How can I find the source of a high pitch sound?

[SarahinSE5]

Hi

I have a sound problem which I am hoping that someone can help me with!

I have just moved into a new flat (ground floor victorian flat in terraced house with two flats) and there is a very high pitch sound across the flat, but mainly in the bedroom, that is keeping me awake at night. I have tried all of the following but none have stopped the sound or helped me locate its source:

- turned off the electricity at the mains

- turned off the water at mains

- bled all the radiators

- taken the btateries out of everything battery operated

- walked around the flat with a kitchen roll tube to my ear to try and locate the sound (and still can't)!

Does anyone know if a detector exists that can locate the source of the sound? And do electricians have these sort of detectors - i.e. could I pay someone to come and find out where it is coming from?!

I imagine the next option would be to go and speak to the neighbours, but I would like to know if there is a better way for me to detect the sound before I start asking them to shut down their electricity etc.

Also, if anyone has any other ideas on what it could be I would love to hear them. The sound is most prominent at night, although there are lots of overhead noises during the day which I think may drown it out. But could it be from any device that operates at night only (e.g. street lamps??). I will try and monitor whether it comes on at a specific time of day.

I would be most grateful for any help - its driving me nuts!

Thanks

Sarah

 

[kme]

Hi Sarah.

Although some electricians will have sound level meters, they may only be useful for locating where the sound is loudest; which it sounds like you`ve already done. There is equipment which can determine the frequency of the sound, which can be useful in determining a likely cause - but it is relatively specialised to sound engineers and so forth.

If you`ve turned off all your electric & water, and the sound persists, it is likely to be external to your property - either a neighbour`s flat, or outside; and as such is out of your control. Other than asking the neighbors whose property shares a wall with your bedroom to turn their electric/water off; there isn`t a lot you can do, except possibly soundproofing. The problem could be that, if the sound is within the building, and is being transmitted through the walls, soundproofing won`t help.

The only other thing that springs to mind - which might possibly work, involves knowing the exact frequency of the sound, and generating the same frequency yourself, out of sequence with the existing noise. They would tend to cancel one another out - meaning you don`t hear either of them. However, the equipment needed for such a solution would be costly.....

Sorry I can`t be more help.

KME

 

[mikep]

Tinnitus !

Do other people hear it !

Maybe it's the neighbour's fan or lighting next door propagating medicinal plants in the loft.

Went to a house and seen exactly that, Rented house with plants everywhere whole place was humming even attached live

cables to the inner doors in case of a raid by the police.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Tinnitus is a very common problem and growing from what I read...

due to generations of concert & festival goers, and i-pod listeners!

Have you moved to a flat that is in a quieter area than where you previously lived?

Can be additional background noise covering up the tinnitus problem that is now evident in a less noisy flat?

BTA

Tinnitus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some modern light fittings & dimmers can give of high pitched noises...

But you say you have turned all the power off!

If there is an actual noise coming from somewhere, don't forget some sounds can carry for very long distances..

which could leave you an impossible task!

Welcome to the forumbulator by the way!

:coffee

 

[Barx]

ould it possibly be a electric damp course supplied from elsewhere?

 

[SarahinSE5]

Hi

Thanks for all the replies. It's good to know that there may be a last resort measure with balancing out the sound frequencies, a good nights sleep may be worth the cost.

My boyf can hear it but it doesn't bother him as much. I have friends staying tomorrow so will get them to go round the house with a tube as well (and then it will end up taunting them too...)

RE damp proof course. How would I know if it is this? As far as I know we do not have a modern damp proof course - well according to the house survey and the company that came round to quote us for damp...

I don't think it is Tinnitus as I don't hear it away from the house and the house I previously lived in was a lot quitier.

I will pursue with the neigbours then.

 

[Ian Speirs]

Hello, :Welcome: could also be pest/rodent deterrent used by a neighbour. maybe plugged into an adjacent wall or even under the floor boards next door.

I have even saw one to deter spiders. I didn't hear the noise it emmitted, but as you get older you tend to loose the ability to hear higher pitch frequencies.

 

[Manator]

There could be another reason, and one that would not effect me as I have outgrown my teenage years. Could there be one of those sound devises placed near your new house to prevent teenagers from gathering? they omit a sound that only younger people can hear.

 

[Barx]

There could be another reason, and one that would not effect me as I have outgrown my teenage years. Could there be one of those sound devises placed near your new house to prevent teenagers from gathering? they omit a sound that only younger people can hear.

