Washing machine makes panel intermittently buzz

[mike93lx]

My office desk is on the other side of my wall from my main panels. Whenever our clothes washer is running, I get a little buzz from the panel every 13-19 seconds.

I pulled the cover and verified that the neutral and hot for that circuit are tight, ut haven't done anything with the receptacle. House and washer are both about 18 years old.

I don't remember this beyond maybe a few weeks ago, but maybe I was missing it. Doubt that, but it's possible.

I'm going to throw a clamp meter on the hot and see if the draw is bouncing around.

Washer is functioning normally

Any ideas?

 

[cvairwerks]

You have any speakers close by?

 

[ycgoat]

Its odd it would be intermittent un less the washer motor is stopping and starting. Assuming the sound is coming from the panel and caused by the washing machine, you should probably remove the branch circuit breaker and look for damage or signs of arcing on the panel bus and breaker contact points.

 

[rlitman]

I'm going to guess that it's the washer's heating element and some sort of thermostatic control.

 

[mike93lx]

You have any speakers close by?

Not really. The sound is 100% coming from the panel though.

Its odd it would be intermittent un less the washer motor is stopping and starting. Assuming the sound is coming from the panel and caused by the washing machine, you should probably remove the branch circuit breaker and look for damage or signs of arcing on the panel bus and breaker contact points.

I'll do that, thanks

I'm going to guess that it's the washer's heating element and some sort of thermostatic control.

I'll run a load on cold to confirm

 

[rlitman]

...I'll run a load on cold to confirm

I'm not sure if that will help. Many front loading smart washing machines often use the heating element for fine temperature adjustment for more consistent performance and stain removal. It is entirely possible that even the cold setting gets some heating. Double check with the manual if you can.

If the heating circuit has issues, perhaps there's some arcing inside a burned out element (or capacitor or MOV)? Just spitballing here.

 

[mike93lx]

I'm not sure if that will help. Many front loading smart washing machines often use the heating element for fine temperature adjustment for more consistent performance and stain removal. It is entirely possible that even the cold setting gets some heating. Double check with the manual if you can.

If the heating circuit has issues, perhaps there's some arcing inside a burned out element (or capacitor or MOV)? Just spitballing here.

Interesting, thanks.

I just went through a near complete teardown to replace the spider and tub bearings... It sucked and was a ton of work. I want to keep this thing alive, but do not want to tear it down again and the heating element would require that. I wonder if unplugging it may be a slightly simpler way to confirm, although even that will ****

 

[APEowner]

I wonder if you've just got a noisy breaker. Do you have another you can swap in?

 

[mike93lx]

I wonder if you've just got a noisy breaker. Do you have another you can swap in?

Never heard of that. I can definitely swap the line to another breaker when I am in there checking the buss

 

[larry4406]

I wonder if you've just got a noisy breaker. Do you have another you can swap in?

I had that in a new construction house. Would hear a buzz from the panel. Finally determined it coincided when the well pump kicked on. Electrician replaced the breaker for shits and grins as all was proper and noise went away.

 

[mike93lx]

I had that in a new construction house. Would hear a buzz from the panel. Finally determined it coincided when the well pump kicked on. Electrician replaced the breaker for shits and grins as all was proper and noise went away.

Huh, no ****. Never even crossed my mind. Thanks

 

[AZ Garage]

Turn off the breaker, then with a firm push, push the breaker to the ON position. Make sure it's a good solid push.

I've had a breaker go bad before. Happened to the dryer circuit breaker.

 

[cycle61]

Yep, I'll bet it's the breaker itself making the buzzing noise.

 

[FredWanaker]

see if that breaker is warmer than the rest. If so replace it.

 

[mike93lx]

see if that breaker is warmer than the rest. If so replace it.

Yes, it was when I checked last week. Not hot, but definitely noticable. I chalked it up to because it was running.

 

[mike93lx]

I just swapped it for an unused breaker and so far, I believe the issue is resolved. I'll give it a day or two to confirm.

Thanks everyone

 

[rlitman]

Is it even a

I wonder if you've just got a noisy breaker. Do you have another you can swap in?

see if that breaker is warmer than the rest. If so replace it.

The breaker in my garage for the power tool outlets hums when I run a space heater for more than a few minutes (it doesn't hum right away). Being a resistive load, whatever's going on has to be inside the breaker. I don't know why it is humming, but I've checked that panel with a thermal imager, and nothing seems out of order, so I haven't bothered replacing it.

The same breaker nuisance trips every so often when I start my chop saw, but since the lights and dust collection are are different circuits, I don't mind that breaker being extra sensitive.

So yeah, it's a thing.

 

[mike93lx]

Is it even a



The breaker in my garage for the power tool outlets hums when I run a space heater for more than a few minutes (it doesn't hum right away). Being a resistive load, whatever's going on has to be inside the breaker. I don't know why it is humming, but I've checked that panel with a thermal imager, and nothing seems out of order, so I haven't bothered replacing it.

The same breaker nuisance trips every so often when I start my chop saw, but since the lights and dust collection are are different circuits, I don't mind that breaker being extra sensitive.

So yeah, it's a thing.

If my office wasn't adjacent to the panel, I probably would never have noticed and it may never have posed a real issue. But when it is quiet and I can hear this repetitive, intermittent hum... that's annoying.

And ultimately a $6 fix, once I go buy a new breaker. The swap sorted it out

 

[APEowner]

If my office wasn't adjacent to the panel, I probably would never have noticed and it may never have posed a real issue. But when it is quiet and I can hear this repetitive, intermittent hum... that's annoying.

And ultimately a $6 fix, once I go buy a new breaker. The swap sorted it out

I'm glad it was an easy fix.

 

[sparky 1971]

Did you put in a new breaker or move the circuit to another slot that had an unused breaker in it? Whenever I get a service call for the panel buzzing, the first thing I do is pull the breaker the noise is coming from. Over 75% of the time, it's an aluminum bus bar and the stab connection has failed. I don't know how many times someone else was there before me and put in a new breaker, which solved the problem for a little while, but eventually made it worse. If there's an open slot, the circuit get's moved. There've been time where I had to install a twin when there wasn't a free space though.

 

[mike93lx]

Did you put in a new breaker or move the circuit to another slot that had an unused breaker in it? Whenever I get a service call for the panel buzzing, the first thing I do is pull the breaker the noise is coming from. Over 75% of the time, it's an aluminum bus bar and the stab connection has failed. I don't know how many times someone else was there before me and put in a new breaker, which solved the problem for a little while, but eventually made it worse. If there's an open slot, the circuit get's moved. There've been time where I had to install a twin when there wasn't a free space though.

I moved a different breaker to the same slot. I recently removed my garbage disposal, so I had that 15a unused. Washer circuit had a 20, but it's working fine, even with the heater running.

I'll grab a new 20 and put it all back.

The buss looked completely fine

I also hit every breaker in both panels with an ir thermometer and other than my surge protectors being about 10 degrees warmer, all the other breakers were within about 4 degrees of each other