Vibration from leaking stopcock??

[cazzapop]

Can a dripping and/or faulty stop valve cause water pipes in the house to vibrate?

There is a deep humming, vibrating bass sound that is present all the time in my house. Started after having our shower repaired and the water had to be shut off. The stopcock is dripping from the gland, could this be the cause of the ever present noise? Been going on for 6 months now and is making me crazy! Can't track down the source of the noise.
Tried switching off the electricity = still there. Tried turning water off = still there. Gas off = still there.

Suspected the neighbours of source of noise, had gas board out, next is electricity but could it be something as "simple" as water pipes/leaking stop valve?? Should I get Scottish Water out to check pressure etc.?

Any ideas or help is most appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Whyme]

no a dripping gland wont. Is a toilet overflowing into the pan or anything like that.?? cos a bit of muck under a washer may cause it.

 

[snowhead]

no a dripping gland wont. Is a toilet overflowing into the pan or anything like that.?? cos a bit of muck under a washer may cause it.

Try closing the stopcock half a turn.

 

[Best]

Usually a fill valve/ball valve on mains supply causes humming noise.
Make sure it is not from your neighbours house. Water noise can transmit long distances through the mains pipe.
Sometimes a leak in your mains pipe in the ground in your property, or in the road will cause a loud flowing noise - like as if your water was full on inside your house. Might be a good idea to have the stopcock on road turned off to test.

 

[plumben]

Try opening the stop tap all the way then turn back 1/2 a turn, came across similar problem in the past and stop tap wasn't fully open

 

[Whyme]

If its all the time then something MUST be running, have a look at the toilets and taps shower etc.

 

[cazzapop]

We have turned the water off at stopcock in house, turned the electricity off too and noise is still there. Would I need to contact Scottish water to turn the water off in the street?

Could it maybe be the central heating pump under the floor? Would this still run if power was off?

 

[brum]

Hi there is it like a low key humming noise which kind of borders on a low vibration?..brum

 

[PlumbersMate]

Are you sure it's always on? As In ALWAYS? As if not more than like a cwsc ball valve or WC ball valve

 

[cazzapop]

Yes, it is a very deep hum just on the edge of lowest bass that can be heard. A constant rumble that is ALWAYS there. In every room, even in the attic. I am in a terraced house, maybe it is from the neighbours....

 

[brum]

Hi there may be it is from neighbors ball valve to test this dismantle pipework after stoptap with a clear gap between pipework ie not touching(after turning off stoptap of course).and go to farthest point in house where noise can be heard if silent voila sorted but if this is the case why aren't neighbors complaining.Do you get on with your neighbors chap their doors and see if problem affects them too..brum

 

[jim fennessey]

may be your suffering from tinnitus ?

 

[cazzapop]

Still suffering after all these months....

I thought it may be me too but I do not hear same noise any place else. Just at home.

Had my hearing tested - it's perfect. Too perfect, as i can hear this bloody hum constantly.

Had environmental health noise people out but guy couldn't hear it. Water board man could hear it and suggested it was electrical... Scottish power been involved and their rep could hear it. Turn power off and still there!!!

Going to ask neighbours to switch their power off too.

Beginning to doubt myself but the relief I get when out at someone else's house and its quiet, then the dread I feel when I have to come home. It is such an oppressive, low, continuous tone.

What can it be?

 

[Whyme]

Blimey

 

[stevetheplumber]

turn every ones water off

 

[solutions]

I had something similar for a while. Turned out to be a pump on the neighbours fish tank strangely you couldn't hear it in there house half as loud but it resonated through the wall and as we are terraced and there house is slightly lower something about the split levels amplified the sound. As the ends of my ground floor hoist a were close to the height of the shelf the tank was on on the other side of the wall. I feel for you and hope you can track it down.

 

[Stigster]

This sounds like a right nightmare. It has some hallmarks of the "Bristol Hum" and many other famous yet mostly untraced hums around the world and generally these hums are worse inside.

But, before we start getting all weird, it's got to be made by something and not necessarily inside your property either. Fans in equipment like aircon units can cause this. Do any of your neighbours have air conditioning units or heat pumps on their walls or gardens outside?

The reason it sounds worse inside is because houses are basically big boxes and can amplify or create a sound generated a fair distance away.

 

[Stigster]

As a very temporary solution, or rather mitigation, if the sound is bugging you especially at night, you could play some white noise (like a long looping rainfall sound, of which you can find many on youtube) to help block the noise and sleep.

I really hope you can get to the bottom of this as I have read much about how distressing this type of constant noise can be.

It would be great if you could speak to your neighbours about this.

 

[cazzapop]

my neighbours switched their power off - no difference.
Neighbours on other side keep saying they will but are worried about their alarm going off as dont have a code for it - will bug them again.

 

[cazzapop]

Other set of neighbours switched their power off - no difference....