Weird, Persistent Buzzing Noise in Basement - What is It?

Question

Old house, but the furnace and water heater are only maybe 20 years old. It's where a relative lived, he colleected a lot of stuff. No one lives there now, tho I will stay there (beach area) sometimes on a weekend, like now.

I heard a light buzzing when I came Thursday nite but thought it crickets. And only heard it when passing close to door to basement. Then today went to basement for something. It's louder there, but not smoke alram loud. Like a phone off the hook, tho much louder when on top of it. Maybe five buzzes a second. Close to the furnace, but more above and to left. There some junk in boxes nearby, but this buzzing noise sounds like its above, in the cellar ceiling, tho I can't really hear it from upstairs, even over the loudest spot in cellar. (And really can't pinpoint the exact spot where noise is louded)

I can call a plumber tomorrow, but like to have an idea of what this might be before I do. Something in the pipes? In the junk - I checked some of it but not all. Still, as noted, it sounds like above, ceiling high.

Sorry for the length of this, I am a bit worried. Don't thinik anything dire wil happen, it's been going on for at least 3 days.

Answer 1

Is this near to an outside area?  Could it be a woodboring bee?  If you have ever heard them, they make a buzzing sound inside the board and it is hard to pinpoint.   Look for neat little 1/2 diameter holes and board dust under the holes.  Just a thought.

Answer 2

I agree with first guy-- it sounds electrical to me.

One thing you can do-- if possible. Get a flashlight- so you can see- then turn off all power coming into the house. Then go to the basement and see if you can still hear the noise. If you can not--then there is something electrical that has enough of a problem to develop a hum.

Answer 3

I heard a noise like that coming from  a corner of my kitchen. I found that there was a styrofoam disk covering the spot where the exhaust fan went through the wall. The cover was still there by the springtime and the buzzing started then. I pried off one corner and found thousands of hornets building a home by cutting into the Styrofoam insulation. I called Terminex (which is on an annual contract to cover any bug problem). The Terminex guy opened the cover intending to gas the few insects and a swarm of hornets rushed him. He was spraying industrial strength insecticide as fast as he could and calling them names that I had never heard a service employee use while working in a customer's house. When he was done he had a mountain of dead ones to vacuum away and a lot of stings on his face and arms. So not all buzzing is a worn-out transformer.

Answer 4

sTART BY TURNING THE POWER OFF TO EACH ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE 1 BY 1. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO LOCATE IT THAT WAY. IF YOUR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH ELECTRICITY, CALL YOUR PLUMBER. IT SHOULD BE PRETTY SIMPLE TO FIX THOUGH. JUST MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF WHEN YOU LOCATE THE SOURCE.  

Answer 5

Sounds like a control transformer for your furnace.Normal and harmless.