M
MarcDHall
Hi Everyone
Not sure if this is the sort of thing you would know about. Long story:
I live in a high-rise block of apartments (The Echo Building in Sunderland). I've lived here for a few years on the 8th floor. Quite early on I started getting woken up during the night by a banging noise. At the time I assumed it was someone doing something. The place is mostly students so it's easy to imagine them being up all night doing whatever.
Years passed and the noise remains. My neighbours, and their neighbours, have long since moved out and been replaced. And replaced again. So the human explanation is not plausible. My place is right next to the rubbish chute. Recently I happened to be in there when it happening and the noise was coming clearly from behind a wall that has a big access panel on it (not the chute, off to one side). This made me think that there is something in there mechanical and relevant.
I set up a recorder overnight a couple of times and got very clear recordings of it. I'll see if I can get the sounds hosted so you can hear.
Here are the features of the noise:
- It happens at random times 24 hours a day.
- It's not linked to anything I do or any activity in the building. At least not obviously.
- When it happens it happens in clusters of between 1 and 16 in a sequence of descending loudness.
- There is no accompanying noise, no footsteps, no people.
- The noise is very distinct. I make music and have a pretty good ear. It's practically the same waveform every time. All other noises are either thuds or clatters i.e. messy or muffled. e.g. when doors slam they bounce and you get a clattery sound. This noise is precise and instantly recognisable.
- It has a kind of knocking, metallic quality, but sounds heavy like someone hitting an anvil.
- It is often a knock followed by a much quieter knock like something opening and closing.
- There's no lead up or after-noise. Just a distinct mechanical knock.
The best my maintenance company can suggest is that it is the rubbish chute... which is nonsense.
The management told me that we have a single large pump in the bottom of the building that pumps water up, and there are no other water components. Surely that's wrong, right? Surely that massive pump isn't connected directly to 800 taps on 12 floors?
Anyway, does anyone have any idea what this could be given the likely water system in a building like this?
Thanks
Marc
Not sure if this is the sort of thing you would know about. Long story:
I live in a high-rise block of apartments (The Echo Building in Sunderland). I've lived here for a few years on the 8th floor. Quite early on I started getting woken up during the night by a banging noise. At the time I assumed it was someone doing something. The place is mostly students so it's easy to imagine them being up all night doing whatever.
Years passed and the noise remains. My neighbours, and their neighbours, have long since moved out and been replaced. And replaced again. So the human explanation is not plausible. My place is right next to the rubbish chute. Recently I happened to be in there when it happening and the noise was coming clearly from behind a wall that has a big access panel on it (not the chute, off to one side). This made me think that there is something in there mechanical and relevant.
I set up a recorder overnight a couple of times and got very clear recordings of it. I'll see if I can get the sounds hosted so you can hear.
Here are the features of the noise:
- It happens at random times 24 hours a day.
- It's not linked to anything I do or any activity in the building. At least not obviously.
- When it happens it happens in clusters of between 1 and 16 in a sequence of descending loudness.
- There is no accompanying noise, no footsteps, no people.
- The noise is very distinct. I make music and have a pretty good ear. It's practically the same waveform every time. All other noises are either thuds or clatters i.e. messy or muffled. e.g. when doors slam they bounce and you get a clattery sound. This noise is precise and instantly recognisable.
- It has a kind of knocking, metallic quality, but sounds heavy like someone hitting an anvil.
- It is often a knock followed by a much quieter knock like something opening and closing.
- There's no lead up or after-noise. Just a distinct mechanical knock.
The best my maintenance company can suggest is that it is the rubbish chute... which is nonsense.
The management told me that we have a single large pump in the bottom of the building that pumps water up, and there are no other water components. Surely that's wrong, right? Surely that massive pump isn't connected directly to 800 taps on 12 floors?
Anyway, does anyone have any idea what this could be given the likely water system in a building like this?
Thanks
Marc
