Vibration and humming

ziesemeister

We recently converted to gas from oil. My wife feels a vibration and hears humming. Moist of the time it is random, but enough to prevent her from falling asleep. One morning she was woken up at 4:30 am. We turned off the boiler at night (for a week) and even unplugged the refrigerator overnight. The utility company checked the meter and pressure regulator. The vibration and humming continue even with the meter disconnected. The other day we had a power outage for 1 1/2 hours. I told my wife to lie in the bed. She still felt it and heard it. They are laying pipe all over the area. I'm guessing it's the lateral on our property leading to the meter. I think when they purge or gas is in demand, it causes the vibration. I think our brick one story ranch, with hardwood floors, is incompatible with gas. She hasn't had a good night's sleep in a month. I think we are switching back to oil and having the gas turned off at the street main.

Fred

If you had the gas meter disconnected and still felt and heard a vibration/Hum it isn't likely to be from the gas line that comes into your house. I assume the new meter is on the outside of the house, correct? I'm guessing there is some electrical appliance, central air or fan, well pump or sump pump that may have a bearing going out. What else is running? Disconnect each, one at a time until you find the source. There are literally millions of brick, one story homes with hardwood floors in this country, running natural gas that don't have this problem. Are you on a basement or crawl space? Is the sump pump or well pump on a power back-up of any kind? You say your wife hears and feels it but you don't say if you feel and hear it. Do you?

STEVEusaPA

Fred said:

You say your wife hears and feels it but you don't say if you feel and hear it. Do you?

That's a good point.
I can't imagine feeling vibration thru a mattress. The only thing that possibly changed is the venting. Are you picking up any vibration thru that?

Boon

You’ve eliminated quite a few variables and you didn’t say if you are also experiencing the humming. This could be tinnitus. Initially, someone with tinnitus will think the sounds, vibrations, humming, buzzing, etc are external but they are occurring from within the inner ear. The first few episodes I had were random, confusing and a little disturbing.

rick in Alaska

If you turned off the gas, then it isn't a gas problem. The nest time it happens, try turning off the main breaker. If it goes away, then it might be some kind of electrical appliance, like maybe the well pump if you are on a well.
Rick

BobC

If she still heard it during the power outage you can discount any of the electric appliances. Is these any drilling or mining in your area?

Pick up a cheap stethoscope and use it to listen to the gas and water mains to see if you can pick it up.

Bob

EBEBRATT-Ed

It has to be coming from somewhere.

For quite a few years I would get up at night or early in the morning and if I went in the bathroom or into the kitchen I would here an echo coming from the kitchen sink or the bathtub. If was quite noticeable. Never could figure out what it was and Never herd it during the day.

This went on for many years. Finally I was out mowing the front lawn and down near the street I was walking in mud. haden't rained and I realized my city water pipe was leaking.

the water line was replaced and never herd the echo again.

When it was dug up we found that the water line was damaged and that it probably happened when the house was converted from septic to sewer.

The echo noise was from water leaking out of the damaged water line at high velocity. Because the water leaked into the old septic leach field no one knew it was leaking until the pipe finally let go but somehow that noise was transferred back into the house