Sky Q Noise

[Diddly+DooDa]

6' x 2.5' Alcove cupboard has plenty of ventilation also checked with Sky engineer who suggested it when visiting property, so would say all good,

Thanks for your concern 

[RightAsReign]

Sky q fan is variable speed and relies on temperature. If there's a fault with the temperature probe or fan controller it may be running full speed all the time. Best way to tell is unplug you box from the main power at the back then plug back in. The fan will run full speed for a few seconds then slow down to about a 10th of the speed and be near silent. If the fan doesn't slow down then there's a problem with the fan/speed control system 

[Chodley]

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@UnrealityTV wrote:

Just to add my experience of this... I've been a Sky customer for 18 years, had Sky+, Sky+ HD, Sky Q and Sky Stream. Sky Q was easily the noisiest of the hard drive based recorders. 
Both Sky+ & +HD were silent in standby, the hard drive would spin down completely. Sky Q on the other hand would have a quiet whirr constantly, even in standby, as the fan would remain on for no logical reason whatsoever. This was the case on all three Q boxes I owned, all on an open shelf, fully ventilated and not even warm to the touch. 
TBH I did grow used to the whirring. You learn to tune it out but I agree, it's very irritating when you first hear it, particularly if you've been used to a silent +HD box. I've since had a couple of different Freeview HD hard drive PVRs and both of those were silent - no fan noise at all, just the odd faint hard drive click. Sky Stream is totally silent (having no hard drive) but has a host of other issues. 
I think because Sky Q is so mass produced, there must be variances in build quality, hence the differing experiences of those on this thread. 

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I think they do vary in quality because mine is silent. And hard drives and fans are two very different things. My PC has no hard drive in it but the fans can spin up to a hell of a racket.

[BabyBoomerang]

  I am also not very happy with the mechanical noise coming from my new SkyQ box (Jan 2024).

  My previous box was a 10+ year old Sky+ box, which used to make a bit of a disc hum, but nothing too noticeable. However the new box is positively annoying!

  The annoying noise is a rapid faint ticking (around 4-6 ticks per second). I have concluded that it is probably the fan and not the disc, as the disc is a far quieter hum that is not present all the time.

  I did notice it at the time of the installation, and the engineer said it's normal and that they all made that noise. He added that it will probably quieten with time.

  The annoying 'rapid ticking' noise is present all the time, and when the room is quiet (i.e. TV not on) it is very noticeable some 2-3 metres away on the sofa. Even when I am watching TV, I can hear it ticking away!

  I was going to call Sky abaout it, but reading other peoples experiences I am concerned that if replaced, I could end up with a unit that makes even more noise.

  Admittedly I am rather fussy, and when I pont it out to others in the room, they don't seem too bothered by it. But I am not happy to leave it as it is any longer!

  I am wondering if it really will get quieter (as the installation engineer said)?... Does anyone know?

  While I figure out what to do, I am probably going to put it on the pile of cables behind the TV (where the sound can be partially blocked, and hopefully not audible elsewhere in the room. I might even cover it with something sound absorbing too, like egg boxes (making sure it has enough ventilation for cooling, of course!). If I do this the romote should still work file as it is bluetooth I am told, and therefore does not need to point at the box.

  Has anone else had to resort to these sorts of measures?

  Grrrrr! 

[LaineyC]

Having the same issues. Sorry but no hard drive, console, PC or other wise I've ever owned has ever made non stop noise when working or in stand by  other than obvious fan noise. I'm wishing I never upgraded to a 2TB Sky Q box. The first one I had would randomly shut down with the blue light flashing, power light going red and increased fan noise, without any updates happening once a week and then would go to the regular standby light (orange) switch back on and it was back to the channel it was previously on rather than the Sky Intro channel. 

The second box the hard drive ticks/drips/clicks/taps similar to others say.

Had nothing but hassle trying to get it replaced only for the third box to do exactly the same. 

The 1TB Sky Q box I had for a year prior to this I had no issues with at all and like others had to pay for the privilege of these issues since changing to 2TB Sky Q. Having been with them over 15 years none of the boxes I've ever had over all these years has made noise or had any issues straight out the box like this.

Having paid for a 2TB Q box and having nothing but issues since, has been on top of them upping my monthly payments by nearly £10 when I recontracted recently

when usually they are similar or less but nothing as much as this. 

There are gel anti vibration pads on ebay that are cheap enough but no 100% rated sellers for them or anti vibration mat material like the german stuff on Amazon if you're willing to risk spending more money to try and solve the issue. 

I'm really unhappy however and am more than likely going to request that I am

refunded for the 2TB box and go back to a 1TB box that an engineer brings instead to make sure there's no more issues! 

I wish I hadn't sent my issue free 1TB box back so soon after the first 2TB box arrived. It had to be arranged by me to be collected by Royal Mail rather than hand it back there and then. 

[Daniel-F]

Hi @BabyBoomerang  & @LaineyC ,

Sorry to hear about the issues you are having! 

I have found a page with some supportive steps on this issue: https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-q-boxes-are-warm-to-touch-or-noisy which has follow ups you can use should you need more help 🙂

Thanks,

Daniel

Community Moderator

[LaineyC]

Thanks Daniel. No offence but I'm sure the majority are aware of that page before contacting support or the forum and are sick of the twitter help team constantly copy & pasting the information from it whenever you contact them and then the person you speak to has to leave and another comes on and does the same rather than read the information you left prior that includes everything you've already tried in detail and sent requested videos that they said warranted a replacement box. But the next person  argue there's been no troubleshooting done. Despite previously stating you did what the page asks already to no avail.

The first box had another fault, the second and third had the noise issue. My whole evening and next morning was wasted trying to get a replacement (the third box) and I had to contact three different methods of support in the end to get a third box that is just the same. I shouldn't need a fourth box to try and get one that runs properly or waste more time and energy I simply don't have trying to get a fourth for it to be the same. 

[Chodley]

@LaineyC you'd be surprised how many people end up here before seeing any other sources of info. That sounds like a nightmare. I had an upgrade box show up which was pretty much DOA. Fans and blue spinning light most mornings. Once surprised me but for you to have a duff replacement box twice on the trot makes me question the QA process.

I'd almost be tempted at this point to open the thing up and replace the fans myself. Of course you can't do that.

[LaineyC]

I can imagine actually. Just guessed from the discussion here so far that we were all technologically minded enough and that info had already been discussed?  Personally I always try to do all the troubleshooting before making contact to save the need or anyone's time and it helps the likes of engineers too who thank you for it. 

Funny you should say that! During the attempt to get a replacement 2TB (third) box I brought up it would be a wasted day for myself and an engineer at the time, as all that either of us could do (other than bring a replacement box) would be to open the existing one and replace the fans/hard drive, but neither of us would be allowed to do that.