For a few months now I can hear a completely random
knocking noise coming from above the ceiling by my water tank. I live in a downstairs flat and was 100% convinced the noise was coming from my upstairs neighbours pipework as the noise started around the time she had a new bathroom fitted and would coincidentally be worse or louder after her handyman had been in doing some work. The noise seems to be there more often than not in the middle of the night. When we are all sleeping and no one is using water. I have once managed to knock on and stand in her flat whilst the noise was particularly bad for us and could barely hear it at all. Now im doubting that it is her pipes and wondering if it could be ours. The noise is keeping us awake at night and I am at my wits end trying to figure out where it’s coming from. We have changed nothing about the way we live or our water heating system. I have had a plumber out but basically he couldn’t hear it so he couldn’t find a fault. I did invite him to come back at 4am but he wasn’t too keen on that 🤷🏼*♀️

What can I do and how can I figure what and where this noise is coming from? I’m currently 37 weeks pregnant and the idea of having a baby keeping me awake all hours as well as this banging is driving me insane.

Thanks

 

Perhaps you could record the noise and upload to youtube? Sorry to say that I don't get a clue from your description.

If the noise occurs when no plumbing is in use, it might be a toilet -- with a bad flapper -- taking water. If there's a loose washer in the fill valve of that toilet, it could make a hellacious racket.

 

Does it sound like a hammer on your wood joists?
What kind of heating do you (or your neighbor) have?

My parents' house has an awful issue where the copper heating pipes were installed through too-small drilled holes in the joists. So as they expand and contract with the hot water, they 'bang' as they slip through the holes.

Is it just the two apartments in your building? Or are there more?

 

I’m sorry I know my description wasn’t great. I do
have a recording but I have no idea how to upload to YouTube - will ask my husband to do it for me later. When we first heard the noise we thought my upstairs neighbour was doing DIY at crazy times but its not that. It sounds as though someone is hammering and we can hear it through the ceiling if that makes sense? There’s 8 apartments in our building and we all have gas central heating with a hot water tank. The sound is coming from above our hot water tank where I can see pipes going into the ceiling. Upstairs flat is the exact same layout so her hot water tank is up there too.

 

If it sounds like hammering, it very well could be a loose washer in a fixture. If it's happening at random times, I would look for a toilet with a bad flapper -- that would actuate the fill valve.

Loose washer in the fill valve + seeping flapper = random hammering noises.

It's very easy to check a toilet flapper. Pour food coloring (or unsweetened kool-aid) into the tank. The coloring should NOT seep into the bowl. If it does, replace the flapper and test again. New flappers don't always work, you may have to try a few different ones.