The hum from the basement in a multi-storey building at night. Is the heating point under the apartment harmful? How to avoid possible noise during operation

Inhabitants apartment buildings often complain of strong, uncomfortable pump noises in the basement. To effectively eliminate this problem, you should understand that an unpleasant sound does not arise just like that, and it is important to find the cause of its occurrence. Only after it is found can the issue be resolved.

As a rule, the causes of noise are water supply pumps, of which there are many in an ordinary house ( central heating, cold and hot water supply).

The pumps can be divided into two types according to the operating mode:

• which work constantly (water supply pumps);
• which are switched on systematically (booster pumps, drainage pumps, etc.).

If the pumps are located in detached buildings (as was customary in the 70s), then the inhabitants of the house will not hear any noise. However, when placing pumping equipment in a basement, the hum can be felt quite strongly. It negatively affects the nervous system and the general well-being of people living in the house.

Health effects of technical noise

Houses that were built before the middle of the last century do not have very good soundproofing characteristics. In other words, everything that happens in the basement is heard in the apartments. Previously, there simply did not exist any regulations in which the permissible noise indicators would be spelled out. Today, the issue of the comfort of living in houses is quite acute, so the government introduces special standards, according to which the same noise from the pump should not exceed the established figures.

Most of the complaints come, naturally, from the residents of the first floors, who feel all the "delights" of being near the sound source. By itself, noise does not affect the physical health of a person, however, it causes significant psychological stress, which ultimately affects the general condition of the body. People become more irritated, chronic fatigue begins to appear. Constant stress drains the central nervous system. Some doctors point out that psychological anxiety can be one of the causes of diseases. internal organs.

It is also worth noting that due to noise vibration, communications at home may suffer.

Measurement of the noise level in the basement.

At the first appearance of sound vibrations, it is necessary to contact a specialist or management company.

How does the sound from the basement reach the apartment?

Constant complaints from residents of apartment buildings forced specialists to come to grips with the study of the causes of noise from pumping equipment in basements. According to the results of numerous examinations, it was found that the sound level is less dependent on the power and type of the pump, as well as on the manufacturer. The size of the equipment does not have a particular effect, because even a very small pump can produce a serious hum.

It was determined that the sound reaches the living quarters from the basement in several ways: through the air, structurally and through the water through the water supply:

• If the noise is heard outside, then it means that it is transmitted through the air. The main reason for its appearance is a poor-quality soundproofing layer in the room where the pumps are located. The residents of the first floors suffer the hardest of all, under whose apartments the technical premises are located directly. Also, noise in apartments is often amplified after their illegal redevelopment.
• Structure-borne noise propagates through the building structure. This can happen for various reasons: illiterate installation of pumps, contact of pipes with the walls of the house, the presence of acoustic bridges ( metal elements, racks, etc.), the absence of sleeves (they must be installed in the places where pipes pass through the structure). Experts note that when metal bridges are removed, the sound level decreases by 5-6 dB.
• The noise that is transmitted from the pump in the basement through the water is often due to the formation of vortices inside the pump housing. In addition, the absence of special shock absorbers will contribute to the propagation of sound.

The causes of noise can be very different. Only specialists can understand them. If you are constantly bothered by the sounds coming from the basement of the house, you should immediately contact the housing office or another governing body. The specialists who came at your request should assess the causes of the noise, as well as carry out work to completely eliminate it (within the current standards for apartment buildings).

When the source of sounds is the heating system

Often, an unpleasant hum occurs in the case of poor-quality design or installation of hydraulic systems, as well as illegal changes in the standardized designs of existing pipelines in the house. There are cases when, after unauthorized redevelopment and replacement of the heating system in the apartment, installation of warm floors or new plumbing, there is a lot of noise throughout the house. Often the reason is that after the repair, pipes of a larger diameter than required by the project standards were installed. In this case, vibration occurs, which leads to the formation of noise.

Noise can also be generated by replacing old pumping systems with new ones. This is because specifications the installed equipment does not correspond to the characteristics of the hydraulic system operating in the house. In addition, a small hum can also appear because the hydraulic system damper is not tightly closed, due to which there is additional resistance and an increase in the speed of water movement through the pipes.

