How to cancel high pitch noise like those from old TV CRT?

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jean2019
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13 Mar 2019, 2:52 am

Hi, I live in a small condo/apt building, I've heard a high pitch noise for more than a month, it sounds like a vee...vee..., similar to the high pitch sound from those old TV CRT. I have ringing in my ears now, a soft vee...vee.., exact reflection of this awful sound. I've asked our mail carrier to step inside my unit when he was delivering packages to my building, he heard it, he said it was like "hee...hee...hee.." to him. I also asked a neighbor in the other building to come in and listen, she's retired, she also heard something like wee...wee..., even though it was not too strong for her. It is strong to me and sometimes hurts my ear. The mail carrier came in around 5:30 to 6:pm twice already, the retired neighbor came in around 12 noon. I haven't figure out the pattern as when it becomes strong and when it is a bit soft. When its soft, it somehow sounds like an airflow: zee...zee..zzz.

I hope to find headphones or something to reduce this high pitch noise, since I can't figure out where it comes from. It has effected my sleep and I am getting tired.

For our units, the ceiling to floor is about 7.5 feet, its more like different rooms in a large house, very close. The building was built in 1984, here in California. The building is 2 story, the street level is the garage, bedrooms are directly above someone else's garage. My unit is a one bedroom unit, on 1st floor, about 580 sq ft, my bedroom is directly above my upstairs' garage. Their garage has installed an auto opener, every time they open/close my bedroom floor vibrates like an earthquake, I've reported to HOA but was told have to get used to it. My upstairs tenants opened/closed the garage a lot during weekends when they were packing before they moved out last month. Started in Jan 2019 they generated a lot noise at first I thought they were doing some type of remodeling project although I doubted, and this high pitch sound started around that time. Then one day I saw them using a dolly and moving boxes to the garage so I realized they were moving out.

This winter is cold, my upstairs had the furnace on almost everyday, that sound is loud. We have ceiling heater/furnace, but I don't use mine because there was a fire in one of the units from another building which started from the ceiling. I use a portable one. My neighbor on the left and right also use their heater, I also hear the "hum...hum...hum" from either side, though they don't use it everyday. I believe our ceiling heater is called forced air, fueled by gas. Last spring we did termite fumigation, after that our electric/gas company did pilot light in each unit, and also tested the ceiling heater in each unit.

Upstairs owner had changed the living room/bath/kitchen to laminate floor, I could hear squeaking with every step from upstairs. They did a lot of hammering before they moved, their water heater was also replaced.

I turned off every electronic item in my unit to see where that sound came from, it's not my carbon mono detector, not my fridge, but couldn't identify where that noise come from. I've asked my left and right neighbor to see if they heard that sound in their unit (although I don't think one of them has very good hearing) or if they had installed recently an electronic item, they said no. There is construction going on, on the street about 200 ft from my building, but this noise shows up at night time as well. I know many people can't hear the high pitch sound generated by old TV so even if they installed something like that they won't know. While trying to find the source, I need to get some good sleep. :cry:



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13 Mar 2019, 8:38 am

Welcome to WP!

Try a radio playing some classical music in the background, it doesn't have to be loud but after a few days you might have desensitised your hearing enough from tuning into the noise.

I do this when neighbours are mowing grass and strimming weeds most weekends.


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DanielW
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13 Mar 2019, 9:00 am

jean2019 wrote:
Hi, I live in a small condo/apt building, I've heard a high pitch noise for more than a month, it sounds like a vee...vee..., similar to the high pitch sound from those old TV CRT. I have ringing in my ears now, a soft vee...vee.., exact reflection of this awful sound. I've asked our mail carrier to step inside my unit when he was delivering packages to my building, he heard it, he said it was like "hee...hee...hee.." to him. I also asked a neighbor in the other building to come in and listen, she's retired, she also heard something like wee...wee..., even though it was not too strong for her. It is strong to me and sometimes hurts my ear. The mail carrier came in around 5:30 to 6:pm twice already, the retired neighbor came in around 12 noon. I haven't figure out the pattern as when it becomes strong and when it is a bit soft. When its soft, it somehow sounds like an airflow: zee...zee..zzz.

I hope to find headphones or something to reduce this high pitch noise, since I can't figure out where it comes from. It has effected my sleep and I am getting tired.

