Electrical – When I plug in a dimmable lamp on the other side of the house, a GFCI outlet in the kitchen starts humming. What gives

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The GFCI outlet in the kitchen ONLY buzzes when the following two conditions are met:

(1) Microwave is plugged in
(2) Dimmable lamp on other side of house is turned on

Any idea what could be causing this? Never had any issues with this outlet until relocating the lamp to a new outlet and turning it out, which leads me to believe the issue is either with the lamp, or with the outlet that the lamp is plugged into.

I have read all other questions pertaining to GFCI issues but cannot find any that seem to pertain to this strange issue.

Thank you for any assistance in this matter!

Best Answer

Since the GFI's test button does not make it trip, the GFI should be replaced pronto. Until that can be done, unplug everything from it and from downstream outlets.

The test button is not an accessory feature. It uses simple electronics to produce a slightly unbalanced current so as to directly test the protection logic. If that doesn't work, the protective circuitry has failed. That, plus any buzzing (especially under bizarre circumstances) is a screaming cry to fix it.

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