With my neighbours strange problem!?

[killerjane]

So I've lived in my semi detached house for just under 2 years; friends with the houses across the road and to my right, but my actual direct neighbours (an older-ish couple) have always avoided eye contact and ignored my 'hellos'

We don't really hear much from them, apart from their little dogs incessantly barking and very occasionally they BLAST their music (though more through poor hearing than trying to be anti-social I think?!).

Anyway, to my surprise, before the weekend, the lady came round and said that for the past few months there's been a deafening vibrating/machinery sound coming from my house that 'shakes the wall' and causes their dogs to fuss. I was shocked and completely clueless as to what could be the issue as I work from home in a little room at the opposite side of the house and the most noise is our tele on an evening.

Our adjoining wall on my side is a long living room/dining room and upstairs master and spare bedroom. The only electrical items plugged in at all are the TV (and currently Christmas tree), neither of which emit any noise whatsoever. There's no plumbing, radiators or anything else that's powered plugged in on that side.

She said sometimes it was so loud they had to turn the tele up and she'd heard it after 1am the night prior. I explained there's nothing electrical along that side of the house and that the only thing plugged in was the tele. I also told her at 1am, we'd have been in bed for hours ha! I said she'd just have to let me know next time she heard it and I'd investigate with her.

I panicked it might be our wood burner or attached fan however it couldn't be at that time and we hadn't even had a fire on the occasions she'd mentioned.

I ended up having a slight run in with them today, on a blasting music occasion as I was working from home and couldn't hear myself think. She brought it up again and said her son had visited the previous evening (who cares about lock down eh!) and had mentioned it too. I asked why she hadn't come and said something as I couldn't help her if I didn't understand. She said she would this weekend...

What the heck could it be?! And is it my responsibility to sort it out?! Neither me or my partner have noticed any noise of that sort (she likened it to an engine speeding up, or a sewing machine) and I'd consider us good neighbours as we're considerate and quiet, but she's convinced it's our problem!?

Gaaah!

Wait until you hear it first.

There is nothing more you can do until you can get to the bottom of the issue. You have been very reasonable offering to go round when the noise is present and they havent yet come round. As there is nothing your side it does sound more like it is their issue rather than theirs.

@123becauseicouldntthinkofone

There is nothing more you can do until you can get to the bottom of the issue. You have been very reasonable offering to go round when the noise is present and they havent yet come round. As there is nothing your side it does sound more like it is their issue rather than theirs.

Thank you - this was my thought process! I was so upset when she first came round to think something I'd been doing had been inconveniencing them (I've lived in multiple flats/shared houses and know how infuriating uncontrollable noise around you can be!) but there is literally no sound of that kind in my house!

It could be her or your boiler?

Can you ask her to record it next time it happen so you can help them investigate?

Could you ask her to record it?

Sorry - that wasn't clear, either her boiler or your boiler.

Anyway, to my surprise, before the weekend, the lady came round and said that for the past few months there's been a deafening vibrating/machinery sound coming from my house that 'shakes the wall' and causes their dogs to fuss

I wonder if she's had hearing aids fitted and is now hearing things she previously didn't?

Of course, she would then have to turn the hearing aids OFF to listen to loud music for that explanation to be feasible. But there's nowt as strange as folk.

@Alexandernevermind

It could be her or your boiler?

My boiler is on the opposite/external side of the house to our shared wall and there is no plumbing or radiators on the wall we do share so I can't imagine it's that! But it could certainly be there's!

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Could you ask her to record it?

I didn't think to do this but speaking from experience of trying to record how loud their music is on occasion, it doesn't always translate quite how bad the problem is. I'd rather hear it in person, if she'll take me up on my offer that is!!

@Butchyrestingface

Anyway, to my surprise, before the weekend, the lady came round and said that for the past few months there's been a deafening vibrating/machinery sound coming from my house that 'shakes the wall' and causes their dogs to fuss

I wonder if she's had hearing aids fitted and is now hearing things she previously didn't?

Of course, she would then have to turn the hearing aids OFF to listen to loud music for that explanation to be feasible. But there's nowt as strange as folk.

That's actually a really good shout, as I mentioned when they blast the music (I can't even begin to explain how loud) I genuinely think it's because they're hard of hearing. Which could also explain why they ignore me when I try to speak to them and why they're a little bit reclusive to strangers.

