Strange Sound Coming from "deck"

[toofast]

Ok, first of all I am not drinking nor under the influence of anything.

But my "deck in waiting" is buzzing at me.

At a very specific section, coming from under the rocks I hear a loud buzzing ?

See the pics below ? I am trying to upload to YouTube a video, but it is fighting me.

Has ANYONE ever experience such a thing, if not any ideas. Turned all pumps off, etc...just to make sure and it was still going loud. Those electrical cords are NOT CONNECTED either.

[attachment=1:10mvkct6]IMG_20130710_194251_116.jpg[/attachment:10mvkct6]
[attachment=0:10mvkct6]IMG_20130710_194243_367.jpg[/attachment:10mvkct6]

 

[jblizzle]

You could turn off the actual breakers and make sure it is not something electrical ... although it could just be an insect of some kind.

That is kind of disturbing though.

 

[toofast]

Ok, I got the video uploaded....

http://youtu.be/DjSku44pZ58

 

[jblizzle]

I think I would start digging with something made of wood and see if it stops or you find the source.

 

[JohnT]

Very strange. Difficult to tell, but it sounds kind of like vibration in the rebar to me. Any chance something like a pump or AC is being transmitted through the ground?

 

[alanpaul]

This is a cicada year in some areas. Do you get them where you live?
It sounded like insects to me. Crickets or the like. Can you douse the area with bug killer?

Are you certain there are no electrical or utility lines of any kind buried under the stones? I'm wondering about current generated by buried wires or cables creating an harmonic vibration with the grid and/or the rebar (or far less likely, the stones themselves).

Maybe you should attach a grounding rod to the rebar, stabbed deep into the ground, just to be certain.... I give up.

Let us know what you find, or decide to do.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Wow does it change in tone or volume if you step on diff areas of the rebar?

 

[kyser]

Does it ever pause? Say, to take a breath or something? Cicada (if you're in the north east)?

edit: for punctuation

 

[toofast]

Ok...love it, I will post what I know so far.

1) there already is a grounding bar connected
2) it does not breath or pause
3) there is nothing buried under ground (i.e wires, etc.)
4) Yes we do get cicada, it could be the year of the beast
5) it does not change sound
6) I have not dug yet...afraid to find something
7) nothing vibrating around it, everything else dead still

 

[fireman00]

according to the brood maps you're not due for a cicada emergence until 2016 or 2019 but it's always a possibility. Have you put a volt meter on the rebar to see if there's any kind of juice hitting it? That does sound like some kind of harmonic vibration. Is there any kind of heavy industry in the area? Drilling? Highway? If you weigh down the rebar does it stop?

 

[kyser]

I think there was a cicada brood in '96 (17 year life cycle), so I think it's a possibility. I would rule out something electrical prior to digging. May also want to have a Priest handy to exorcise the demon!?

 

[toofast]

Ok, more info.

8) I grabbed with bare hands and no shock or vibrations felt (yes, not smart but figured it was grounded, so it would not kill me)
9) stepped on it (190 lbs) and nothing changed

Guess I better start digging ? But they are coming to pour in the next day or so, so I gotta be careful. Soon it might be buried forever.

 

[duraleigh]

yes, not smart

Well, we certainly agree on that

Although it doesn't EXACTLY sound electrical I would confirm it is not. I would kill the main breaker to the house and make sure that sound continues. If it stops, you need an electrician.

 

[toofast]

Well I was feeling lucky I guess...

My wife is not keen on my killing power right now, so I will wait till the AM and do it when she is gone. Maybe the ghost will leave by then and the mystery will last forever.

 

[duraleigh]

That's your call and I would never be described as an alarmist by anyone who knows me but I think you are playing with fire.

Eliminating an unlikely but potentially DEADLY issue will take all of ten seconds without power....keen wife or not.

It's still your judgement call.

 

[woodyp]

Ground hornets?

 

[toofast]

yeah, I understand, what is strange is that it is now quieter....nothing changed on my side. I will kill the power in a bit and see if anything changes.

 

[pwrstrk]

Re: Strange Sound Coming from "deck"

That is bizarro.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

 

[DKT113]

Something is making a noise.

If it isn't the rebar/area being vibrated from a connected source, then I would have to think it is coming from underground.

Did you by chance call your local: 1800Dig Number? Every state has a Dig number a person can call where the utilities mark all lines so that knows they are safe to dig?

I heard a train in the background ~ I am guessing that isn't a constant and you said the noise is...

Are the trains constant?

Is the well or lines from your well if you have one in that area? Could there possibly be water lines from a previous owner?

East Coast is getting Cicadas this year ~ I don't remember their sound, but the sound you have sounds "mechanical" and not insect-like.

I am going to caution you to be very careful ~ keep everyone out of the area until you can figure out what is going on. I would also explain to the wife it may be a tad bit inconvenient to lose power for a couple minutes, but funerals are even more inconvenient and usually coupled with sadness & grief.

Can you speak with neighbors who are familiar with your land prior to you moving in. On our piece I actually had a horse barn, wired ~ horses, fencing the whole works ~ you would never know that to look at it now. Before there was a horse barn this whole road was a landscape supply ~ acres of it and no one could ever guess that.

I work in ground control ~ very large scale ground control (World Trade Center Memorial Ground Prep was a project just to give you an idea) and I can tell you we run into to some very funky, unbelievable conditions not able to be predicted that are underground. While I hope it is something as easy~peasy that we all chuckle about (cicadas / vibration from an unknown underground water source) it could be something serious so don't go blindly poking around and taking any chances. Call your local NoDIig Number, very minimally cut all power and keep people out of the area until you can figure out what you are dealing with.

Please keep us posted I'll be curious to see what this ends up being.

 

[toofast]

DK - first of all thank you for your detailed post...it is appreciated.

The trains are not constant...every once in a while and they are 8 miles away.

No well lines, it is a new development and we built the house - nothing is underground in that area.

Our power is all out front...nothing in the back.

It was not there yesterday...all that changed was a MASSIVE rain storm...could it be somehow water running far underground and somehow it is channeling up ?

I put a meter on the rebar / mesh and nothing....although perhaps it was not grounded, etc...had no idea where to put the black lead so I just stuck it in the ground.

We live way in the country...nothing else mechanical around for miles and miles (like 20)

I sent the video to my PB, as he is supposed to start the concrete pour in a day or so...doubt he will have ideas though, as it is nuts.

Next huge step is to kill all power...once my wife gets our son to bed.