Electrical – Strange noise coming from the bathroon outlet

bathroomelectrical

I turned on my bathroom light a couple nights ago & it sounded like morse code coming from the outlet. I haven't heard it since that night. My light switch is part of the double outlet. Do you think this is indicating a problem with my wiring? Thank you.

Best Answer

Yes this is indicating a problem. It's hard to tell what the issue might be, but electricity is silent when its working right.

BEFORE INVESTIGATING - turn off the breaker.

Things I would check AFTER turning off the breaker:

  • take off the outlet cover and look for
    • burn marks
    • loose wires
    • cracked or worn insulation
    • cracked or worn parts on the outlet
    • signs of rodents
  • take off the switch cover and look for the same things as the socket

The easy try-it-and-see repair is to replace the switch and outlet, this should cost maybe $10 and 30 minutes of work.

Do you know if you have aluminum or copper wiring in your home?

Is there a fan in this bathroom? Are you sure the noise was coming from the outlet and not a breeze blowing past the fan?