Abnormal movement of water through pipes (faster or slower), as well as an incorrect diameter of recently installed pipes, very often become the reasons for the appearance of a powerful hum, which can be eliminated only by installing a new pipeline. That is why in front of any renovation works connected with the replacement of water supply and pumping equipment, it is necessary to consult with specialists.

Pump problems causing hum

Pump noise can occur for a variety of reasons. This may be incorrect installation of equipment or failure of some elements. The main sources of noise in pumps are considered to be the engine air cooling system and rolling bearings. These potential sources of noise are inextricably linked to pump motor power and speed. It is worth mentioning here the international ISO standards, according to which the noise emitted by pumping equipment is limited depending on the two factors above.

Pumping equipment located in the basement.

Interestingly, an increase in acoustic pressure, for example, by 6 dB, according to real human sensations, will be equal to a twofold increase in noise. The sound that the pumping system emits is closely related to the speed, so noise reduction is only possible if it is reduced. At the same time, in the case of a decrease in the speed of rotation, the performance of the pumping equipment will also noticeably decrease. This is a very difficult point that only professionals should understand.

It can also highlight other reasons why pump noise may occur:

• damage to bearings;
• not fixed body of the device;
• cavitation with vibration and sharp noises;
• vibration that is transmitted to pipes and building structures.

How to make the pump run quieter?

It is not recommended to restore silence in the house on your own, because you can do the opposite. If there is noise in the basement coming from pumping equipment or pipelines, immediately contact the management company or private specialists who will help you solve the problem.

Measures that can be taken:

• Installation of the engine speed controller for pumping equipment. It should be noted here that installing a regulator will really help only if the pumping system has a certain power reserve, or work at maximum speed is required at certain hours (for example, in the morning and in the evening).
• Installation of high-quality sound insulation in the room where the pumping equipment works. Very often, even in modern houses technical rooms with large equipment are not sufficiently insulated from noise, as a result of which residents feel its impact.
• In cases where the pumping unit is mounted directly on the foundation and it is not possible to move it to another place, the base must be vibration-insulated.
• It is possible to install anti-vibration elements on water supply and heating pipes. It is the vibration of pipes that often becomes the strongest source of noise.
• Experts also often solve the problem by vibrating the supporting structures of the pipelines that are attached to the enclosing supports of the house. Suspended supports must be articulated. It is also recommended to place rubber gaskets under the pipeline.

Basement pump noise can be generated by various factors. Therefore, immediately after its appearance, it is necessary to find out the reason. Do not think that the noise will pass - if the equipment is faulty or installed incorrectly, then the sound vibrations will only increase over the years.

If the pump is installed in your private house, then you can independently find out the cause of the noise. Surely it is associated with poor-quality installation. In this case, you must contact the company whose employees installed the equipment.

Remember that persistent vibrational and structural noises can lead to severe mental illness and central wasting. nervous system... In addition, before buying an apartment in a new house, be sure to ask your future neighbors if they are bothered by technical sounds.

Determining the source of unpleasant sounds and its prompt elimination is the basic plan of action for any conscious person. You should not tolerate constant noise from the pump if it interferes with your comfortable living in the apartment and relaxing.

