Whooshing/hissing noise when neighbours use their water.

[jackhulk]

Hello

I live in a maisonette with a flat below and another maisonette to the side of me. Problem is I can now hear whenever either neighbour uses their water due to loud whooshing/hissing noise coming from the pipes. I was able to ignore it at first, but impossible to do so now as the whooshing noise along with water hammer wakes me up. I've lived here my whole life so I know this is not normal and something is up, but have no clue where to even begin to try and identify and how to resolve issue?

The noise when they use their water is a hell of a lot louder than when I use my own, and unfortunately it's at it's loudest in my bedroom. While I can hear downstairs (whom I now know gets up at 6am each day due to hearing water usage), the loudest noise comes from neighbours next door. I can hear this noise throughout my home, where as I can only hear my own pipes in downstairs toilet (stopcock location) or if I'm in the bathroom. I still have system boiler, so have a cold water tank, where as I know each of the neighbours have a combi (not sure if this is relevant?). I can rule out the noise coming from my own pipes as I turned my stopcock off, but the noise continued.

I've googled this subject to death, and while there are many examples of others with similar problems, none quite the same and therefore not found solution. One post found a leak on mains outside, but I don't have any stopcocks or access to pipes outside. Another post advised to contact the water company to see if they will come out to investigate, but before I do that I want to throw it out there for suggestions and ideas so I am better informed when I speak to them and my neighbours if required.

In need of help, in the need for sleep!

Thanks all

 

[rpm]

Somebody brought a new washing machine?

 

[jackhulk]

No definitely not that, at least not for the whooshing and hissing, unless they are using washing machine daily at 12:30am and 6am . Of course I hear it at other times, but these times are easy to notice due to noise being most noticeably during dead of night/morning, and bugs the hell out of me as it wakes me up.

Also it's not for extended periods of time, only lasts as long as usage of the sink or toilet refilling.

 

[rpm]

Only mentioned it as noises and water hammer have been linked to a new machine in other post(s).
Guess 6am is most likely shower / bath time.

 

[jackhulk]

Washing machines could definitely explain some of the water hammer, but it's the whooshing noise I really need to resolve. I didn't know what water hammer was until only a few days ago, and could quite well have always been there, and therefore not something that bothers me, but I really need to stop the whooshing noise as it's so loud now.

Again I had no idea what this whooshing noise was until a few days ago when started to google it. Only mentioned water hammer as I can hear as soon as they finished using the bathroom sink last thing at night and they turn the tap off, the whooshing noise stops and then I hear the water hammer. This confirmed to me it was all to do with water running through the pipes. But why has the noise increased and how to stop it?

I don't believe it's an individual issue such as washing machine/faulty valve etc because as mentioned I can now hear this noise coming from neighbors downstairs and to the side of me. Is it likely that we share a mains and if so could a problem at street level cause this noise? Possible small leak?

I read in another post where guy got the water company to visit who turned the stopcock on and off on the street which somehow cured the noise, but then it returned again next day.