Loud noise like a thundering "waterfall" after neighbour flush | Bathroom Advice | Plumbers Forums

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J

Julieh

Hi there,

I am a bit worried as I've just bought a ground floor flat (in a block of flats), and I keep on being awaken at random hours of the night by what seems to be a thundering waterfall noise or fountain or a sound like water really falling hard (a bit like if some heavy rain was falling very fast on a shower screen) behind my walls in both of my bathrooms.

Sorry for the description, it's really hard to put words on it and every time I talk about this to someone they simply say that it's normal to hear noises on a ground floor but this noise is very different from the "normal" noises I can hear when other neighbours flush or open their water ("smooth" noise of water running behind the tiled wall in the pipes).

It almost seems like the water would be falling out of the pipes and hitting the drywall. Now, it is just a description of the "kind of noise" it is, as if it really was running out of the pipes and hittings my walls, all the tiles would come off I imagine and the water damage would be very visible.

This noise doesn't last very long. But again, the duration varies and it seems random. I have no idea what it is and would like to get advice from a plumber or somebody who had the exact same problem please.
Could this be a leak from their toilet? Is possible that it would come from other neighbours than the 1st floor?

I sometimes also hear like a humming noise that lasts forever after the "waterfall" noise.

Many many thanks, as your reply might reconciliate me with sleep!
 
Someone flushing a WC and I'd bet the stack is behind a partition in your flat. The other noise is probably the WC filling up.

Hi howsie,

Yes.....unfortunately, it's behind a tiled wall! And there are 3 or 4 floors above me! :-(

Well, I am at least glad to hear that I shouldn't worry too much and that it's just somebody flushing a toilet from another floor.

Phew...relieved! :sorcerer:

Thank you
 
Think u must be downstairs from me.

haha Ermintrude..well are you hearing these thundering noises as well in your flat?

I have a NHBC warranty, any chance I have a case and could claim on it to investigate the matter? I'm assuming that insulating the pipes in my bathrooms wouldn't be enough, all the flats above (4 in total!) should be insulated as well to be effective?

Mission impossible I guess? (erm..if you add the fact that the bathrooms are all tiled..and obviously the pipes are behind the walls........

Ahem..At least, I am a little bit relieved that it's probably poor build and not any major issue to be honest

Thank you again,
Julie
 

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