The Hum phenomenon

[Laird]

Theories behind The Hum phenomenon reported by only some people in Sydney and around the world

By Greta Stonehouse on 7 January 2024 for ABC News

Ms Johanson said it began as a "pulsating" noise she believed was generated by construction work on an oval nearby.

"It's like a low rumbling of a diesel engine, which is why I got confused originally, because I just thought it was the continuance of the machines across the road, digging up all the ground," she said.

"But then I noticed when we drove past the fields that there's no machines there anymore. I'm thinking 'What the hell is that noise'?"

She could only hear it in her house, and nobody else could.

"Even when I said to my husband, 'I can feel it standing here, come here', he said, 'Nope, I can't hear it'.

Started suffering with this in my bedroom in December. Seems like it's a standing wave set up in the room, and/or my ear. Any noise disrupts it temporarily, hence it's not noticeable during the day, there must be enough background noise to disrupt it. After the distrupting noise stops, there is a delay before the hum reemerges, about 1-2 seconds, it's like it builds up. It can becomes very strong at night when it's quiet. Other people can hear it. Comes and goes, but over Xmas and New Year it was horrendous on the night... I'm guessing because there was no other background noises to interfere with it as everyone was on holiday. I could even hear it on-and-off throughout the house at night, but mainly concentrated towards the perimeters of rooms. Seems to have some relationship to the wind condition/direction. Things I've thought of for why it's appeared now are my new double glazing, tuned airflow underneath the suspended floor through air-vents, bathroom extractor ventilation pipes, Chimney ventilation pipes. I've even wondered whether it's some low frequency vibration from the boring machines digging the Woodsmith mine tunnel.

I've very temporarily experienced other hums before, not really audible outside, but if you put your ear to the double glazed patio door glass, it sounds as loud as a train.