High pitched noise from new Smart Meter

This sounds uncomfortable, alarming, even. Is the ‘high-pitched sound’ continuous, or if not, how often or at what intervals do you hear it?

A smart meter should normally operate quite silently, so what you’re describing warrants closer investigation, perhaps requiring an engineer visit. I don’t know what sort of a reception you’ll get, but the first point of contact will as always be Support. Please try that first, and come back here to tell us what happened.

Thank you, Firedog. 

Yes, the noise is constant 24/7, at the same pitch/frequency. It's not loud as such, but its loud enough that I can hear it especially when upstairs (where the meter is located). So much so, that I'm sleeping on the living room floor to hopefully lessen it! OVO have said that they'll send a third party engineer to investigate, but as I'm in a fairly remote area, I fear I'll be waiting some time.

I can vouch for that condition - it’s known as Acute Hypersensitive hearing and is commonly associated with neurodiversity. It’s definitely not a conspiracy theory as I have it myself due to Autism/ADHD.

My new KAIFA meter from last October makes a high pitched noise which has a slightly varying frequency rhythm to it. At 75 my hearing is not hypersensitive (it's not poor either) but neither is it noticeable outside of it's cupboard. It has always done it from day one and my previous meter was completely silent. I just noted it as a curiosity. Soundproofing inside an enclosure may be an option if the meter engineer says it's normal.

The slight frequency variation occurs when the Impulse led flashes so that speeds up if I put a heavy load on but it doesn't get any louder. As a guess as an electonics engineer I would say it's the small switch mode power supply in the meter feeding low voltage to the processing electronics. As the load changes with the led flashing then the switching frequency changes a bit. Most often this is in the ultrasonic region but if you have a high power SMPS running at a lower than designed load the frequency can drop into the audio range. This is a known phenomena.

Peter 

Hey ​@Anni_F 

I’m glad to see a few of our community members have already stopped by here.

I did run this topic past one of our metering specialists who’d just like to take a look at the account. I’ve sent you a Private Message, you can find that here.

It may simply be “capacitor squeal” or more likely “coil whine” from the electronic components.

Either can happen with any electronic device.

It used to happen quite a bit with old style CRT TV's and computer monitors which had many more coils than modern LCD ones.

Here's an explanation from a gaming computer website:

https://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/blog/capacitor-squeal-coil-whine-explained/

Interesting - thanks. That sure is high-pitched. I compared with the highest tone played by the violin in Beethoven’s violin concerto; depending on which cadenza the soloist elects to play, the usual top note is E7, or 2637Hz. Your whine is a great deal higher than that. Listen from about 30 minutes into this ad-free vintage recording: Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op.61 (1959) - YouTube
 

Hi ​@Anni_F 

I’ve done some spectrum and sound pressure level measurements on my meter which is also an MA120 and I’ve found the following things. This is from the Spectroid app on my phone

The predominant frequency of the tone is 1642 Hz and the SPL on my Mastech MS8229 (multimeter with an ‘A Weighted’, human hearing response) is 57dB. Tinnitus is normally only caused by sustained SPLs of 90dB and above which is 1,000 times louder. SPLs are measured in decibels and it’s a logarithmic scale. An increase of 10dB is a sound that is 10 times louder, 20dB, 100 times etc. The sound is coming from the lower part of communications module and is substantially even from side to side. As a guide it is quiet in our lounge and the reading is around 58-60dB. Our meter is in a cupboard and with the doors closed I can’t detect any sound at 1642 Hz but it can just detect the 50Hz mains hum.

I can understand it is very audible to you and distressing but it is highly likely not to be causing tinnitus due to the sound pressure level. If you think you have tinnitus then I suggest you get that checked out by an audiologist as there may be another cause.

Peter

Just an update 21/8 … and a huge thank you to the very knowledgeable - and empathetic - folks who have contributed here.
Yesterday, OVO sent a third-party emergency engineer to investigate the meter. He replaced the Kaisa meter with a new Aclara meter, and I’m delighted to report the high-pitched noise has now gone! As recommended by a contributor here, I recorded the new meter using the Spectroid app, and it barely detected any sound - a vast improvement. My tinnitus ears are still screaming but my anxiety is much less. So, credit where credit’s due to OVO, and thanks again for all your replies. Off to seek out some pink noise and a cup of tea. 😊

Hi ​@Anni_F 

I’m very pleased that the meter engineer resolved your issue. I think another KAIFA meter would have made the same noise (like mine) so I’m delighted to hear that it was replaced with an Aclara which is a lot quieter. And you have an app now which can help you define and resolve issues like these.

Result!

Peter