Humming Noise

Reidy · 8 Oct 2008

Hi

We have a humming noise which firstly could be heard mainly in the bedroom which is above the garage containing the boiler. There is also a cupboard containing the meters/water pipes from the boiler in the center of the house. The noise is continuous and can now be heard throughout the house. Its a pulsing hum and carries on even after all of the power to the house has been switched off thus eliminating electrical appliances etc.

The electric/gas meters have been changed, water switched off in the street and environmental health cannot find anything. Can anyone help please?

spacethegas · 8 Oct 2008

Darth Vader doesn't live next door does he ?

tryitandsee · 8 Oct 2008

I like these ones, better than sudoku.

Is your house detached, terraced touching another property? i.e. neighbours ball cock transferring noise to you somewhere.

Major water leak beyond your stopcock in the road vibrating back along your service pipe.

Happy mother-in-law locked away somewhere out of sight.

Just a few suggestions for now.

Reidy · 9 Oct 2008

Spacethegas

If we werent so tired that might be funny!

tryitandsee

The house is end terrace there is a new building site to the rear which the building work has now been suspended for time being. Will try your suggestions and get back to you. Thanks.

Agile · 9 Oct 2008

An older but very competent engineer who I worked with in the BBC was complaining of that problem.

Eventually he went to his doctor who diagnosed tinitus!

Does everyone else who visits or lives there all agree they can hear the noise?

Tony

Reidy · 9 Oct 2008

Yes unfortunately it is now becoming the topic of conversation with everyone who visits the house, it can be heard by all of us and visitors. We have already been down this road. Thanks anyway. Anymore suggestions? Please don't put spirits!! as only alcohol can now ease the sleepless nights!! (although I am not an alchoholic (yet))

Agile · 11 Oct 2008

Reidy said:
Hi

The electric/gas meters have been changed, water switched off in the street and environmental health cannot find anything. Can anyone help please?

Whilst they cannot find anything, can ther hear it with their ears?

Most importantly can they detect it with their sound level meter?

Tony

libby lou lou · 11 Oct 2008

Definetly not from next doors.? ask him to turn his power off, and shut his cannabis farm down.

as you said it wasn't bad at first,( 1 fan), then got worse. (crop has grown now, need more fans!)

tryitandsee · 11 Oct 2008

You mentioned a builders development on one of your posts, has this development got any connection to creating noise. i.e. ground submersible pumps running 24/7, generators, anything.

If it is as bad as you are suggesting, get your local environmental health officer up to your place asap with all his fancy listening equipment and get them to investigate. Check with your local utilities and find out if any major repairs are being carried out locally, worth a phone call.
Wish you luck and hope you get to the cause.

Reidy · 12 Oct 2008

Enviromental health been out, they say they can only test for low frequency noise and as they can find nothing and we say it is only in the house they cannot assist. Will check with builders. The noise is not a loud noise, just sounds like a motor continually running but as you can appreciate this does not bode well for a good nights sleep. Thanks for your suggestions.

Agile · 12 Oct 2008

Most people can sleep anywhere if they are tired.

Like on a plane, boat, living next to a motorway or railway.

Tony

Softus · 12 Oct 2008

There you go Reidy - all you need to do is become tired, and your problem will be solved.

Meanwhile, did you say that the noise appears to emanate from somewhere inside the house? If so, is it that cupboard?

Reidy · 13 Oct 2008

Believe me I have never been this tired, we live near a railway and are used to the trains! This is an annoying noise, it is fine when you get off to sleep this morning I woke at 4.20am and had to then sleep with my Ipod on to drown out the noise it is now causing major sleep problems.

The noise can be heard in each room which led us to believe at first it was electrical, environmental health monitors cannot pick up any electrical frequency, they say may be structural i.e. pipes vibrating. Trying to get boiler checked out but boiler is quiet. The cupboard was another thought as the meters and pipes go into this area and it is in the center of the house. Thanks for your input.

Agile · 13 Oct 2008

If there was any significant noise then the EHO would have found it!

If you have only turned off the power at the consumer unit then I think I am right that the electricity meter will still have a magnetising coil energised if its the old type with a rotating disc.

Tony

Softus · 13 Oct 2008

Reidy, Agile has a point, although he has a knack of putting things in an unhelpful way.

Someone asked you earlier if the EHO could hear what you're hearing - I don't think you answered that question. It's an important point, because they should be able to advise you even if the noise (according to their equipment) is undetectable.

If they cannot help, then I would ask them to tell you the parameters of quietest/lowest noise that their equipment can detect. I would then ask them to suggest an expert with more sensitive equipment. This might also prompt them to be more interested in what's going on.

If not, then pay the expert to track down the noise. If it turns out to be not your responsibility (which seems likely) then you can claim back the cost of that later.

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Humming Noise

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