To think it's anti-social to run the washing machine at 4am...

[LakieLady]

... when you live in a semi-detached house and the water tanks are on the party wall?

I appreciate that my NDNs are doing this to save a bit of money on their electric bills (they're retired, so don't need to get it done before going to work), but I'm frankly sick of being woken at 4am (sometimes 2am) by the sound of gushing water a couple of feet from my head, that goes on for 2 whole HOURS. By the time it's finally stopped, it's 6am and followed by cars starting up as the people who have long commutes are leaving for work. My sleep is done for.

And I have no idea why a household of just 2 people need to do their washing 4 times a week, either.

I can't move my bed as there's only one wall that has an uninterrupted run long enough to accommodate a double bed and a bedside table. I'd move into the back room, but it's even louder in there.

I'm going half mad from lack of sleep. I'm going to have to start going to bed at 8pm, aren't I?

Our standard eco wash runs for 1hr57min, this is a new machine, our previous “environmental friendly” machine ran longer. It’s nothing to do with cleanliness.

If they won’t adjust their schedule, if you get some big noise cancelling headphones and pop them on when you wake up, and play white noise you might be able to drift off again. I do this when next doors kids are being noisy early in the morning. Doesn’t work if you sleep on your side though, not at all comfortable

Your walls must be very thin. I'm in a terraced house and never hear either of my neighbours washing machines

I had a house with no upstairs plumbing, except a tank in a cupboard upstairs Bathroom/toilet downstairs (no loft).

I had overnight guests and they commented about the noise of the tank most of the night, it fed the toilet cistern below and had been used a lot that night and was next to their room. Guests had barely slept. I had not idea as I had never slept in that room.

If your neighbour has a tank next to your wall it will empty and refill and it's not surprising you can hear it on the other side of the wall even with the washing machine elsewhere.

If the man is abusive as you say, I would not even have the conversation. I would be alerting the police to his behaviour. He may be forcing his wife to put the washing on at that early hour, it could be another example of his behaviour.

Bit of a stretch imo

The head of my bed is on the radiator/window wall. The radiator rarely gets hot as it is set on a low setting being upstairs and the heating is off before I go to bed anyway.

If the husband is abusing the poor wife and you know about it, I imagine her life is miserable and she is constantly living in fear. You going round and complaining about the washing machine is very self centred. Put yourself in her shoes.

They will be doing the washing then as the electric is probably about a third or quarter of the price, they won't be shifting it and paying loads to do it later. The husband won't be forcing her it will be the price of the electric to use the washer that she does it then

Most washing machines are very quiet now even on the spin cycle. The most you can hear is the waste water going down the drain outside but then that could be rain water. Why is the machine taking cold water from upstairs only for it to come back downstairs again