Could it be something very low frequency that only she can hear 🤔

My mum found the world quite overwhelming for a while when she got her hearing aids, so much background noise she’d not been hearing for years....

I completely agree, which is why I said to her to please let me know when it's happening so we can figure it out together...but seems she isn't keen to solve the problem!

You do need to hear it for yourself.

One possibility is that there is a noise coming from somewhere eg a neighbouring house, and it's bouncing off surfaces so it sounds like it's coming from your house. In addition, some people with hearing loss or tinnitus can find it difficult to work out where a sound is coming from anyway.

Although if the son heard it too ...

The other possibility is that her house is haunted. Or your house is. Or that your neighbour is possessed. Can happen to anyone.

It can't be her hearing or hearing aid as her husband, son and dogs all hear it too.

@SoWhatNo

You do need to hear it for yourself.

One possibility is that there is a noise coming from somewhere eg a neighbouring house, and it's bouncing off surfaces so it sounds like it's coming from your house. In addition, some people with hearing loss or tinnitus can find it difficult to work out where a sound is coming from anyway.

Although if the son heard it too ...

The other possibility is that her house is haunted. Or your house is. Or that your neighbour is possessed. Can happen to anyone.

Both of our gardens back on to a railway line via an embankment...part of me thinks is it that!? But they've lived here longer than me.

Guess I better get the sage and/or holy water ordered for my weekend trip round to hers!

I wonder if she’s picking up something else? There is a ‘hum’ that people have complained about - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum - so it could be something like that. You’re unlikely to get to the bottom of it.

I wondered if she was actually hearing her own tinnitus but that relies on her ds just agreeing with her that he hears it for a quiet life!

It can't be her hearing or hearing aid as her husband, son and dogs all hear it too.

Only got her word for that though at this point though? The son and husband aren't there to back her up, and the dogs ain't talking.

Is there a games console of anything plugged in near the TV that might be doing updates overnight and whirring away?

Is your fridge anywhere near the adjoining wall?

Are the new class 68 trains now running on the railway line? Are you at a point on the route where trains are kept overnight and started up early in the morning? Its been on our local news as an issue in certain towns.

It could be to do with the railway line. I mean, not the line itself but 'things' to do with it.

If you're in a built up area there's probably all sorts around you that you're not aware of and wouldn't think to notice. Eg we used to live near a college and over a period of months I realised that I was able to hear this loud humming/buzzing sound. Drove myself nuts one night switching off appliances and fuse switches etc, couldn't work it out. Mentioned it to a neighbour, she said she could hear the same. Not all the neighbours could though. Months and months later we eventually found out that the college had moved the catering facility and installed a massive new fan, figured it was probably that.

What I'm trying to say with that fairly boring anecdote is that there are lots of noises all over the place and sometimes you just don't know what they are.

I vote ghost. Tl

@BringMeThatHorizon

Is there a games console of anything plugged in near the TV that might be doing updates overnight and whirring away?

Is your fridge anywhere near the adjoining wall?

We do have a games console plugged in, but it's on an extension cable from the mains in a cabinet not touching the wall (as she's said the wall is 'shaking') but it's turned off at the plug overnight.

Fridge is the opposite side of the house against the opposite/external wall.

There's nothing electrical (or that's powered) plugged in on that side of the entire house, up and down, apart from the TV and the Christmas tree which are unplugged at night. No radiators, bathroom is opposite side of the house, no other TV's, no fans, no nothing. So weird!!

@SoWhatNo

It could be to do with the railway line. I mean, not the line itself but 'things' to do with it.

If you're in a built up area there's probably all sorts around you that you're not aware of and wouldn't think to notice. Eg we used to live near a college and over a period of months I realised that I was able to hear this loud humming/buzzing sound. Drove myself nuts one night switching off appliances and fuse switches etc, couldn't work it out. Mentioned it to a neighbour, she said she could hear the same. Not all the neighbours could though. Months and months later we eventually found out that the college had moved the catering facility and installed a massive new fan, figured it was probably that.

What I'm trying to say with that fairly boring anecdote is that there are lots of noises all over the place and sometimes you just don't know what they are.

This is definitely what I think the issue may be, just curious it's only recently but I was just keen to get to the bottom of it myself as I don't want to be a bad neighbour, and it's just weird to me they're saying it's so loud they have to turn the tele up and they can actually feel the walls vibrating when we have absolutely nothing of the sort in ours!