For our units, the ceiling to floor is about 7.5 feet, its more like different rooms in a large house, very close. The building was built in 1984, here in California. The building is 2 story, the street level is the garage, bedrooms are directly above someone else's garage. My unit is a one bedroom unit, on 1st floor, about 580 sq ft, my bedroom is directly above my upstairs' garage. Their garage has installed an auto opener, every time they open/close my bedroom floor vibrates like an earthquake, I've reported to HOA but was told have to get used to it. My upstairs tenants opened/closed the garage a lot during weekends when they were packing before they moved out last month. Started in Jan 2019 they generated a lot noise at first I thought they were doing some type of remodeling project although I doubted, and this high pitch sound started around that time. Then one day I saw them using a dolly and moving boxes to the garage so I realized they were moving out.

This winter is cold, my upstairs had the furnace on almost everyday, that sound is loud. We have ceiling heater/furnace, but I don't use mine because there was a fire in one of the units from another building which started from the ceiling. I use a portable one. My neighbor on the left and right also use their heater, I also hear the "hum...hum...hum" from either side, though they don't use it everyday. I believe our ceiling heater is called forced air, fueled by gas. Last spring we did termite fumigation, after that our electric/gas company did pilot light in each unit, and also tested the ceiling heater in each unit.

Upstairs owner had changed the living room/bath/kitchen to laminate floor, I could hear squeaking with every step from upstairs. They did a lot of hammering before they moved, their water heater was also replaced.

I turned off every electronic item in my unit to see where that sound came from, it's not my carbon mono detector, not my fridge, but couldn't identify where that noise come from. I've asked my left and right neighbor to see if they heard that sound in their unit (although I don't think one of them has very good hearing) or if they had installed recently an electronic item, they said no. There is construction going on, on the street about 200 ft from my building, but this noise shows up at night time as well. I know many people can't hear the high pitch sound generated by old TV so even if they installed something like that they won't know. While trying to find the source, I need to get some good sleep. :cry:


Hello, and welcome to WP!

I too am often tormented by those types pf sounds, and I've found them come from all types of small electronics that seem to be everywhere nowadays. LED lightbulbs, CFL lightbulbs, those box-shaped power adapters (some people refer to a "wall warts")

Several things can help with those noises you can't find or otherwise turn off - one is a pair of custom fitted earplugs. I find they work better than the more common foam type, and are far more comfortable. You might look in to a white noise machine (I know it sounds counter-intuitive), but sometimes it helps to mask a high-frequency sound with a louder, more tolerable, low-frequency one. For day-time use, you might also want to consider noise-cancelling headphones...they have been a real-sanity-saver for me. (They are on the expensive side, so if you can try-before-you-buy that would be a good way to see if they help you enough to warrant spending that kind of money).

You have my sympathies with regard to upstairs neighbors, I know that situation all too well.



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13 Mar 2019, 9:02 am

There are earplugs designed for musicians. They are much more expensive than cheap hearing protectors, but they work great for watching movies, especially the loud action films.



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13 Mar 2019, 9:06 am

A common source of noise is ductwork for heating and air-conditioning. The configuration may be just right to produce a high-pitched whistle 24/7. Another might be CFL lamps. You said you tried switching off all electronic devices, but did you switch off all of the lights as well?

I have a few of those electronic pest repellers plugged in around the office. I've had to unplug or move some of them because some of the younger secretaries were complaining about the high-pitched whine they emit.



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13 Mar 2019, 9:37 am

Welcome to Wrong Planet!


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13 Mar 2019, 3:22 pm

The noise is most likely coming from your apartment. I really doubt you could hear a noise of that frequency from another unit. White noise in the meantime should help you sleep. I just play a clip of and air conditioner on repeat all night long.



jean2019
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19 Mar 2019, 12:26 am

Thanks for all your suggestions, some questions:
Under what condition does "heating and air-conditioning. The configuration may be just right to produce a high-pitched whistle 24/7" ? Perhaps a neighbor might have installed air conditioning, our units don't have air conditioners, its very hot in the summer someone might have installed it.

I also want to mention, the previous tenants were doing a lot of hammering, especially in the kitchen area. We have small kitchen, I think its called gallery style, once inside the unit, on the right is storage space, refrigerator, counter space, stove, a bit more counter space; on the the left is counter space, sink, more counter space (under this counter space is a dishwasher), and they seemed to be doing a lot hammering near the dishwasher area. I often heard dragging of a heavy object over the kitchen floor because the floor is hardwood/laminate, its a loud skid sound. I couldn't think of why they need to do that, about once a week. Either they were dragging out the dishwasher or the stove? Does a malfunction dishwasher/stove generate high pitch sound like vee...vee....? :?: But then these should be off at late night or at least not all day long, yet I hear that high pitch sound at different times.

