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

usignuolo

A firm took over a small office block in our local town and kept the heating air con running continuously. Then the council started getting complaints from people living some way away about the permanent hum and reverberation in their houses. Other local businesses had not had any impact but it seemed to be something specific about this particular air con system which reverberated.

My mum had a similar problem and it turned out to be an external wire (aerial or telephone) which was attached to a nearby neighbours house and constantly hummed. The one thing you do need to realise is that the origin of the noise might be someway from where you can hear it - it's curious how noises can seem to originate from somewhere away from where you think you can hear them loudest.

My cellar has a stream running under it and I can sometimes hear the water but the rest of my family cannot.

project500

It could be the central heating pump pumping over into the expansion tank under certain conditions, causing an eddy that sets the ball !!!! champing and vibrating.

Also the jumper on the incoming stopcock (or the house next door) can make a continuous sound like you mention.

ssedd

I would guess as other people have said that it is likely to be something to do with the water, but in answer to one of your previous posts th noise could be your alarm. I once had to change the mains transformer in an alarm system because the couple in the house could hear a constant whining noise, I couldnt hear a thing and the unit was working fine but once it was changed the noise stopped; unfortunatly that wouldnt explain the vibrations!

philip_l_2

Hi

Just to add my support. I know how debilitating something like this can be. We have had to put up with a humming and vibration in our house for several months, however we were lucky in being to able work out it was next doors condenser tumble dryer that after a kitchen refit was wedged up tight against the party wall, and thankfully it would not be left running overnight usually. My OH could only hear it sometimes, but I could hear it all the time it was running and while it's quiet, i.e. it wouldn't register much decibel wise, it filled my head and drove me mad with the low frequency hum. If it was put on late at night I would tend to wake thinking a car engine was left running outside, then the sound would abruptly stop for 2 seconds then start again as it reversed direction.

Oddly the loudest room for the noise was the bathroom at the opposite side of the house away from the party wall. Basically it is the vibration that is traveling into your house from wherever and may be some way off and your house walls and other hard surfaces are acting like a speaker cone and turning the vibrations back to sound.

For your bedroom trying using some blue tack to stick and cover the wall with egg boxes (i.e. tile them so the whole wall is covered, this is a cheap soundproofing method) to see if that is enough to stop the walls in the bedroom from transmitting the vibrations and sound out into the room. It will not look pretty but you might be able to at least get some sleep until a more permanent solution is found.

Have you had a power cut recently? If you do get a local power cut and the noise doesn't stop it indicates it is probably something happening a long way off finding it's way to you. If it stops for the duration of the power cut you know it is something electrical. It could be the neighbours. It has to be something that is left on 24/7, do any neighbours have fish tanks (i.e. a pump running constantly?). What about computers left running? Maybe a neighbour had a new aerial fitted and their loft contains a humming amplifier. If possible try and rule out your immediate neighbours by asking them to turn off their mains supply. Think local and systematically rule things out then move further away from your property.

Have you tried a glass to a wall and listening hard? Do you hear other sounds that might indicate the source, for example a TV or voices or other mechnical noises?

Good luck.

Regards

Phil

Optimisticpair

I could not read and run. You have my sympathy, it sounds appalling.

I read through the thread twice.

There's something called 'sympathetic vibration' where something resonates because something else does. Common factors you mention seem to be to do with water. Your soil is clay which holds water and when dry it cracks. I think you really do need that structural engineer / surveyor.

Any changes in water extraction? Drying the soil. Or anything that reduces or alters the water table?

More water - Underground flow? Deviation or direction of flow.

Grasping for inspiration - Any visible changes in the number and type of trees from shallow root low growers to water hungry ones?

In your shoes I would consider a dowser with good references.

I hope to read that you succeed soon.

Meanwhile can we vote you for starting the most interesting thread of the month?

[Deleted User]

Please please don't take offense at this, it just seems that u have tried so many things and not found any relief, found the source of the vibrations/noise etc and I can only imagine how u feel. If u can't do anything about the fact the noise is happening.., is it worth considering doing something about how u feel about it. Would it be worth hypnotherapy so either u don't hear the noise or so it doesn't bother u so much. Might be a cheaper option in the long run too.

A_fiend_for_life

I agree with Dunworkin on this. The change in sound when you had the stopcock changed is the key I think.

Did the water board test for sound in the house when the stopcock was disconnected? This should be a key test for ruling out the water network (IMHO). Since folk often watch the job being done you might not have been aware that the sound had stopped while the stopcock was being replaced.

Re the stethoscope it might be worth testing for sound both before and after the stopcock as any seals might dampen the sounds so if it is the plumbing the sound might be louder on the mains side of the stopcock.

Dunworkin

Just bumping this thread as I'm really keen to hear back from the OP .....

Essexbloke_2

Like some who have posted in this thread, I have read it from front to back.
I felt compelled to register in order to post a reply.

I think that "A friend for lifes" comment about the stopcock change could be the key element here.

Would it be possible to replace a section of the water supply pipe after the stopcock with a flexible section of hose, much like the type that is used on tap tails, i.e, a flexible rubber braided hose with compression fittings at either end.
By introducing/replacing a section of piping with some made from a different material, that may stop any external noise being transmitted into your property from the mains supply.

Also, have any of the utility companies in the past replaced or partially replaced any of the underground supply pipes.
I am sure that i have heard of incidences that sometimes when underground piping is replaced with the new plastic (blue) pipes, they can transmit the noise and vibration of the material/gas flowing through them when used as an internal sleeve to an old cast iron pipe.
Don't shoot me down in flames, its just my two pennies worth:eek: .

I will follow this thread with interest.
Looking forward to hearing from the original poster, and others.

FamilyHistoryMad

Hello,

Again sorry for not providing an update earlier. And thanks so much for all the ideas for helping us find the source of the noise, especially to the people that have registered just to reply.

I have been putting off giving an update. I just couldn't face it – it is all so depressing.

We sent off the £35 for the water plans. It took a few weeks before we got them only to find out that our road barely featured on the plans. But to be fair Mom phoned them and a very helpful lady sent the plans out that did show our road and we received them the next day.

As soon as we had them the appointment with the Noise Doctor was booked.

He visited a couple of days ago. I have to say I was very disappointed that he did not bring any equipment with him other than his ears. I was hoping that if he brought recording equipment and stethoscope we could knock a few MSE suggestions off the list.

Good news was that he could hear the noise and could feel the vibration downstairs. He did 'water in a glass' test upstairs but it showed no vibration on the floor or on the window sill but it apparently did show vibration on the bed side table.

The conclusion seems to be that the noise is NOT coming from the house but from outside. It could be as far away as 4 miles and there could be a water pipe under the house that the water people aren't aware of – feeding a factory that uses a lot of water at night.

We will be receiving a report within a week of his visit.

After he left we had a quick look on MSE and saw the latest posts about the water. We had the plastic internal sleeve fitted when they found a leak when they came last time. So Mom got straight back on the phone to the water people and they are due to visit.

Sorry for being so rude and not providing regular updates after everyone has been so helpful and interested. Things are just piling up now and it is getting very difficult to cope and to keep on top of things.

All your suggestions are very appreciated.

Kind Regards
FHM