HUMMING SOUND

[Nev28]

Hi all,

Please can someone help us!! We can hear a very loud humming sound in our home. We have switched our CH and hot water off for 24 hours and the humming sound can still be heard. We think it is our next door neighbours as we can hear the noise from our adjoining wall to their house. They think it is us because they cannot locate the problem. They can hear it loudest in their kitchen, which is not adjoined to our house. I know you probably think that we are being stupid in asking the question, but hoping to hear back from someone that it cannot possibly be us It is driving us mad now as it was all through the night...if someone could confirm that by switching everything off and still hearing the noise could possibly mean that it is not us that would be great...as I said, the sound is from the adjoining wall and not from the boiler, we have no radiators on the adjoining wall...HELP, WE ARE GOING CRAZY!! We are not hearing humming sounds everywhere we go lol

 

[Nev28]

Hi all,

Please can someone help us!! We can hear a very loud humming sound in our home. We have switched our CH and hot water off for 24 hours and the humming sound can still be heard. We think it is our next door neighbours as we can hear the noise from our adjoining wall to their house. They think it is us because they cannot locate the problem. They can hear it loudest in their kitchen, which is not adjoined to our house. I know you probably think that we are being stupid in asking the question, but hoping to hear back from someone that it cannot possibly be us It is driving us mad now as it was all through the night...if someone could confirm that by switching everything off and still hearing the noise could possibly mean that it is not us that would be great...as I said, the sound is from the adjoining wall and not from the boiler, we have no radiators on the adjoining wall...HELP, WE ARE GOING CRAZY!! We are not hearing humming sounds everywhere we go lol

SHOULD SAY WE ARE NOW HEARING HUMMING SOUNDS, NOT WE ARE NOT!!

 

[mehran]

Does it go away if you switch off the power too your boiler, not just on the front but all the power to the boiler. If it does not stop then it is nothing to do with your boiler. But if it does it could be a transformer in your boiler

 

[jgmoir]

May sound silly but switch off the power to your house at the main fuse board if you can still hear the humming sound its nothing in your house that runs on electrics anyway !!

 

[Nev28]

Hi,

I am impressed with the quick responses!! Thank you...We have a Baxi Bermuda boiler. We have just turned it off, it that what you mean? Should the sound stop straight away? Or would it take a while to stop humming if it was us? Sorry to sound dim but I really havn't got a clue!

 

[gasandoilman]

it could be the heating pump which runs even after you turn heating off on the programer on some systems and they can be noisy.
you should have a swich on the wall what turns off all electic to heating
or just turn mains electic off and listen
p.s. yes it will stop instantly

hope this helps jay

 

[Nev28]

Hi Jay,

Thank you for your advice. We have turned off all electrics and the sound is still happening. We have been around to the neighbours and they are now going to do the same to see if it stops.......figers crossed it will and hopefully they will be able to get it sorted.......

Thank again!!

 

[corgiman]

Do you have a water meter?

Could be the mains supply leaking if you are still getting this humming after the electric is turned off completly

 

[gasandoilman]

no problem
if it still happens after you both turn off electric
it must be something buzzing that runs on batteries

 

[corgiman]

no problem
if it still happens after you both turn off electric
it must be something buzzing that runs on batteries

 

[wavetrain]

A very low frequency humming noise has been heard in houses built above major gas distribution pipes. The answer in that case is to move.

 

[Reidy]

Hi

We have exactly the same problem, thought we were going mad - did you ever find out the source of the humming? We have not slept properly for weeks. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Calle13]

I'm having the same problem with an intermittent low humming noise over the last 2 weeks that goes on whether I have my heating turned on or off. I've tried everything to locate the cause. Ear plugs at night do help but I want to find the source of the problem. My boiler is a Potterton Profile with header tank and cold tank in the loft and hot water cylinder in an upstairs bedroom cupboard. My diy knowledge is minimal, and my house is detached so I cannot blame the neighbours.

Some of the posts here are very helpful. A few months ago I changed to a water meter - the post that mentiond it could be a leaking mains supply - does this imply water is leaking out of the mains water pipe? How exactly would this cause the noise, and does it mean I will be getting a massive water bill soon?

To look into whether the house is built over a mains gas supply - where do I look to find plans and info? Are they readily available or do I have to write to British Gas and wait several months for a reply.

Really hope to find some pointers in the right direction before instructing a plumber and sparky. Thanks for all your help, this is a great website.

 

[carlramsay]

yes also having the same problem, just listed a new thread. What was the outcome?? you didnt move did you?
think my problem is chimney related , aerial wang , but cannot believe an aerial can make that noise. Spent an hour on the roof the other day and noise came back 4 days later...... Mind you the neighbours aerial moves abit on the roof,

 

[audiopollution]

It has been a few years since the first post on this subject and I am wondering if a solution was found as the problem has now reached me. It is obviously a widespread problem with many web forums discussing the subject but with no clear answers.
I have lived in the same house for over 10 years without this problem. The sound (though it is hardly a sound at all) is like a pulsating low level hum with breaks of a few seconds before continuing. It begins around 2.00 am and I can still detect it now at 12.00 noon. Today is Sunday so I am not at work and there are no other significant noises to mask the humming. The area in which I live is semi-rural, surrounded by farmland with a small industrial estate which doesn't tend to operate (usually) throughout the night. There is also a railway close by but these things have been here longer than I have. There has been no any significant change in the area. I don't hear the noise outside. I have been reluctant to mention it to my neighbours and likewise, they haven't mentioned it to me so I don't know if I alone hear it. Ear plugs don't work, the sound is just too low-level - almost ultra-sound but not ultra enough! I have yet to find a practical solution to overcome the problem, the best so far is operating a mechanical device such as an electric fan. This has to hum at a similar frequency to the background hum to have any effect so you have to purchase a lot of fans before you find the correct one. Add to that the extra cost for electricity and the inconvenience of having hot or cold air moving around the room when all you want peace and quiet! Why should we have to do any of this at all? Someone out there must know exactly what is causing the problem which is now a worldwide issue. I have read of people driven close to suicide because of this. Selling up and moving on is hardly a solution as you don't know if the problem exists where you move to and a seller is hardly likely to admit to it!