Low Frequency Vibration/Humming in The House

[Jzone 10]

I was hoping someone may also have had this problem in the past and be able to advise me on what the problem could be...

 

Basically, for a few months now we have been hearing a constant low frequency vibrating/humming noise in the house. It started off all of a sudden one day in the early hours of the morning, as it woke both myself and my partner. We thought it was our next door neighbour (we live in a terrace house) turning on an air-con machine or something but I have been round since to ask them if they have any appliances like this turned on and they said no (they are decent people, so have no reason not to believe them). They even said they couldnt hear any vibrating/humming noise in their house when I asked them.

 

Some days/nights, the noise is quieter and bearable, however, other times it can be so loud the noise is over our TV and it also causes sleepless nights. I have unplugged all my electrical appliances and even turned off the Mains board but the noise is still there.

 

Ive done some reading on the internet and this problem does seem to be experienced by a few people, but no one has ever published a solution or cause of the noise.

 

Im going to get an electrician/plumber to come and do some investigating, but before I do, I was wondering if other people have had (or are having) the same problem and if they ever found out what the problem was.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Jzone

[FORE 12]

Our old diverter valve on the heating buzzes occasionally.

 

Not an outdoor street lamp is it?

[paul12345678 10]

Hi the only noise i can think of that sounds similar is pump hum caused by a central heating pump (only on system boilers) normaly caused by the pump situated to close to a door frame.

 

But having said all that if the noise still continues after you have switched the fuse board off this will not be the cause.

 

Sorry i could not be of more help

 

thanks Paul

[Jzone 10]

I do have a theory that it could be my neighbours bolier, as it is fixed on the party wall. We do hear it 'fire up' but its not a noise that bothers us. This noise is very different and I have read that broken pumps can make a strange noise. However, I believe that their boiler is programmed to start at 7am in the morning and stop at 11pm at night (it doesnt 'fire up' outside of these hours). Therefore, if their boiler is not 'on', is it still possible for the pump to keep running and making a noise??

 

Also, if it was a broken pump on their boiler - wouldnt they be able to hear the noise in their house?

 

FORE - forgot to add... its def not a street light, ive been outside when the noise is happening inside and I cant hear a thing outside.

 

Its a strange one!

Edited November 23, 2011 by Jzone

[paul12345678 10]

Yes they would hear it and no the pump would cut out with or shortly after the boiler. Is the noise loader in certain parts of your house?

[jojothecool 10]

I've experienced this many times and am often the only one to notice it. In the past it has turned out to be a street light, a telephone box outside the house and, perhaps in your case (?) a transformer on a piece of electrical equipment, such as a large lamp, laptop or computer.

I know how irritating it is, so completely sympathise. You could try switching the mains fuse off on your distribution board. This would tell you for sure if it were something in your house. If not, you could ask the neighbours to do the same, then work from there.

[Jzone 10]

paul12345678 - Yeah, I would say its definetly loudest in the bedroom and lounge which share the party wall (this may just be a coincidence?) although it can be heard in every room.

 

Actually, there is one room where it is barely noticable at all - we have a lower floor extension which doesnt share any walls with both of our neighbours. Thats another reason why I think the noise is coming from the neighbour with the boiler on the party wall (although I appreciate it might now not be their bolier).

 

jojothecool - ive already tried switching off my distribution board, however, you are right about asking my neighbour to try that as well...I will make this my next step.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Jzone

[muckymurphy 10]

paul12345678 - Yeah, I would say its definetly loudest in the bedroom and lounge which share the party wall (this may just be a coincidence?) although it can be heard in every room.

 

Actually, there is one room where it is barely noticable at all - we have a lower floor extension which doesnt share any walls with both of our neighbours. Thats another reason why I think the noise is coming from the neighbour with the boiler on the party wall (although I appreciate it might now not be their bolier).

 

jojothecool - ive already tried switching off my distribution board, however, you are right about asking my neighbour to try that as well...I will make this my next step.

 

I regularly experience this humming. it sounds like a neighbour a few doors away has left his car engine running and the timing is out.

central heating pumps continue running when the boiler first goes off and will stop when the temperature of the water in the system has dropped to a safe level. this is not the case when the power is switched off at the mains.

i think it may be road and industrial noises setting up low frequency vibrations which can harmonize especially at night time when there is little extraneous noise to cancel out these harmonics.

sometimes it is caused by power lines.

of course the wife hears nothing at all.... no surprises there then!

[paul12345678 10]

paul12345678 - Yeah, I would say its definetly loudest in the bedroom and lounge which share the party wall (this may just be a coincidence?) although it can be heard in every room.

 

Actually, there is one room where it is barely noticable at all - we have a lower floor extension which doesnt share any walls with both of our neighbours. Thats another reason why I think the noise is coming from the neighbour with the boiler on the party wall (although I appreciate it might now not be their bolier).

 

jojothecool - ive already tried switching off my distribution board, however, you are right about asking my neighbour to try that as well...I will make this my next step.

 

The sound is obviously coming from one of the two rooms you can hear it the most in or a joining rooms next door an old trick is to get a screw driver put it to the wall or floor until you and press your ear upto the handle sounds silly i know but this amplify's sound. If you keep moving around doing this you should be able to pin point the exact location the noise is coming from. I would put it against the party wall first where the next doors boiler is.

[muddycoffee 10]

I think the noise is your neighbour's central heating circulation pump.

[corgigasman 10]

I think the noise is your neighbour's central heating circulation pump.

 

Possibly agree. If your whole power is off then it is not from your property, try turning your mains water off too momentarily just to check and rule this out. Your neighbours boiler almost certainly has frost protection and the pump/boiler can run automatically even with the timer off in cold periods, if there is a fault on their C/H then the pump may also run for 'no apparent reason' and the sound may resonate more in your property than theirs. Gives you something else to look for hopefully

[Micky ET 10]

Try also installing a grundfos alpha low energy pump they run more quieter.