Advice Needed, pls - house humming and vibrating 3 years now - What is it?

buglawton

I can hear the transformer of my old-style doorbell hum at night, it happens to be screwed to a thin hardboard surface that acts like a sounding board. Something similar in OP's case?

TimBuckTeeth

Mains hum is a fairly distinctive noise, it is usually a constant volume and always a fixed low frequency (50Hz or 100Hz) hum. It is caused by the 50Hz alternating current making ferrous metal parts vibrate, often heard from transformers or the ballast in fluorescent light fittings.
To recognise the sound of mains hum and either rule it out or investigate further : try holding a small appliance with an internal transformer such as a clock radio to your ear to hear the hum. An old cheap appliance is more likely to have a noticeable hum.
It is unlikely that the electricity meter is making a noise, especially as it has been replaced. However an electricity substation can make quite a noticeable noise.

Suzy_M

FamilyHistoryMad wrote: »

Thank you for replying
Since the water stopcock has been changed the noise is louder and I think more audible to others.

Might have missed it in your posts but did the water pressure increase after the stopcock was changed?

Do you know where the water tower/ reservoir is that supplies your house and does it have to be pumped from there. If so do you know where the pump is and is your house first in line in your street.

Also check out your main library branch for old maps.

And finally the utilities are NEVER going to admit if their system is the cause. :mad:

sarah_elton

FamilyHistoryMad wrote: »

We have asked the neighbours either side and they can't hear it in their homes.

If you go into their house, can you hear the noise?

Can they hear the noise in yours? And if friends/family visit, can they hear it?

It's unlikely since your whole family can hear it (not just you), but just wondering if it's a medical thing.

I suspect it's below the decibel level to be a nuisance for environmental health purposes.

Only thing I've had even vaguely like this was when OH and I stayed in a hotel in Edinburgh. There was a very quiet but infuriating buzzing type hum in the room, and I couldn't figure out what it was. We called maintenance, and it was a transformer behind the dressing table supplying power to a US socket they provide for US businessmen.

Probably obvious but have you tried sleeping with ear plugs? I started using them at uni as I lived on a busy road, and got so used to them I can't sleep without them now! They don't completely block noise (unless you buy expensive ones) but do cut down low background noise substantially. Might help if it's the noise more than the vibration keeping you awake.

k1rkyc

I've got nothing to add/suggest but this thread is very interesting and it's nice to see so many people offering advice!

I'm intrugued as to where the noise is coming from and will keep checking back into this thread!

Hope you sort it FHM!

Supercali

I have a similar hum in our house. I have noticed it at night since we moved here but my husband can't hear it at all, even though it used to drive me mad.

I tried to describe it to him like a car engine running in a tunnel or beside a wall but he just looks at me as if I'm mad!

I have been all round the house and it doesn't seem as bad downstairs. I can't hear it outside. Some nights I don't hear it.

My house is early 1800s built straight onto clay. Possible causes for us:

• We have a plant business one side who run air conditioning/heating 24/7.
• At the bottom of our field is a grain store and they have a big dryer that is on certain times of the year.
• We have a small transformer at the other side of the field
• Also from reading this thread, it could be from the Pumping Station about 1/2 mile away (don't know how often they use the pumps?)

I hope you find out what is causing it but I suspect that it is probably something you won't be able to change and have to live with. Luckily I can now sleep through it.

Spendless

Supercali - There is a medical condition that can cause you to hear noises that other people don't. Try googling 'musical ear syndrome' . My nan has it, she was hearing arguments/music from neighbours but I sneaked into her flat and there wasn't anything. We had to tell her as she had started calling out the police to non-existant disturbances. She took great offense that we didn't believe her though before accepting it.

I was going to suggest the same thing for the OP, but if it's being heard by other family members then it is ruled out.

FamilyHistoryMad

vulcanpilot wrote: »

I've registered just to reply to your problem

We used to live on an estate in Portishead. We had a very similar issue to you, only it wasn't continuous, but would come and go. We could hear and feel this low drone/hum/rumble over the TV, and at night it sounded like an express train that just wouldn't stop.

It took us a couple of years to pin it down, and only because we had exhausted all other avenues. But to cut a long story short, our noise/vibration was down to ships manouvering in Bristol (Avonmouth) docks!

The very low frequency of their engines and propellors was travelling through the rock and soil and actually vibrating the house. Our next door neighbours didn't seem to get it, but we did, and it was explained that it was to do with the frequency and our houses position relative to the wavelength of the noise But we knew it WAS the docks because whilst it was happening I contacted the Docks Police to ask if there was a large ship moving (did this several times) and each time it was confirmed that a ship was docking/manouvering.

Once we knew what it was, it seemed to bother us less. You'd kind of just thing "oh, another boat moving about" and go back to sleep. Weird how the mind works, as before we knew, we would lay awake with the noise and causes just going round and round in your head.

Hope you get it solved, but sometimes it can be the most obscure and bizarre thing that is the cause.

Thank you so much for taking the time to register just to reply to my message. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond - I am working my way through the posts but it is so difficult to function properly after so many years of lack of sleep :sad:. I really love the MSE community :jand hope you feel as happy here as I do.

It is very frustrating not knowing what it is. I mean, it just seems so stupid. How can it be so hard for us to work out what it is? But then when, in your case, it was ships! You just wouldn't think of something like that! I am just praying for a power cut. We had a power cut before and we thought we could still hear the noise. I want another power cut just to make sure, as at least that would rule out the electrics in our house and anywhere local to the power cut. It would be a good way to narrow things down a little.

Kind Regards
FHM

FamilyHistoryMad

basill wrote: »

Do you have an electricity substation nearby? we have one at the end of our garden and on a quiet summer night notice it there. The sound is almost below hearing but we sometimes feel it as much as hear it.

These transformers are not always visible in their own fenced compound, they may be built in if there are industrial premises nearby.

B

Thank you for replying

There is one of those green electricity buildings a couple of streets away but the electricity board have checked it out for us and the hum/vibrating apparently is not coming from there. Mom had a walk around there one night and couldn't hear anything from it.

I have checked the site recommended by a MSEr http://noisemapping.defra.gov.uk/wps/portal/noise and we are quite away away from any industry.

Still praying for that power cut!

Kind Regards
FHM

FamilyHistoryMad

ailuro2 wrote: »

In which case google earth or aboutmyplace.co.uk is your friend to have an aerial nosy for these.

Thank you for replying.

Wow, aboutmyplace.co.uk is an amazing site!! I could spend hours on there!

Kind Regards
FHM