Help - annoying noise

[SPOTTER]

Hello
Wonder is anyone can help solve this problem...
We are being driven mad by an intermittent noise in the house. its a low rumbling noise and seems to be connected somehow with a cold water pipe in the airing cupboard. This pipe can be felt to be vibrating when the noise is on.
The noise comes and goes. We can go months without it then it starts up again. Once is starts it literally comes on and off every minute or so, day and night. It only lasts for 10-20 seconds then stops again.
We think it is was triggered this time by the shower in the bathroom. We dont use it that often as we mainly use the shower in the ensuite but we used it recently for a few nights for the kids and this coincided with the start up of the noise again. Also we have had this problem after having guests who have used the shower.
We have had a plumber round today and he tried to solve the problem. On first hearing the noise he thought it might be the valve in the cold water tank in the loft, but when he checked this didnt seem to be the problem. He also checked the toilet in the bathroom, again didnt seem to be that. He checked the plumbing on the shower in question but said it had been plumbed in correctly.
The noise seems to travel throughout the house - it is mainly concentrated in the main bathroom but sometimes sounds like it is somewhere in the "bowels" of the house. The plumber coundnt understand why the noise continues when nothing is on... no appliances, heating or water running.. but continue it does. Day and night with intervals of a couple of minues.
The shower is an aqualisa quartz thermostatic.

Has anyone ever come across anything like this? Does anyone have any suggestions... it really is VERY annoying and as it stands no-one seems to be able to track thr source of the problem.

Any help gratefully received!

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

This pipe can be felt to be vibrating when the noise is on.

Where does this pipe come from and go to exactly?

Where are you based?

its possible for the noise to continue when no appliance is being used but this would indicate a fill valve to the cold water cistern or toilet being at fault as this continue to fill when the appliance is turned off.

What sort of pressure are you on?

 

[SPOTTER]

Hi

it comes down from the loft, through the airing cupboard then i assume runs through the floor to elsewhere in the house. It is a cold water pipe i think.

We are based in Crawley, West Sussex.

Dont know about the pressure - how can i find this out?

Re the toilet cistern idea.... the noise doesnt happen all the time. we have long periods when we dont hear it, but would still be using the toilets in the house. This is why we have been linking it to the shower.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

Well what you are describing to me is a gravity cold feed pipe so wouldn't need a pressure reading for this

Does this pipe connect to the hot water cylinder at any point?

I am begin to think a non return valve is the issue here

 

[SPOTTER]

Hi

No it doesnt - it just goes straight from loft, through airing cupboard and down through floor to service another part of the house. it just runs along side pipework for hot water cylinder.

 

[joe brown]

Try this mate, works 80% of the time for me , Turn your stop tap down until you hear the water slighly slow down !! - this will stop the noise , let us know

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

well this is a low pressure pipe, maybe another pipe is tocuhing it?

sounds like this is going to be awkward to diagnose with out some trail and error

 

[stevetheplumber]

next time you have the noise shut the main stopcock see if it stopsmost of the time its a balvalve cuasing this type of noise id rewasher them all

 

[Stowell]

Help. Did anyone managed to solve this for you? We have the same problem (although not sure of trigger). No one seems to have he answer as to why this intermittent noise happens. But it is getting so frustrating!