I'm 29 and I can still hear them bloody things. Annoying as hell. I can also hear some of the repellers, bat ones are especially annoying. Get right in your head them ones. Chirping away. Though got to admit I do like to listen to real bats.

 

[Manator]

Interestingly I had a problem with a client who could hear a high pitched sound, I due to age could not, however after being in the room for a couple of minutes I became aware of a slight pressure in my ear, though I could not hear the frequency my brain was actually aware of it. I used a sound level meter to find the source, which turned out to be an air leak in a silicone tube, nothing to do with electrics but at least i found it. The investigation took ages due to normal background noises.

 

[revjames]

My son (who is autistic) complains of a high pitched noise coming from the sky box but we cant hear it! He has very sensitive hearing and can obviously hear frequencies higher thean me! Sorry not helping your problem - just sayin!

 

[Apache]

Sarah - how old are you?

Do you have any pictures of yourself and your friends with the cardboard tubes to their ears? A couple of pictures will let us see if you are doing the technique properly.

What sort of property is it - semi/flat/terraced?

A simple solution might be noise cancelling headphones or even going to bed with the radio on quietly.

 

[Evans Electric]

We had a mystery sound on a refurb job once , drove us all barmy , turned out to be a smoke detector in the skip . We had to beat it to death to shut it up , bit like Specs!!

 

[batty]

They are cunning bu....s had one on a job got up in a loft and a disconnected one was hid under a lot of stuff battery expired but was trying for a few last breaths. Took me ages to find it but got there in the end and gave it a good funeral.

 

[Evans Electric]

We had a mystery sound on a refurb job once , drove us all barmy , turned out to be a smoke detector in the skip . We had to beat it to death to shut it up , bit like Specs!!

Also had a fluorescent fitting making a low humming noise , only noticable when it was quiet.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I can also hear some of the repellers, bat ones are especially annoying. Get right in your head them ones. Chirping away. Though got to admit I do like to listen to real bats.

Do you sleep hanging upside down from tree branches or in the back of caves by any chance Barxy?

and....

is the Stig your neighbor?

; \ :Salute

 

[M107]

If the pc is turned of but the monitor is in standby I hear a high pitch noise.

Funny one to do with noises:

Called by our elderly neighbour "I can hear a high pitch noise but cant find where it's comming from, it's all over the house can you help?"

So I go round there walk all round the place.......Nope cant hear a thing Dennis...

"it's here now, can you hear it?"

Nope, so I move closer to him & can just about hear a real high pit tone....move a bit close & put my ear close to his jacket pocket.....It's comming from you pocket Den.

"Bloody hell I've been looking for that for hours"

His hearing aid & the battery was giving up.

 

[mikep]

Sarah - how old are you?Do you have any pictures of yourself and your friends with the cardboard tubes to their ears? A couple of pictures will let us see if you are doing the technique properly.

What sort of property is it - semi/flat/terraced?

A simple solution might be noise cancelling headphones or even going to bed with the radio on quietly.

I thought your restriction order stops you from contacting young women on the internet Apache !!

you forgot to add " Tie your hair up in pigtails then try listening with the tubes at right angles to you head in your nightclothes"

 

[SarahinSE5]

Hi all

The mysterious noise only seemed to come back in the evening, which leads me to think that it might be coming from a street lamp - as there is one about 4 metres from my house. The sound is also strongest in the two rooms closest to the front of the house. However when I went outside last night (with my tube) I could not hear the sound as well - although it was quite windy. So could this possibly be the source? Or are there any other devices that people would only switch on at night? I still need to investigate with the neighbours when the noise comes back tonight.

And yes I am quite young (28) so I do tend to hear high pitch sounds, but normally it is just a case of tracking down where the phone charger is. ...and unfortunately my camera is broken so can't take any pics with the tube, although not sure how many ways there are to hold a tube to one's ear?

If it is the street light I assume I will need to call the council to sort it. Does anyone have any experience of doing this and how to get them to take action? I imagine it is quite difficult!

Thanks

sarah

 

[mikep]

Just go to their main switchboard they will pop you through to highways dept or if they don't do anything probably environmental health, can you hear it through the walls, and then out of the window, I would ask your neighbour anyway, are they old or young !!

Also new a bloke who had to be hooked up to a air pump that hummed like hell for his breathing through the night.

Mike.