Hi everyone,
I’ve recently salvaged a small toroidal transformer from an old audio amplifier. It's rated at 230V/2x15V – nothing fancy. I wired it up properly and it's giving the expected voltages on the output. However, I noticed a faint but consistent buzzing sound when it's powered on.
It’s not super loud, but noticeable in a quiet room. There’s no heating or burning smell.
Is this kind of buzzing normal in older transformers, or should I be worried about something like loose windings or magnetic core degradation?
Appreciate any insights. Just trying to figure out if I can still use it safely in a DIY power supply project.
Thanks in advance!
AI: How old is the transformer, and do you know if it was heavily used in the past?
I’m not entirely sure how old the transformer is, but judging by the rest of the components in the amp it came from, I’d guess it’s at least 8–10 years old. It definitely looks used — a bit dusty and the mounting screws had marks, so it probably saw regular use. No signs of overheating or physical damage, though.
AI: Can you describe the environment where the transformer is currently being used, such as how it's mounted and if there are any nearby devices that might affect it?
As for the environment, I’ve currently got it mounted on a wooden test bench using rubber washers to reduce vibration. It’s sitting in open air — not enclosed — and I’ve kept it away from other power supplies or inductive loads to rule out interference. The buzzing isn’t extremely loud, just that typical "hum" you sometimes get when you get your ear close. It gets a bit louder under load.
I’ve recently salvaged a small toroidal transformer from an old audio amplifier. It's rated at 230V/2x15V – nothing fancy. I wired it up properly and it's giving the expected voltages on the output. However, I noticed a faint but consistent buzzing sound when it's powered on.
It’s not super loud, but noticeable in a quiet room. There’s no heating or burning smell.
Is this kind of buzzing normal in older transformers, or should I be worried about something like loose windings or magnetic core degradation?
Appreciate any insights. Just trying to figure out if I can still use it safely in a DIY power supply project.
Thanks in advance!
AI: How old is the transformer, and do you know if it was heavily used in the past?
I’m not entirely sure how old the transformer is, but judging by the rest of the components in the amp it came from, I’d guess it’s at least 8–10 years old. It definitely looks used — a bit dusty and the mounting screws had marks, so it probably saw regular use. No signs of overheating or physical damage, though.
AI: Can you describe the environment where the transformer is currently being used, such as how it's mounted and if there are any nearby devices that might affect it?
As for the environment, I’ve currently got it mounted on a wooden test bench using rubber washers to reduce vibration. It’s sitting in open air — not enclosed — and I’ve kept it away from other power supplies or inductive loads to rule out interference. The buzzing isn’t extremely loud, just that typical "hum" you sometimes get when you get your ear close. It gets a bit louder under load.
