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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/26/2008 3:13 PM

I noticed it first with coffee maker. The heat element kicks on and off maintaining temperature, and buzzes the fuse box. My pc goes as far as mouse movements making noise in the fuse box and I am on a ups!

What to do? I am 6 feet from the darn thing and it is very annoying. I have so far blamed frigid cold (it reached -20f outside not long ago) I can only assume a super density due to cold, is not taking things softly, and will be listening to it for another month or more... any nice brand name fuse ideas?

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#1

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/26/2008 4:13 PM

If you are getting buzzing sounds in your fuse box from mouse movements, something is seriously wrong. You need to have a qualified electrician examine everything.

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#2

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/26/2008 5:14 PM

Is it really a fuse box, or is it a breaker box? If coffee pots and mice clicks are causing a noise in there, something is really wrong. Probably loose to the point of coming apart and causing a nice electrical fire.

Get it checked by an electrician and soon.

Ferris is an electrician. He he doesn't post here soon, send him a message and ask him...

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#3

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/26/2008 7:36 PM

When you say the mouse does this, are you clicking on something that makes the computer draw power (running hard drive, etc) or just clicking on something like a word in a document?

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#4

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/27/2008 4:43 AM

Get a qualified electrician to open it up and check all connections, something is loose or broken. And do it quickly as it could cause a fire.....!!

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/27/2008 5:04 AM

Or, if you are really unlucky, there is a small possibility of there being an arc flash explosion, which is a very bad thing. This could be very serious, I agree, get it checked out RIGHT NOW.

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/27/2008 5:16 AM

Good answer, I forgot that point!! I rated it as good too!

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#7

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/27/2008 9:44 AM

Are you sure it's the fuse box that's making the noise and not your UPS.

Try removing the UPS and connecting directly to a power outlet o Isolate the problem.

Is your power distribution panel using fuses or circuit breakers ?

I have found some circuit breakers that cause a buzzing noise at times depending upon the load (usually heavy current near the limit of the breaker).

The only solution was to replace the noisy breaker after checking for any loose connections in the distribution panel.

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#8

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/27/2008 4:38 PM

(1)can you plug the coffee perk & pc, into separate wall plugs ( trying to track problem to one or other). (2) can you confirm if you have two different metal conductors from your Fuse Box(ie: Copper & Aluminum conductors need a special connector, to stop changing resistance/ setting up vibration, going through the connection. (3) many coffee perks have a thermistor that keeps the element warming, for a correct time after boiling. This thermistor operates on internal current heating, and should have a heat deflector between itself & the element. If the deflector is damaged, miss-shaping, &/or on the wrong side of the thermistor, It shortens the Thermistor Life, causing the perk to go on & off, until it fails. We found the above problems, more than a few times, doing Equipment Repairs.

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#9

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/28/2008 4:53 AM

Turn it all off. Has heat been dissipated from terminals and fuses? Is any component heat-distressed? If so, replace it with an item of identical rating. Check for loose terminal screws. Tighten them up.

Re-energise. Has the problem gone away? If not, or if lacking confidence about doing any of the above, the next step is to get a qualified electrician in to check it all out.

DO IT TODAY!

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Active Contributor

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#10

Re: Fuse box buzzing to pc and coffee maker. What to do?

01/29/2008 10:44 AM

Wow, lots of replies. It is not serious, it is not uncommon and it gets so darn cold 60 hertz tries to retreat to the the pansy that made it by being a wining vibrator.

I am in maine and it is very very common. all housing, mobile homes, 220v (the worst) on standard breaker boxers (not fuse box as my first post said). We still have multi million dollar mills going lights out only in the frigid all on thier own multi million dollar power.The best if the best still sucks in the arctic. It is the arctic and the engineers mad electricity in a warm place.

Tightening box is not a winner, I found the darn breakers aren't tight in many boxes, I just happen to have yet another one.There is a brand name i bought without remembering when rebuilding wiring in a mobile home without a license, and it was perfect..I just can't remember the name. the noise is internal to the breaker, comes from within just 1 individual breaker. The noise has stopped as of today..temps are headed for freezing rain weather (AHHHH, the tropic storm of maine in january). May smell december omellettes emitting from the warm january breaker box soon...Go figure einsteins.(no offense to great replies and true thought)

I will check the main feed screw first. As the routine goes...that one screw ends up with more torque than a head on a big block dragster.

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