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jwalker2007 · Jan 17, 2007, 09:25 PM

Hello, I hope you folks can help me.

Recently, we have been hearing a loud, low frequency "hum" throughout our house. I have turned the main power off to determine whether it's electrical. It's not.

The noise does sound like a "fog horn" going off several blasts at a time and the noise level is constant in every level/room.

I think this is a water pipe humming problem like other people have described. However, I have turned the water main off and the problem does not go away! A quick check of indoor faucets and toilets didn't really turn up the culprit.

I recently got a lawn sprinkler installed. I can't really check its pipes. Could this be the source of the problem too?

Before I call a plumber, is there anything else I should try?

Any suggestion would be appreciated. This noise is very annoying.

Cheers.

labman · Jan 18, 2007, 07:37 AM

Patience, we do have a good plumber here.

Capuchin · Jan 18, 2007, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Jesushelper76

Maybe it is the invasion of ufo's. Please do not laugh. I am very serious. Many abductees, before they are abducted they hear a very loud humming noise.

Joe

I'm assuming the OP has been experiencing this for several days.. are the aliens approaching very slowly? Surely you would see the ship slowly sneaking towards your house, darting behind trees when you look towards it.? :eek:

JoeCanada76 · Jan 18, 2007, 07:50 AM

The poster has posted this question like 10 different time in different areas. I figured I would give it a shot. Capuchin, I really laughed at the reply you gave to my post. (;

speedball1 · Jan 18, 2007, 08:10 AM

The problem is caused by the ballcock trying to fill while water is seeping out of the tank. The sound you hear is the washer vibrating against the seat of the ballcock. First check there linkage between the flapper and the flush lever. It should have 1/4" of play when your tank is filled. Next feel the flat side of your flapper. Does it have wavey edges? Do your hands come away black? Replace it if it does. And last check the seat itself. Any nicks or rough spots? If so click on back. There are replacement seats that glue right over the old one and are easy to replace. One of the above should take care of your howling. This happened in a new house some years ago. Only at night and in the early morning. They thought the house was haunted and were about to move out. I caught it in the powder room toilet. It would vibrate and the pipes in the wall would pick it up and carry it all over the house. Hope this helps, Tom

jwalker2007 · Jan 18, 2007, 08:21 AM

Thank you for your reply, speedball1.

Could the sprinkler have anything to do with it? Just want to know so I can call the right shop to take a look.

I'm no expert here, that's why I'm asking. Any tip would be appreciated.

PS: Every forum has a troll, just like every village has an [blank]. So smile, and the world will smile back at you.

speedball1 · Jan 18, 2007, 08:25 AM

The sprinklers should have no effect. Just follow my directions and save yourself a service call charge. Good luck, Tom

mbaz · Jan 30, 2009, 07:25 AM

Similar problem:

I get a fog horn type sound whenever a toilet is flushed - from a different bathroom - or when a shower is being run. Hum stops when water is turned off. Have isolated the noise to the hot cut off valve under a bathroom sink, so we keep it turned off till I figure out just where to waist the money at. All fixtures are less than 8 years old and components (cartridge, cut off valve, etc) appear in good, clean shape.
This did start when the water main was turned off a while back.
?
Mike.[/QUOTE]

Milo Dolezal · Jan 30, 2009, 08:13 AM

Close main water valve and leave it off over night. See if the humming persists. Come back with results...

mbaz · Feb 2, 2009, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Milo Dolezal

Close main water valve and leave it off over night. See if the humming persists. Come back with results...

The house will be empty for more than 12 hours on Wed. I'll try then. In the mean time I connected a pressure meter: it reads 100 #s, 84#s when the toilet is flushed and returns to 100 when the water shuts off again; and on starting the washing machine the pressure drops to 78 #'s. What do you think

speedball1 · Feb 3, 2009, 07:03 AM

I connected a pressure meter: it reads 100 #s, 84#s when the toilet is flushed and returns to 100 when the water shuts off again; and on starting the washing machine the pressure drops to 78 #'s. What do you think

I think you have entirely too much pressure entering your house. The average house pressure will run between 45 and 60 PSI. Cut back on your pressure and see if the noise doesn't go away. Good luck and thank you for rating my answer. Tom

Milo Dolezal · Feb 3, 2009, 08:59 AM

Ok, you turned off electrical - it still hums. You turned off plumbing supply - it still hums.

