Sleep deprivation/noisy heating/water in bodged house

toasterman

Update: with the immersion heater off, and the temperature set lower on the tank, today, the problem from the other night recurred.

5.30pm - Heating and water running, creaking noises, and then the shaking like it's about to explode. Turned off for 5 minutes, then back on, intent on recording what it does.

6.50pm - It took over an hour, but it eventually did it again. It took so long I wasn't ready with the recording equipment. I switched it off and almost immediately back on.

6.57pm - It did it again. This time I recorded the audio from it:
http://soundcloud.com/benparkuk/boiler-goes-mental (Please excuse the abusive language. This thing is really getting on my nerves now.)
I've shut the whole lot down, texted the landlord and told them I'm not switching it back on (so no heating for other tenants and no hot water except the electric shower) until they send a proper heating engineer. They've advised they're sending one as soon as they can get one.

G_M

You are 5 unrelated people in 5 households (seperate tenancies/unrelated). However the property has 2 stories. So does not need to be licenced in Bristol. (attic does not count as not living accomodation)

toasterman

halfone wrote: »

G_M seems to have given comprehensive advice there, and I don't have the same set-up as you, OP, but I just wanted to add something else - all eventualities and all that.

I'm not an expert but I've listened to your recordings and the first (hot tap) one sounds a lot like something I had when I first moved into my house. Is the noise definitely coming from inside the bedroom tank, or could it be above in the attic, with the sound travelling down the pipes? I only ask because my noise happened when a heating engineer was here fixing something else, and he jumped up into the loft, moved the 'ball valve' which was catching on a bit of plastic, and the noise stopped. (For a while anyway...it's back again now but I've found if I don't run the hot tap at full blast it stays quiet). I wonder if that first noise you've recorded could be something similar?

Irritatingly the noise is intermittent. I tried to show a friend who came round to see me "look how noisy this is!" only for it to be virtually silent. Sods law, eh.
I noticed earlier today though, that you can get a similar noise while standing in the bathroom depending on how much you turn on the tap. If you turn it on/off a bit more, the noise changes/quietens.
I can't be sure, but I think it is coming from the tank or pipes connected to it though. It's a lot louder in the bedroom. Sounds very close.
I can't be sure though. I'm going to mention that when the heating/plumbing engineer emerges.

As I type this (12:43am), one of my housemates (who isn't feeling very well) is taking a shower (his ensuite takes water from the tank, whereas the main bathroom has an electric shower), and I've got the whistling-when-someone-runs-the-hot-tap noise again. I was still awake anyway, but it's so loud, it's woken up one of the other tenants.
Oddly enough, he claims to have warm water, despite me having had every switch I have access to, off since 7pm, and the immersion heater having being off for several days.

More investigation needed. I've not had time/access to do G_M's tests yet.

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

Years ago we had a boiler with immersion heater which was making the same noises as you have described.

The thermostat was on its way out. It did eventually go and we had the water constantly boiling, bubbling and hissing, and we were told had we not switched it off at the point we did that it would have exploded.

Would be an idea to check the thermostat.

(sorry if this has been done, I haven't read all the thread)

thegirlintheattic

toasterman wrote: »

Update: with the immersion heater off, and the temperature set lower on the tank, today, the problem from the other night recurred.

When you say tempreture set lower what do you mean (sorry if I've missed this already) but under 60 degrees I think is dangerous because bacteria and stuff can grow.

toasterman

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK wrote: »

Years ago we had a boiler with immersion heater which was making the same noises as you have described.

The thermostat was on its way out. It did eventually go and we had the water constantly boiling, bubbling and hissing, and we were told had we not switched it off at the point we did that it would have exploded.

Would be an idea to check the thermostat.

(sorry if this has been done, I haven't read all the thread)

A part of me almost wishes it would explode. Then I can stop worrying it's going to explode.
I've put the heating-only back on temporarily because my housemates have said they're cold, and I'm sat 2ft from it incase it goes crazy again, I can cut the power to it.

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

When you say tempreture set lower what do you mean (sorry if I've missed this already) but under 60 degrees I think is dangerous because bacteria and stuff can grow.

The temperature on the cylinder is set to 70. I read online somewhere that 60 or below can lead to increased chance of bacteria buildup (incl legionnaires disease), so hence I haven't lowered it further.

G_M

toasterman wrote: »

6.57pm - It did it again. This time I recorded the audio from it:
http://soundcloud.com/benparkuk/boiler-goes-mental (Please excuse the abusive language. This thing is really getting on my nerves now.)
I've shut the whole lot down, texted the landlord and told them I'm not switching it back on (so no heating for other tenants and no hot water except the electric shower) until they send a proper heating engineer. They've advised they're sending one as soon as they can get one.

Did you read my earlier advice? See posts 9 and 14.

WRITE TO THE LANDLORD AT THE ADDRESS FOR THE SERVING OF NOTICES.

This should be on your tenancy agreement. By all means text as a quick pre-letter communication but you MUST get this formally recorded. If you have not been given an address in Eng/Wales for the serving of notices you do not need to pay rent. Landlord and Tenant Act 1987

toasterman

G_M wrote: »

Did you read my earlier advice? See posts 9 and 14.

WRITE TO THE LANDLORD AT THE ADDRESS FOR THE SERVING OF NOTICES.

This should be on your tenancy agreement. By all means text as a quick pre-letter communication but you MUST get this formally recorded. If you have not been given an address in Eng/Wales for the serving of notices you do not need to pay rent. Landlord and Tenant Act 1987

Yes I did, and I will - but I only received this advice on Saturday afternoon, and there's been no postage days since then. In order to speed up affairs, I've texted them so that they might call an engineer.