Why is My Electrical Panel Making a Buzzing Noise?

John Turpin is our resident home service repair expert here at Service Direct. He’s got the knowledge and experience to help homeowners like you make sense of most home repair issues. And with Service Direct, we connect you with top-tier service professionals to help with any repairs needed.

Is Your Electrical Panel Making a Buzzing Noise? Here’s How To Fix It!

Humming or buzzing sounds coming from your home’s electrical panel is something you may experience sometime in your life. Even while you shouldn’t be overly concerned when you hear this sound, there are some cases in which it could indicate that there is a major issue with the electrical system in your home. Below, you’ll find further explanation regarding this topic.

The electrical panel in your home serves as the connection point between the electrical circuitry in your home and an external power supply. Your electrical panel not only functions as a hub for energy distribution, sending power to different parts of the house via circuits of all kinds, but it also safeguards your property by preventing connections from becoming overloaded with electrical currents.

If the electrical panel features circuit breakers, the switches on those breakers should turn off if a circuit overloads in order to block off electricity to that line before an electrical fire can develop. If you have a fuse box, an overloaded circuit will cause a fuse to blow, which will turn off the power to the circuit.

What Different Sounds Coming From Your Electrical Panel Mean

When you switch on the central heating or cooling system, the power in your home goes to the circuit breakers. With the flick of a switch, this breaker may put the circuit under stress, which will cease the flow of electricity to the HVAC system.

In most cases, a properly functioning circuit breaker box will operate in silence, making very little to no audible noise at all. If you ever hear a humming or buzzing noise emanating from the circuit breaker box, this is a clear sign that something is wrong with the electrical system.

There is a wide range of potential explanations for the problem that you are encountering. We will investigate a few of the potential causes of the rumbling and droning sounds that you are now experiencing in order to assist you with the troubleshooting process.

A Very Subtle and Gentle Hum

It is not unusual to detect a low buzz or hum coming from the direction of your electrical panel. Electrical currents are flowing, and what you are hearing is the sound of them. Just keep an eye and an ear open in order to make certain that the level of this sound does not become louder over time.

If the noise continues to become stronger, you should get your panel checked by an electrician. It’s possible that the buzzing sound you’re hearing is coming from your circuit breaker. It is nothing to be concerned about; everything is operating as it should. The hum you hear coming from your breaker box is the result of electrical currents flowing through it. You should still have it checked out if the hum grows louder as time passes since it might indicate a problem.

Our resident home repair guru, John Turpin, discusses why your breaker panel is making noises including, some DIY suggestions and solutions.

Mild to Moderately Loud Buzzing

It is most possible that one of the circuit breakers in the panel is overloaded and hasn’t tripped when it is supposed to in the event that there is a loud hum or buzz that is constant. If a circuit breaker refuses to trip, then the wires that are in the circuit might get so hot that they can ignite an electrical fire. This is a very important matter that demands quick attention. As soon as possible, get in touch with an electrician to have your panel inspected and the faulty circuit breaker replaced.

Electricians are able to readily distinguish the noise that circuit breakers create when they are not functioning properly. If you hear a buzzing or humming sound, this might indicate that the circuit breaker has been overloaded, which is a very dangerous situation.

When there is a loud humming coming from the circuit breaker, it is likely that there is an issue. If the breaker panel buzzes a lot more frequently than it typically would, you should get in touch with an electrician as soon as possible. There may be more sounds and occurrences that point to an issue.

Buzzing Sounds with a Few Sparks Here and There

Sounds like sparking and sizzling suggest that there is a broken or loose wire somewhere in the system and this creates a significant risk to everyone’s wellbeing. Arcing issues may be caused by wires that are broken or that have become loose and when electricity leaps from one old, broken, or damaged wire to another, this is known as an arcing problem. This tendency is responsible for more than 30,000 house fires every year in the United States, so don’t put off calling an electrician to fix this issue and go do it as soon as possible.

There is an issue with your electrical system if the humming turns into a buzzing that is both loud and continuous. Breakers in normal use should work in a manner that is almost quiet. If a circuit breaker fails to operate as it should, there will be an audible buzzing sound. If you hear loud sounds coming from your circuit breaker panel, you will need to get it fixed as soon as possible.

Breakers in circuits may fail for a variety of different causes. Either you started out with a defective panel since you purchased it, or the panels just became worn out to the point where they shorted out. As a result of this, you need to collaborate with an electrician who offers a complete warranty, since this will ensure that your components are insured.

Hire a Local Electrical Pro

The methods above are effective DIY tips to investigate, diagnose, and fix your noisy breaker panel. When you need to hire professional help, don’t hesitate to contact a local electrical expert using the phone number or form on this page.