Hello everyone!
I know you all know. Please advise almost completely off topic. It's just that my head is swollen from thoughts, I can't adequately approach the question.
My husband and I are buying an apartment on credit. Prices climb terribly, the second time they have already taken out a loan, because they could not buy anything decent with the first one.
The crux of the question is this. There is an apartment that is good in size, ten minutes from the parents' apartment (mothers of special children will understand this plus like no one else), not far from the metro, at an acceptable price for us. In general, now this is the only apartment with all the amenities that we we can buy with our credit, everything else is more expensive. But, as always, there is one BUT.
It is on the second floor, the first floor is non-residential - part of offices, part of technical premises. In the basement, under the entire floor, there is a heating point, where, as I understand it, there are all sorts of motors and pumps for heating and pumping hot and cold water for 22 hours storey house... Under one room of this apartment on the ground floor there is just the entrance to this heating point, there are power shields hanging there and just the door down to the basement to the motors and pumps.
The family that sells the apartment, young guys with a child, successful, balanced. They lived for a year, moved to Krylatskoye, the motive is external - closer to their parents. But during the conversation, the husband admitted that the heating point had already become his point))), to some extent because of him, he was also moving. He was worried about the noise, he signed the papers with the neighbors, got new noise insulation in the basement and replaced the noisy pumps. As a result, as we have seen for ourselves, there is almost no noise. If you listen strongly - lying on the floor with your ear to the floor, you begin to hear a measured dull hum. And already standing, you can also hear it. He is unobtrusive, I think that you can hear him more strongly in the silence of the night.
That is, there is almost no noise, but the family still moves and sells an apartment with good repair at the price of apartments with almost no repair at the moment.
So the question arises, maybe this noise, or vibrations, can somehow affect your health? Sellers say that the noise did not affect their health, only spoiled their nerves))
I would like to ask YOUR opinion whether a heating center can have a bad effect on health and how to find out. Still, such a colossus three meters from you downstairs somehow bothers you. If this beast is harmless, then let it make a noise, my child generally falls asleep only at the sound of running water from the tap (that is, we get used to everything with my husband), and if it is harmful, then it’s just a crime to buy an apartment.
I will be super grateful to you for your ideas!
I am writing at night, and by the morning I have to pay the avns for the apartment or not pay (for us there is already a queue of sufferers lined up, who are not so picky about technical premises)

Typically in residential buildings such large cities as St. Petersburg and Moscow, pumping units are located in basements. As a result of imbalance between the rotor of the motor and the pump, bearing failure, mechanical energy is converted into sound energy emitted into the room where the equipment is installed, and vibration energy (vibration) that propagates along the building envelope. The envelope structures of the building come into vibrational motion (mainly bending vibrations), which causes the emission of sound energy in higher rooms.

Reducing the noise level of the pumping unit in residential buildings

In a room located directly above the pumping station, the penetrating sound energy is determined by the sum of the energies of airborne noise passing through the floor and vibration noise emitted by the enclosing structures.

In pumping stations, the total sound pressure levels fluctuate on average about 80-85 dB. The question arises whether such levels can determine the noise regime in residential premises due to the penetration of noise through the dividing fence.

Interfloor ceilings separating the pumping rooms from the apartments, as a rule, weigh more than 300 kg / m2 and their average soundproofing ability from airborne noise is about 50 dB. Assuming a sound pressure level of about 90 dB, we obtain a sound pressure level penetrating through the interfloor noise floor of about 40 dB. At the same time, in apartments located above pumping stations, sound pressure levels reach 60 dB (see Table 6). For example, in the pumping room (Ns 1 according to Table 6) the sound pressure level is 76 dB, and in the apartment above the pumping room -67 dB (54 dB "A"), that is, only 9 dB less.

Obviously, airborne noise in the pumping room is not the cause of noise in apartments and reduction of noise in the pumping room, for example, due to sound absorption will not reduce the noise level in apartments.

The overall sound pressure level in an apartment can be considered to consist of noise penetrating the floor (L1) and noise due to vibration of the building envelope (L2). With the soundproofing ability of the ceiling Rav = 30 dB, the noise penetrating into the apartment will have a sound pressure level of about 60 dB, and if the noise L1 and L2 are equal, the total sound pressure level in the apartment rises by 3 dB. In this case, by increasing the sound absorption in the pumping room, you can slightly reduce the overall noise level in the apartment. With an increase in Rav, the effect of sound absorption on the overall noise level in the apartment decreases. At Rav = 50 dB, the penetrating airborne noise has a sound pressure level of only about 40 dB. With energy summation, the noise L1 and L2 should be about 60 dB. Taking into account that L1 has a sound pressure level of 40 dB, and using the graph, we determine that the L2 noise level should be practically equal to 60 dB, that is, the influence of L2 noise can be neglected. Thus, the treatment of the pumping room with sound absorbers practically reduces the noise level only in the pumping room itself. Reducing the same noise it is practically not required in the pumping room, since the maintenance personnel are in the pumping rooms for a short time. It is advisable to reduce the noise spreading from the pumping station located next to the staircase by using larger doors.

Vibrations from the pumping unit to the enclosing structures are transmitted in three ways:
1) transmission through the foundation of the pumping unit;
2) transmission through pipelines;
3) transmission through acoustic "bridges".