They also run the washer a lot more than the previous 2 residents. Some weekends they run the washer for 4 or 5 hrs continuously. I also hear some hammering from that area. The washer/dryer closet is in front of the bathroom area which is also in front of the bedroom.

I did turned off all the lights to test at night, turned off everything.

I just ordered a white noise sound machine, hope to receive it by the end of this week, and see if it will help.



slave
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09 May 2019, 8:24 pm

jean2019 wrote:
Thanks for all your suggestions, some questions:
Under what condition does "heating and air-conditioning. The configuration may be just right to produce a high-pitched whistle 24/7" ? Perhaps a neighbor might have installed air conditioning, our units don't have air conditioners, its very hot in the summer someone might have installed it.

I also want to mention, the previous tenants were doing a lot of hammering, especially in the kitchen area. We have small kitchen, I think its called gallery style, once inside the unit, on the right is storage space, refrigerator, counter space, stove, a bit more counter space; on the the left is counter space, sink, more counter space (under this counter space is a dishwasher), and they seemed to be doing a lot hammering near the dishwasher area. I often heard dragging of a heavy object over the kitchen floor because the floor is hardwood/laminate, its a loud skid sound. I couldn't think of why they need to do that, about once a week. Either they were dragging out the dishwasher or the stove? Does a malfunction dishwasher/stove generate high pitch sound like vee...vee....? :?: But then these should be off at late night or at least not all day long, yet I hear that high pitch sound at different times.

They also run the washer a lot more than the previous 2 residents. Some weekends they run the washer for 4 or 5 hrs continuously. I also hear some hammering from that area. The washer/dryer closet is in front of the bathroom area which is also in front of the bedroom.

I did turned off all the lights to test at night, turned off everything.

I just ordered a white noise sound machine, hope to receive it by the end of this week, and see if it will help.


Did it help?
:D



jean2019
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14 May 2019, 12:20 am

The white sound player helped me sleep, but when the high pitch sound is very strong, I had to put it on high volume, its kinda crazy. Classical music doesn't help because it doesn't balance the high pitch noise. I used to be able to do some reading at night around 10 to 11pm when quiet but haven't been able to do that for a while. I tried it with white sound player but its kinda crazy after 20 min. I was used to dog barking, loud music at night outside my window I close my window which could help, but this high pitch sound terrible. :( I bought 3M ear plugs those blocked loud noise like the washer but not this high pitch sound. Now almost summer, I don't hear my neighbors furnace/heater on (unless they put it on low level which I couldn't hear) that sound is still here. Are there any ear plugs that could reduce high pitch sounds? Please.



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14 May 2019, 8:00 am

I sleep under a blanket. That may help filter out high pitched noises.



slave
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14 May 2019, 7:23 pm

jean2019 wrote:
The white sound player helped me sleep, but when the high pitch sound is very strong, I had to put it on high volume, its kinda crazy. Classical music doesn't help because it doesn't balance the high pitch noise. I used to be able to do some reading at night around 10 to 11pm when quiet but haven't been able to do that for a while. I tried it with white sound player but its kinda crazy after 20 min. I was used to dog barking, loud music at night outside my window I close my window which could help, but this high pitch sound terrible. :( I bought 3M ear plugs those blocked loud noise like the washer but not this high pitch sound. Now almost summer, I don't hear my neighbors furnace/heater on (unless they put it on low level which I couldn't hear) that sound is still here. Are there any ear plugs that could reduce high pitch sounds? Please.


I wish I knew what to suggest. :(
What you need is a cross between an sound engineer and a detective...someone who can sleuth it all out for you.

Would the landlord/property mgr person be willing to help??



jean2019
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21 May 2019, 2:29 pm

Property manager no help.

At this point I am going to record the sound and see if sound analyzer would help to see what it is. Any good sound analysis app/software that are good in identify high pitch sound sources?? :?:



slave
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22 May 2019, 9:57 pm

jean2019 wrote:
Property manager no help.

At this point I am going to record the sound and see if sound analyzer would help to see what it is. Any good sound analysis app/software that are good in identify high pitch sound sources?? :?:


Username: AuntBlabby works with sound in some capacity...you could PM??
Also, Fnord is VERY knowledgeable with engineering/electronic kind-of-stuff iirc.

They have forgotten more than I'll ever know.