Late night vibrating toilet

[Aloysius]

I hope someone can advise with the following problem.

My home has a loft conversion which now has a bedroom and en-suite. The problem we have is that on an occasional basis the toilet cistern and the pipes behind vibrate violently like a pneumatic drill (and at least as loud). The vibration usually lasts for 6 or seven seconds, waking everyone up, with maybe one or two short bursts to follow. Not ideal with a baby trying to sleep!

Of late this is happening every night some time between 11pm and midnight, coinciding with our next door neighbour using his bathroom (set off by his toilet flush I think). It doesn't happen if we use our own main bathroom downstairs or at any time during the day.

The problem ebbs and flows a bit. We may have a week or two without hearing it, but then it will be every night for a while. There have also been a few occasions when the vibration doesn't stop and the cistern begins to fill up incessantly with water leading us to turn the main water tap off for the night as the only way of stopping it.

Two plumbers have looked at the problem but both haven't been able to help. They just say everything looks normal.

Is there anything that can be done?

 

[doitall]

 

[Aloysius]

Trying all I can

 

[WDIK]

some people would pay good money for that



stop using it during the night

 

[doitall]

Good thinking WDIK but it's the neighbour thats causing the problem and it's not a shared mains before you ask.

 

[WDIK]

so they are all at it then?



sounds like water hammer but better advised by a plumber

 

[Bahco]

Clip the pipes if possible or turn down the stoptap little by little until it stops.

 

[doitall]

If the OP turns the stopcock off then the problem goes away, so how can it be the neighbour flushing his loo thats causing the problem, even more so because it isn't a shared main.

Sorry OP turning the stopcock off eliminates the neighbour as the problem.

 

[WDIK]

would a small expansion vessel help at all, just to absorb any surge?
why do i feel im getting out of my depth

 

[doitall]

would a small expansion vessel help at all, just to absorb any surge?
why do i feel im getting out of my depth

not at all WDIK a shock absorber would certainly be be worth a try.

it would be interesting to know if the problem started after the loft conversion

 

[Aloysius]

I would have thought the fact that turning the stop cock off eliminates the problem points to there being a surge through the mains. Is there any way that the neighbour flushing his toilet can cause a surge like this. Is it noteworthy that we only get the water hammer when he flushes his toilet after dark - its not a problem during the day.

As for whether there's been a continual problem since the loft conversion I'm not sure as we moved in after the conversion. We certainly heard the occasional rumble of the same type but never as loud, long-lasting or regular as it is now.

 

[WDIK]

not at all WDIK a shock absorber would certainly be be worth a try.

thanks DIA made me look to see the difference thanks now i see, using a piston rather than a diaphram

learn all the time

 

[doitall]

Whats the water pressure like good, strong or poor.

If you had a shared mains then the problem could be linked but I doubt it.

A simply explanation for the night only noise other than sods law is the pressure will be higher

 

[doitall]

not at all WDIK a shock absorber would certainly be be worth a try.

thanks DIA made me look to see the difference thanks now i see, using a piston rather than a diaphram

learn all the time

Yon can buy bean can size shock absorber for about 12 quid.

 

[Aloysius]

Whats the water pressure like good, strong or poor.

If you had a shared mains then the problem could be linked but I doubt it.

A simply explanation for the night only noise other than s***s law is the pressure will be higher

Generally strong water pressure, so I guess night time surges might be felt worse when next door's flush is the main local 'event'.