Buzz in breaker panel when heat kicks on

[steveo1o9]

I just so happen to be in the right place at the right time and heard a quick faint buzz in the breaker panel when my heat pump kicks on. I bought this house 4 months ago and the panel is in the garage so I haven't heard it up until this point, I am not sure if it is a new issue or not. Being worried I pulled the panel cover and checked for any loose connection or any obvious signs of any arcing, but I did not see anything. Since the buzz is short and only happens on start up of the heat it is difficult to pin point, but seems to be coming from the breakers for the HVAC circuit (makes sense). The heat pump is on 2 circuits; a 2 pole 30 amp, and a 2 pole 50 amp. I figured for $30 I would change out both of those breakers but afterwards the noise is still there.

Is the start up load just nearing the max the breaker can handle so the buzz is the breaker nearly tripping? I believe the 50amp circuit is the compressor and this is happening when that kicks on. Also the lights in the house dim when the heat kicks on, and only when the heat kicks on, at no other time do they dim.

I am no electrician and have exhausted all the poking around I am comfortable with in the panel box, but I wanted to know if there is anything else I can look for before a professional is called out, or if this is an issue at all. The house was built in 2006 and there doesn't appear to be any DIY hack jobs.

 

[gnab2]

We have that from time to time on our control cabinets with breaker panels. I would change the breakers out with new ones. This sounds crude but when the heaters are off, cycle the breakers off and on several times rapidly. Sometimes it is crud built up in it and makes it not always make good contact. It is a band-aid but it will get you by in a pinch sometimes. New breakers are the way to go.

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[steveo1o9]

We have that from time to time on our control cabinets with breaker panels. I would change the breakers out with new ones. This sounds crude but when the heaters are off, cycle the breakers off and on several times rapidly. Sometimes it is crud built up in it and makes it not always make good contact. It is a band-aid but it will get you by in a pinch sometimes. New breakers are the way to go.

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The breakers seemed to functioned fine but because it is cheap and easy I replaced them anyway. The buzz is still there.

 

[gnab2]

The breakers seemed to functioned fine but because it is cheap and easy I replaced them anyway. The buzz is still there.

Are you sure it is coming from those breakers or coming from the main breaker. Most of our issues are with mains. But take a screwdriver and with the **** tap the breakers. This will see is it is a loose internal connection. One thing I wonder is the wire from the breaker to the heaters are they getting g hot or warm? Is the breakers getting hot or warm? This can cause a different issue.

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[checkthisout]

Make sure wires are tight but buzzing during high startup loads is totally normal.

Even as a kid I remember the panel in my parents house buzzing when the washing machine kicked on. I think when a high inductive load kicks on it causes the solenoid in the breaker to buzz for a split second. In rush current......

 

[steveo1o9]

Are you sure it is coming from those breakers or coming from the main breaker. Most of our issues are with mains. But take a screwdriver and with the **** tap the breakers. This will see is it is a loose internal connection. One thing I wonder is the wire from the breaker to the heaters are they getting g hot or warm? Is the breakers getting hot or warm? This can cause a different issue.

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It is difficult to tell exactly where the buzz comes from because it is quick and only does it when the heat starts up, so you may sit there for some time for a quick 1 sec or less noise. But I am pretty sure it is not coming from the main breaker. Nothing is warm to the touch.

Make sure wires are tight but buzzing during high startup loads is totally normal.

Even as a kid I remember the panel in my parents house buzzing when the washing machine kicked on. I think when a high inductive load kicks on it causes the solenoid in the breaker to buzz for a split second. In rush current......

All wires to the breakers are tight, but I didn't check all of the neutrals.

I did some searching on the interwebs and it seems like a pretty common issue, a lot of people seem to be asking the same question. Some answer that is is normal, and others say your house will burn down tomorrow....

 

[tyme2par4]

It's probably nothing to worry about. Check the torque on the neutral wires, and if those are good, you should be fine.
My old main panel would buzz all the time. The frequency of AC power causes small vibrations, and sometimes things will vibrate enough to buzz.

 

[LS1-IROC]

I had a buzz in mine that I noticed when the furnace would kick on. Turned out to be a loose wire in the neutral buss bar.

 

[larry4406]

I had same issue with a breaker for a 5 ton outdoor AC unit. Every time the unit would start, the breaker would buzz. Could feel it buzzing during the start event and once under power it would quit. Checked everything, nothing loose. Never did get it to stop. Since sold the house.

 

[checkthisout]

I did some searching on the interwebs and it seems like a pretty common issue, a lot of people seem to be asking the same question. Some answer that is is normal, and others say your house will burn down tomorrow....

It's totally normal then. There are different styles of breakers. Some are bi-metal trip, others use a little solenoid.

The ones that use a little solenoid will "buzz" when there is a high current flow as in when a motor starts up. The solenoid is firing just enough to cause the actuator arm to "flutter" but not enough current is flowing to trip the breaker.

I would imagine you have a gas furnace and probably a 20 amp 120V breaker?

 

[checkthisout]

My buzz was a leg in from the pole.
They replaced the line in.
No buzz.
It was corrosion on an aluminum wire. (Arcing across a billion little corrosion shorts I guess)

Was it more of a crackling type buzz? Or just your average 60 cycle sounds like a washing machine end of cycle buzzer buzz?

 

[driftpin]

That last comment doesn't sound good. For your safety, during the cold weather, you should have it checked-out. They have to be present when it's doing it of course, to get an idea of what when and where. Then they can better determine 'why,' and how to fix it.

I am not an electrician. When I have questions about stuff having to do with Sparky or Reddy Kilowatt, I ask my wife, forty-plus years an E.E. Since she works on Big Stuff, she may not know the specific answer to something like residential service questions, but she's good on theory and physics.