Do you have any electrical overhead wires spanning over your house ? How far is your closest neighbor from your house ? Are the sprinklers on separate water feed ? - meaning, when you turn off water to the house, sprinklers still can be used.

speedball1 · Feb 3, 2009, 10:52 AM

You turned off plumbing supply - it still hums.

But did you open a cold water faucet to relieve the pressure? If you didn't go back and do it again because your house was still pressured up. I still think if you will lower the pressure back to acceptable limits the noise will disappear. Good luck, Tom

mbaz · Feb 3, 2009, 01:51 PM

I never did anything with electrical, there was no issue there. But high pressure is good to know, so now I'll have to find the regulator that's buried in the finished ceiling.
As far as shutting the water off. Thanks, I would not have thought to relieve the pressure. I will be doing that on Thursday when the house is empty.

Milo Dolezal · Feb 3, 2009, 03:18 PM

You said in your intro statement that hum persists even when power is off and main water is off...

Even if you shut off water - and leave electrical ON - you may have that hum going: your hot water circulation pump may be running, your R/O system may be running, your fridge may vibrate with pipes, your toilet fill valve may be slowly filling up, your sprinkler anti-siphon valve may have slow leak - there is dozen of things that may go cause the hum.

Therefore, turn off main water, main electrical for the whole house, release cold and hot water pressure - and listen for the humming sound. Come back and let us know what it is doing...

kooi · Sep 24, 2009, 10:20 PM

I don't know if this helps at all, but I've had a humming in my upstairs bathroom every now and then in the middle of the night. Sounded like an electrical transformer, but it was loudest at the tub faucet. A quick turn on of the tap and it disappeared. Drove me nuts until I found it. Recurring, intermittent problem SOLVED.

70stang · Jan 12, 2010, 09:09 AM

I have been recently experiencing the same thing. It only happens at night around 12 am and last until about 4 am. We too have ruled out an appliance in the house by turning off the power. And it only is heard at night have tried to hear it during the day in still quiet house nothing. I am at a loss but I do know its hard to sleep with this deep pulsating sound all night like a motor running and pulsating all night. We don't live near any type of plant or any industrial company. I am at a loss.

kmccauslin · Mar 12, 2010, 05:09 AM

I too am going insane with the same noise. So much so that I have torn out my whole bathroom and I am putting in a new one. Right now I have NO toilet, NO shower. For several nights the hum was barely noticeable. Last night it came back with a vengeance. Again, it starts at 11:30 pm [almost like clockwork] then stops around 4 am. Pulsating hum. In the past, I have turned off both of my main power circuits, turned off the water and drained both hot and cold water from pipes, replaced the electrical meter... etc. I live in the country, ranch style home, no power lines. I live alone so it is hard to have someone come over when the intermittent hum/buzz decides to appear. I am slowly losing my mind as well.

speedball1 · Mar 12, 2010, 05:33 AM

The problem is caused by the ballcock trying to fill while water is seeping out of the tank. The sound you hear is the washer vibrating against the seat of the ballcock. First check there linkage between the flapper and the flush lever. It should have 1/4" of play when your tank is filled. Next feel the flat side of your flapper. Does it have wavey edges? Do your hands come away black? Replace it if it does. And last check the seat itself. Any nicks or rough spots? If so click on back. There are replacement seats that glue right over the old one and are easy to replace. One of the above should take care of your howling. This happened in a new house some years ago. Only at night and in the early morning. They thought the house was haunted and were about to move out. I caught it in the powder room toilet. It would vibrate and the pipes in the wall would pick it up and carry it all over the house. Hope this helps, Tom

kmccauslin · Mar 12, 2010, 02:30 PM

Hi speedball. I have only one toilet in my house and it is currently ripped out. The new one is sitting in my living room waiting for the contractor to install it. It cannot be the ballcock. This is what is MOST perplexing... it is not electric, not the toilet, and I am at a complete loss.