Green Electric Utility Box Buzzing

[Laker14]

We have one of those large green utility boxes on the border of our yard. It buzzes. Is that normal? Will it blow up? Should I call someone?

[villagetinker]

Call your electric supplier (seco?) give them the number on the box and tell them what you are hearing. This could be as simple as a lose bolt on a cover plate, or something worse.

[DAVES]

We also have utility boxes between our home and the one next door. One is electricity and it is serious current. The other is wires for cable providers. Often workmen show up to repair, adjust, add to someones cable. These people are mostly contractors. They regularly do not properly secure the cover. Reminder, we are told to secure your stuff for hurricanes, winds etc. Simple solution they should need to notify who is there and why.

[Garywt]

Transformers can buzz especially in high use parts of the day. If it makes you nervous, call the utility as suggested to check it out.

[villagetinker]

OP, did you call, was it fixed?

[Laker14]

OP, did you call, was it fixed?

I called the number on the box, but all I got was a menu driven response: Press"1" for a question about your bill....etc...couldn't get through to a real alive human being.

I did get on the site and managed to get a contact email.
I suspect it's a normal "humm"....I was hitting some putts on the practice green at Cane Garden and saw a similar green box in someone's back yard, but right next to the course so I could walk near it without trespassing in anyone's yard. Pretty much the same sound as the one in my yard.
Unfortunately it's close enough to my lanai that I get to listen to it.
C'est la vie. Too bad it's not a bit higher in frequency, I'd never be able to hear it.

[Topspinmo]

I called the number on the box, but all I got was a menu driven response: Press"1" for a question about your bill....etc...couldn't get through to a real alive human being.

I did get on the site and managed to get a contact email.
I suspect it's a normal "humm"....I was hitting some putts on the practice green at Cane Garden and saw a similar green box in someone's back yard, but right next to the course so I could walk near it without trespassing in anyone's yard. Pretty much the same sound as the one in my yard.
Unfortunately it's close enough to my lanai that I get to listen to it.
C'est la vie. Too bad it's not a bit higher in frequency, I'd never be able to hear it.


I walk by those boxes all time I don’t hear no buzzing, but I only have one ear and don’t pickup certain tones well. I’d still have them check it out/

[Laker14]

I walk by those boxes all time I don’t hear no buzzing, but I only have one ear and don’t pickup certain tones well. I’d still have them check it out/

that's what I'm thinking. So have made contact and let them know of my concern. Whether they do anything about it is another matter.

[Laker14]

Update on the green buzzing box...SECO was prompt with their response to my email, and very prompt with sending someone out to look at it. A very polite young man looked at it, took the cover off, and I went out to talk to him. He said it seemed slightly noisier than normal, but nothing that seemed dangerous to him. A lot of "yes sirs". He said he would report it as something the company should check out, but that I shouldn't get my hopes up that anything would be done.
Today SECO came out and replaced the box and from what I could tell, just about everything that was in it. Power was out for about an hour. It still buzzes, but very very slightly. I can no longer hear it from my lanai. I have to get right next to it to hear it.
A happy ending.

[Catalina36]

We have one of those large green utility boxes on the border of our yard. It buzzes. Is that normal? Will it blow up? Should I call someone?

Most likely the Transformer is buzzing under a high load, the electric utility could check all of the cable connections inside the box for tightness by torquing them but I doubt they would do it. There are probably hundreds of green transformer boxes in The Villages.
Now if the buzzing is extremely loud very excessive then call the electric utility.

[Chi-Town]

Update on the green buzzing box...SECO was prompt with their response to my email, and very prompt with sending someone out to look at it. A very polite young man looked at it, took the cover off, and I went out to talk to him. He said it seemed slightly noisier than normal, but nothing that seemed dangerous to him. A lot of "yes sirs". He said he would report it as something the company should check out, but that I shouldn't get my hopes up that anything would be done.
Today SECO came out and replaced the box and from what I could tell, just about everything that was in it. Power was out for about an hour. It still buzzes, but very very slightly. I can no longer hear it from my lanai. I have to get right next to it to hear it.
A happy ending.

Thanks for the resolution update. Nice to see this thread staying on track and 0P staying with it. Pretty rare here but much appreciated.

[villagetinker]

Yes, thanks for the update. As a former utility engineer there are several possible causes for a transformer to start humming (or making noise), none of these are good. Glad SECO apparently thought there was a problem and replaced the unit.