As a retired, paid firefighter, I saw during duty a lot of fires caused by electrical causes. Loose connections, jury-rigged handiwork, equipment in poor condition, damaged in use, overloaded outlets, stupidity in use, I saw a lot. Get the professional out to settle the issue for you, it's worth the peace of mind for you and the family.

 

[lakeroadster]

My buzz was a leg in from the pole.
They replaced the line in.
No buzz.
It was corrosion on an aluminum wire. (Arcing across a billion little corrosion shorts I guess)

We had a similar issue, but in our case the threads on one leg of the main breaker lug was stripped out.

It never was noticeable unless it was a humid day, then the buzzing would be sporadically noticeable.

We had the breaker replaced, which fixed the issue.

 

[plain garage]

drain your expansion tank. my guess is your e tank is full so upon start up the circulating pump draws a lot of current to get moving since liquid is nearly imcompressible.

 

[mm08822]

Shut the main panel off and check every terminal. (Obviously the main line side is still hot!!) This is quick to do.

Check the terminals at the unit disconnects and open up the units and further check those connections. See if any capacitors in the units have obvious signs of trouble - heat stress, discoloration, blisters....

Would also be interesting to see what voltage dip you can read during start up and to measure startup amps/duration.

 

[slow]

What brand of breakers? I've got GE at the house and notice a buzzing when the AC kicks on (13 seer 5 ton unit, so it draws a decent amount on startup) It lasts for about 3 seconds and is not a jacobs ladder sound but a faint buzz.

I've always had Square D QO and never noticed a similar noise.

 

[steveo1o9]

What brand of breakers? I've got GE at the house and notice a buzzing when the AC kicks on (13 seer 5 ton unit, so it draws a decent amount on startup) It lasts for about 3 seconds and is not a jacobs ladder sound but a faint buzz.

I've always had Square D QO and never noticed a similar noise.

Panel is Eaton, Culter-Hammer series, with Type CH breakers. The buzzing is approximately 1 second or so.

 

[checkthisout]

Panel is Eaton, Culter-Hammer series, with Type CH breakers. The buzzing is approximately 1 second or so.

How many amps is the furnace breaker?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

It's totally normal then. There are different styles of breakers. Some are bi-metal trip, others use a little solenoid.

The ones that use a little solenoid will "buzz" when there is a high current flow as in when a motor starts up. The solenoid is firing just enough to cause the actuator arm to "flutter" but not enough current is flowing to trip the breaker.

I would imagine you have a gas furnace and probably a 20 amp 120V breaker?

Aww no.

Go back and reread the original post. He said he was 2 breakers feeding a heat pump- 30a and 50a. To me this means he has dual heat pumps...

I just so happen to be in the right place at the right time and heard a quick faint buzz in the breaker panel when my heat pump kicks on. I bought this house 4 months ago and the panel is in the garage so I haven't heard it up until this point, I am not sure if it is a new issue or not. Being worried I pulled the panel cover and checked for any loose connection or any obvious signs of any arcing, but I did not see anything. Since the buzz is short and only happens on start up of the heat it is difficult to pin point, but seems to be coming from the breakers for the HVAC circuit (makes sense). The heat pump is on 2 circuits; a 2 pole 30 amp, and a 2 pole 50 amp. I figured for $30 I would change out both of those breakers but afterwards the noise is still there...…........

 

[slow]

i would suspect one heat pump feed by 2 breakers, with the compressor in the outside unit (large breaker) and smaller 30 breaker for the heat strips inside (along with fan/logic boards) at least that is how mine is setup.

 

[popbigguy]

Try this for your compressor start-up:
http://www.hypereng.com/
Might help on the lights dimming on start up.

This unit (or one like it) comes standard on my Water furnace geo. But... Not real cheap in $'s.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Where is the hp in relation to service panel?
I'd check the contactor on heat pump to see if it's not closing all the way on start up,or maybe its,pitted/corroded on the contacts.

 

[steveo1o9]

i would suspect one heat pump feed by 2 breakers, with the compressor in the outside unit (large breaker) and smaller 30 breaker for the heat strips inside (along with fan/logic boards) at least that is how mine is setup.

Correct, this is my setup as well.

 

[vtsoundman]

I have a ch panel...Makes a slight buzzing everytime the pool pump kicks on. Normal sound. Confirmed it with a call to Eaton...If in doubt, call them yourself.

All the breakers (except the main) have been replaced as they were rusty and installed in the late 60s. They all still seem to operate just fine.

Sound was present before and after the breakers were changed. It seems to come from the 20A dual pole breaker. I even cleaned the bush work with a brass brush.

As the others have said, check all the connections, reseat the breakers, and call it a day.

sent via the cone of silence

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I have a ch panel...Makes a slight buzzing everytime the pool pump kicks on. Normal sound. Confirmed it with a call to Eaton...If in doubt, call them yourself.

All the breakers (except the main) have been replaced as they were rusty and installed in the late 60s. They all still seem to operate just fine.

Sound was present before and after the breakers were changed. It seems to come from the 20A dual pole breaker. I even cleaned the bush work with a brass brush.

As the others have said, check all the connections, reseat the breakers, and call it a day.

sent via the cone of silence

I assume u mean bus bars. Its not a good idea to clean the bus bars with anything especially a wire brush as this can cause pits in the bars which will cause continuity issues between the breaker stab and the bar.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I assume u mean bus bars. Its not a good idea to clean the bus bars with anything especially a wire brush as this can cause pits in the bars which will cause continuity issues between the breaker stab and the bar.

 

[padroo]

I would get an electrican to use a amp probe and measure the current draw on that circuit for piece of mind. It is a quick test and easy to do. The numbers will help instead of guessing.