder than a normal operating volume, that could be a sign of greater trouble.
If you’re only hearing a minor hum coming from your circuit breaker, in most cases it means that everything is fine. If you continue to suspect there’s a problem, the best option to pursue is contacting your electrician to that they can check it out.
Medium Volume Buzzing
If the noise coming from your circuit breaker is louder than a low hum, it indicates a bigger problem. If you hear a noise that sounds like sizzling and you notice any kind of sparking, it’s indicative of loose wiring. Loose wiring is incredibly dangerous and poses risks of electrocution and fire. This kind of problem should only be handled by a professional.
It’s very important to make sure you get this kind of problem addressed as quickly as possible. That way, you can avoid all the hazards that a loose wire presents to your home. Hiring a professional electrician can take out the guesswork of trying to pin down the location of the problem and get your electrical system back to normal quickly.
Loud, Continuous Buzzing
A loud buzz often occurs when a circuit breaker has stopped working as intended. The loud noise coming from your breaker panel more often than not indicates that you have a bad circuit breaker. A circuit breaker can go bad because of either an overload or a short circuit. Buzzing from bad circuit breakers is important because it indicate that even though the breaker should have tripped, it didn’t because it had gone bad. That means that even though there could be an overload or a short on a circuit, there’s nothing preventing it from causing damage to your wiring, which could result in permanent electrical damage.
Calling a professional electrician is your best bet if you think your breaker is no longer working. They have special tools and training to safely remove and replace your nonfunctional breaker without risking your safety.
Let Us Take a Look
No matter what’s causing your circuit breaker panel to make noise, one thing’s for certain: having a professional make sure that there are no problems is never a bad idea. At Integrity Electric, we’ve been ensuring that our customers in Buffalo, NY are protected against every sort of electrical problem for years. No matter if you only want to find out what’s causing your breaker box to hum or you need to take care of another electric problem, Integrity Electric is your trusted partner. Request service now to get started.
