Demon spot in my house - weird vibration / noise
 

Lately we get woken up around the same time by a strange vibration in our ceiling around 7AM... There's a noise sounding like light jackhammering, like a metal pipe vibrating. Odd thing, it lasts maybe 20 minutes, comes and goes, dies off and picks up again, and is around the same time every day. Early AM.

Data points: the house is on a hillside, so when I say ceiling I mean between downstairs and upstairs in the master bedtroom ceiling, that located is under the garage and near a foundation wall where pipes presumably run. There is nothing going on in the garage above, the compressor is off, the mini fridge runs all day and is not vibrating when I check. I've run there a few times - nada. Can't even hear it. My first thought was "water hammer" BUT a) I turned off water main, drained all pipes, refilled in reverse order etc.. still there. b) no water being used at the time in the house or outside. It sounds mechanical in nature, like a failing motor or vibrating metal thing, clanking, more than water in a pipe but not ruling a copper pipe touching something and vibrating... I really can't think of anything there under the floor of the garage.

EDIT: ALso the heater is not running at that time... Water heater might be but there are no hot water pipes in that area as the bathrooms and kitchen are in the other directions.

Maybe that's when our neighbor showers ;-) (detached home, neighbor is 12 ft away on that side). Maybe it's resonance from something far away... My next thought is to be ready one morning and go turn off water + power when this happens - too sleepy today.

Any ideas or exorcisms appreciated.

do you have baseboard heat? Electric baseboard in one room, or a boiler sending heat thru copper (or other) pipes? It's tough without knowing where in California you are.

hydronic heat systems can be very noisy, especially as the pipes pass between rooms or levels/floors of the house.

Negative on baseboard heat, central heat via floor and ceiling vents, not running at the time.
Hot water heater yes, but not in that area for pipes as far as I know - althought there is a condemned hot/cold water outlet in the garage that used to be for a washer. It hasn't been in use for 6 years and noise just started, still that is an idea.

Not sure how "where in Cali" matters but Marin country just north of golden gate - am I on a ley line of mystical power? Thanks !

Do you have a water softener? Sometimes those cycle early morning to do a "clean out".

^^^ This.
My softener is set for 3am and I've been waken by the water pipe sound many times.

Not that I am aware - no. But thank you for the ideas.... I just went to the garage and found a loose metal bracket contacting the dead pipes there behind the drywall. ... I dare not hope that was it because it's nowhere near the apparent source and I do think those pipes are dead, but it's something. Might turn off water main tonight and see..
If nothing happens in the AM I'll know it's water pipe related.

The timing gets me... Granted I do not spend the day in my BR to be 100% sure it's not happening at other times, but it's not happening in the evening or overnight, only around 7AM every day is odd... Can a neighbor's water pipes pass on vibrations via the water main ?

Woodpecker? Sometimes their sound is hard to pinpoint.

I have a similar thing at my house. It's not water pipe related, but more of where there is a loose connection somewhere in the framing of the house, and as it goes through the daily heating/cooling cycle, something settles and creates a loud "thud"

In your case, I would start by doing just what you are doing, locating loose fittings, experimenting with turning water off. Also maybe shooting some small amounts of foam insulation around various pipes to reduce the chance of a pipe vibrating against something as the water pressure changes due to whatever is causing the pressure change.


Also- check your bathroom-

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1607361307.jpg

Ha, well played...

Honestly it sounds like a mini compressor running and dying slowly and running again for 15 minutes around 7AM. Weird stuff...

Mind probes? Ya never's knows...

or not so far away. Would need to do a CSI. Any industrial activity in the area?

set the entire house on fire with plenty of accelerants:
if it was demons it will put itself out
if not, it will burn to the ground and you'll know for sure it's safe.

Trust me , I know about these things, I live in Europe where we had to deal with witches in the old days.
We don't have any more witches , so it worked.

You guys are useless ;-) funny though ;-)

I followed my water main and noticed that a contractor left a caulk gun on the pipe wedged between it and the wall. Right spot in that I can tell the water pipe enters between floors there, so it could be vibrating... Yanked it out. We shall see.. Still would indicate high pressure issues but that's a start.

I lived here 6y, never noticed that caulking gun before, could be the neighbor left it there caulking his house...

You might check out "Molalla Area Paranormal Society."

They are a few miles away from me. Seem to be on the cutting edge of this whole demon/ ectoplasm thing.

Pro tip. Don't watch - The Conjuring - until you figure out what it is.. ;)

It could even be a cold water pipe and the city council (water supply people...) up the pressure ready for a new day. Id have a look, and any pipe that doesn't have a retaining clamp every meter or so gets one.

our Ice maker seems to be on a time clock. Pipes make noise when it fills/shuts off

Is your house built on a cemetery?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1607397379.jpg

Powered roof vent?

7 am every morning. Are you sure it's not an alarm clock? Possibly one if those Teasmade types?

This is the reason I run a pedestal fan at night, it eliminates me from hearing the creaks/groans of an old house, it also helps with traffic noise, and makes me sleep sounder.

subscribed for the outcome.

I'm curious to see if that was the issue.

Also, You can download a spectrum analyzer app on your phone and use that to try to find the source of a noise if you are able to wander around when the noise is occurring.

That caulk gun is a structural component, better put it back.

Ask the neighbor when he showers? Does it happen on weekends? Have him turn the shower on in the evening and check for the noise.

Where does the main enter your house? Between yours and neighbors house? Not sure if code would allow one main feed and split-off between the homes.

Someone running a sprinkler system nearby?

We get some quiet knocking noises in our basement sometimes when the city buses drive by on the next street over from us. It's not every time, so i figure it must be a resonance that only happens when they pass at certain speeds.

The house that I used to live in had an old roof-mounted television antenna. We had a similar noise that the OP described, always in the early morning. One time when I could hear the noise, I went out and saw a woodpecker hammering away at the TV antenna.

Don't you mean when his wife showers? A close analysis might be in order.:D

Speculate all you want.

He hasn't responded since last night.
Call in the pro.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1607468189.jpg

THAT could very well be it, the damn fridge. I hated it before, I loathe it now...
I may have figured out the noise but I could not explain the timing... You could be onto it !

Based on the location near the foundation wall with the adjacent the hillside, I'm going with rodent.

The sound and timing make me think a Rattus Norvegicus is attempting a home invasion every morning.

Got a good recording of it today... It's lighter jackhammering now - again 7 to 7:20 AM. Weird. I went outside in my PJs and I can hear that noise putting my ear near the main water pipe entering the house. Water for sure. I see no leaks in the crawlspace, so it's just a vibration. I cut off the main, noise stopped. Then again it does come and go for those 20 minutes.

I also cut off the fridge water supply - will see what happens tomorrow.Capture below, need sound on high...definitely not animal as I hear it.

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZBf84XZYhArWiW6tDRMDlhaupAnDVDxdbaX

maybe dont play that sound track backwards. :)

sounds like something with a bearing that is on the way out

Have you seen the movie The Gate?

I agree. first thought was "sounds like a bearing starting to go out".

Maybe something fluid as well?

Edit, didnt see water main part of post.

Got something on a timer? fridge ice maker? water heater? sprinklers?

I'm sticking with 'water softener' until the OP is sure that he doesn't have one.

the cat stares at one corner in the spare bedroom ceiling for hours on end. we call that spot the hell portal.