Noise on the line

[colirv]

Can anyone suggest what might be causing this? Something intermittent, obviously, but I don't think it's anything in the house.



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[rireed3]

Next time you see it, try picking up the phone and dialing 17070 and select quiet line test, or for a quick test just dial one digit.  These silence the line so you can hear if the noise is all-spectrum (like lightning or electric motors) and if it has a mechanical pattern.

Edit: If you hear only a very faint steady hiss, the noise is not in the audible spectrum.  Others can describe how to de-tune a MW radio and see if you can find a source in your house.

Richard

[Rik]

What Richard said. If you've got a battery-powered AM radio, tune away from a station in the MW band, so you just have white noise. Then wander along the line of your phone cable listening for the noise to get louder.

[colirv]

Thanks both - I shall give all of this a go. And if the noise doesn't reappear, that's a result as well!

[Sebby]

It's not particularly bad, Colin, but I agree with the others that there's something causing it and a de-tuned AM radio is the way to go.

[trophymick]

I tried the detuned radio, (it's a new one for me ) and it gets very noisy at the junction box where the line comes into the house, it's a very old 'GPO' box.   Otherwise it's as quiet as a mouse.

[Rik]

Is there any mains wiring or equipment nearby, Mick?

[trophymick]

Sorry for the late reply Rik, I had to pop out this morning.
No there's nothing near it, the wire goes up the side of the door frame and into the GPO box, then the wire (newer) comes in from outside to the box, to join it all together. It's funny the radio is just giving quiet white noise all the was along the hallway and up to the box, as soon as it goes near the box, it gets really loud. It's fun checking it though.
I had a look in the GPO box and there are only four wires in total connected, (2 joined to 2) but there are other wires coiled up in there doing nothing.

[Rik]

Standard for a junction box, Mick, the exchange pair joined to the house wiring, the other wires are there in case you ask for a second line.