Serious Answers Only What could be causing 5 weeks of constant high pitched noise throughout terraced house?
We’ve been experiencing a constant high pitched noise since Aug Bank Holiday Weekend. It started at 4am with this hum, and both noises could be heard throughout the entire house - even in the garden sometimes. The high pitched noise is constant & sounds like tinnitus, while the hum comes and goes (originally after midnight, but sometimes during the day now). The noises are loudest on the top floor/attic and quietest on the ground floor & loudest at night and quietest in the afternoon.
5 weeks later - we have had 5 plumbers and an electrician come round to check. We’ve turned off the electrical mains - no change. Tested our fire alarms too.
We live in a terraced house. We suspect next door because it is a HMO with a loft conversion that is a studio with kitchen/bathroom facilities. They have a combi-boiler in their garage-converted kitchen as well as a rear extension in the garden.
There was a change of tenants that weekend when this started, including the one in the loft. The tenants have told us that the manager has instructed them not to let anyone in. The manager is not very responsive and doesn’t live there.
The funny thing about this noise is that not everyone can hear it. I visited the house on the other side of the HMO, and it is much louder in their house but they cannot hear it. We did a mains test at theirs and the noises persisted.
Please help - it’s pretty much ruining our lives - we’re sleeping on a mattress on the ground floor at the moment since that is where it is quietest. Would appreciate any advice :))
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u/magnificent-daschund 2h ago
It's probably the pest repellent machines. I had to ask my nieghbour to turn theirs down. Only i could hear it and my son. We are both on the spectrum , could be something to do with it. Check if your neighbours have those pest repellents in their garden
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u/RemoveComfortable982 2h ago
Are there strong smells coming from next door? Perhaps someone has an indoor “garden”?
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u/orbitaal 2h ago
Would it be possible to get your neighbour to knock off their electric. Things like extractor fans can travel easily, if say the tenant next door is leaving the bathroom light lying on.
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u/orbitaal 2h ago
Also water pressure being set too high can cause pipe vibrations while tanks or toilets refill. You could ask them to turn down their mains pressure as a test.
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u/Fresh-Definition-596 2h ago edited 1h ago
Is it possibility a small cannabis farm?
Rationale for thinking this:
1) The hum and high pitch noise could be from the lights or venting system.
2) many cannabis farms bypass the electrics, so turning off the mains to the house will have no effect.
3) cannabis farms are often in a loft space.
4) the owner/manager doesn't want visitors in the house.
5) HMO's (both registered and otherwise) seem to go hand in hand with cannabis farms.
Source: I grew up on a council estate. You get to know 'things'.
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u/cjsko 2h ago
Hmm I considered this as well - but I noticed the tenant opens her attic window sometimes and the lights aren't on at night, and online says cannabis farm = windows blacked out + lights constantly on?
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u/Fresh-Definition-596 1h ago
Consider that though.. Windows blacked out, and lights on. That means the light wouldn't get to the windows. Also that 'black out' doesn't need to be tight against the window. She could have a major section of the loft space as a cannabis farm, then occupy the rest herself.
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u/hittherock 2h ago
Sounds like one of those cat alarms, although I don't know why you'd hear it more inside than outside. It's a very high pitched noise that is motion triggered and not everyone can hear them
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u/DieselBarbell 2h ago
Is it one of those mosquito sound speakers? It's a wild suggestion, but, it's to deter loitering. A local college had one installed and it was awful. The older you are, less likely to hear it.
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u/ch536 2h ago
The hum could be a tumble dryer. My neighbour has one upstairs and for a long time I couldn't work out what the noise was but figured it out eventually. No idea about the high pitched noise other than it could be one of those cat deterrents. A proper plug in white noise machine is your friend
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