Annoyingly loud electrical outlet.

It appears to be covering vent slats. I have no idea. It sounds like a constantly noisy fridge but at a low level. It's an old building. I will eventually call/email the landlord ( edit, mgmt co. not the owner ) who are a wonderful family. I should just go back to working all the time so I'm not here to notice it.

Generally electrical stuff making noise is bad, especially so if its not high voltage.

That does look like a tiny vent though for some reason, id be interested to see whats behind it of it was me

In reply to Antihero :

Electrical bill is about $25 each month. This was a former grow house that got busted but the outlet looks way old. Downstairs neighbor says owner don't care about the building although some kind of semi major electrical was done since 1940. Oh dear I'm that tenant. 

Pull the plate and post pics, I want to know what’s in there

In reply to Patrick :

Will i fry myself? Or to channel Ave will i unleash a horde of angry pixies? 

Nah not tonight. I'm on beer six or so. 

I'm with Patrick. I'm willing to risk your safety to satisfy my curiosity. 

ultraclyde said:

I'm with Patrick. I'm willing to risk your safety to satisfy my curiosity. 

Same here.   Safer for me if someone else does it.

Better live stream opening it just in case an alien jumps out and kills you. That way there’s video proof out there. 

I'm expecting drugs to fall out

Does the outlet work? My guess is there was an HVAC register or return or something, that someone ran some wires through the ductwork to create a new outlet where none previously existing. Needed more outlets for grow lights.

Hopefully the noise is HVAC related and not electrical. Should be ok to take the cover plate off and see what is going on behind it unless a paranoid drug dealer rigged it with a boobie trap.

I would watch a live stream of it being opened. Couldn't be worse than the time Geraldo opened Al Capone's vault.

I'm not sure that's up to code...

Please carefully remove the plate and post another pic.

Is this an older, large house that has been split into apartments?  Is that receptacle fairly high?  I ask because the vent visible through the switch openings sort of looks like a speaker grill. In was common in old houses to have a central intercom system.  You might be hearing the speaker buzz for some reason.

Here's your best bet:  We all have that one friend who has both the curiosity and good sense of a puppy.  Invite said friend over, perhaps provide a few liquid refreshments.  Inform said friend, "Something weird's going on with this outlet".  Said friend will inevitably HAVE to see what's going on.  Hand said friend a screwdriver.  Step back with cell phone camera and fire extinguisher. 

kazoospec said:

Here's your best bet:  We all have that one friend who has both the curiosity and good sense of a puppy.  Invite said friend over, perhaps provide a few liquid refreshments.  Inform said friend, "Something weird's going on with this outlet".  Said friend will inevitably HAVE to see what's going on.  Hand said friend a screwdriver.  Step back with cell phone camera and fire extinguisher. 

 

Lets get Mikey to try it.

Hey Mikey!!!!!

What?  Still no pic?  C'mon.  We've got stuff to do.

This is not a "here hold my beer" moment.

Make sure you are not grounded and remove the cover plate.

lightning bolts are not going to shoot out and get you.

I think someone volunteered a vent duct to run electrics.

I doubt it is up to code.

A really old outlet would not have a ground lug.

kazoospec said:

Here's your best bet:  We all have that one friend who has both the curiosity and good sense of a puppy.  Invite said friend over, perhaps provide a few liquid refreshments.  Inform said friend, "Something weird's going on with this outlet".  Said friend will inevitably HAVE to see what's going on.  Hand said friend a screwdriver.  Step back with cell phone camera and fire extinguisher. 

 

And a wood baseball bat to smack them if they get lit up with something other than 120...

well that's weird as soon as I put the screwdriver on the top right screw the sound greatly diminished and after a simple tighten went away.  Gah! It was that simple! Let me go back and take off the cover anyway.

It's down at regular height and this is a purpose built apt that shot up during WWII to house the massive influx of federal employees. 

Interesting.  Capped central vac port?

Here we go. No clue as to what I'm looking at.

Is it the doorbell?  I have no visitors so can't say I've heard it yet. 

That's strange. They actually belong there but I've never seen anything like them. 

Is that a Patent Number on the bottom of the middle one? Might help to figure out what it is.

It looks like there is a door buzzer or speaker behind them.