As a result of the research, the influence of individual transmission paths of vibration on the level of noise in apartments was determined. Greatest influence has a vibration transmission through foundations rigidly connected to the floor. At the same time, noise levels in apartments reach 45-50 dB ("A").

Vibration transmitted to the enclosing structures through pipelines has a slightly smaller effect. Roughly, it can be assumed that along the length of the pipeline of 10 m, the amplitude of the oscillatory speed decreases by 2-2.5 times. Such attenuation is insufficient and therefore, with a rigid connection of pipelines with walls, the vibration of the walls is still very significant and causes noise in apartments with levels of 40-45 dB ("A").

If there are shock absorbers under the foundations and flexible rubber inserts in the pipelines, the noise levels in the apartments will still be higher than the standard value, if the acoustic "mastics" are not eliminated. Acoustic "bridges" in pumping rooms are mainly brackets and stands supporting pipelines, metal pipes connecting the floor and foundation and serving to supply power to the motors and debris that remains between the foundation of the unit and the floor. Eliminating the "bridges" reduces the noise level by about 5 dB "A".

With three ways of transmitting vibration, it is necessary to first isolate the foundations, and then the pipelines, and only then eliminate the acoustic "bridges".

Reducing vibration transmission only along the second and third paths will practically not reduce the overall noise level in apartments.

1 - foundation on shock absorbers
2 - flexible inserts
3 - vibration isolation of the pipeline
4 - bracket with elastic gasket
5 - a rack with an elastic pad.

Thus, to reduce noise in apartments, a set of measures is required to ensure complete localization of vibration within the pumping room. When developing measures, it is necessary to take into account that shock absorbers and pipeline insulation should reduce the noise level by at least 10-15 dB "A".

Problem

Hello. Under our apartment, the HOA installed two pumps, one boiler for water, the second - a weather-dependent unit for heating. The place of installation was not coordinated with the tenants. In writing, we asked not to install pumps under our apartment, but they were installed anyway. Now in our apartment there is a round-the-clock exhausting technical noise. We did not measure the noise level, they can be compared with the noise of a working refrigerator or air conditioner, it would seem not so loud, but at the same time it interferes with normal living., Especially interferes with sleep. After all, the air conditioner can be turned off at any time, but the pumps cannot. We have two minor children, a schoolgirl daughter began to complain that she did not get enough sleep, then she could not concentrate on the lessons, she periodically began to develop a headache. The son is 4 years old, he also began to sleep poorly, shows signs of anxiety and nervousness, although he was a calm child before the pumps were connected. We went to the doctor, they were prescribed valerian and the glycine was told if it didn’t help they would be referred to a neurologist. My husband and I also do not get enough sleep, our head hurts. They wrote a statement to the condominium with a request to transfer the equipment to a non-residential premises under an entrance or a wheelchair, they replied that this was impossible. Although the contractor who was engaged in the installation explained to us that there is such an opportunity, it is just convenient for the homeowner to place the equipment at the entrance to the basement, our apartment is corner. Advise how you can solve our problem in judicial procedure based on medical indications. The doctor explained that round-the-clock technical noise, even if it is normal and barely audible, but still palpable, can be an external irritant, which subsequently affects health.

Rospotrebnadzor measured the noise level in the bedroom, at night, the noise does not exceed sanpin, but it is really audible around the clock, Rospotrebnadzor experts admitted that the nature of the noise is uncomfortable for auditory perception, although the devices show the norm, so what can be done in such a situation? Tszh refuses to install noise insulation of the ceiling and walls in the basement, because according to the documents, everything is normal. It is very expensive to make soundproofing at your own expense, and the basement with the equipment belongs to the common property, the whole house uses it, and we suffer where and who else can we turn to?

Solution

If in the conclusion of Rospotrebnadzor there is a description of the noise as not pleasant, not comfortable for perception, but within the established norms, you still have the right, as the owner of the living quarters, to demand the elimination of the causes of the noise and compensation for moral damage.

Hello! And what if we make noise insulation of the basement for our own money, and then, in court, collect them from the homeowner community, because the basement is common property? Or, as an option, we will not pay the RSJ, tk. Did you make soundproofing of common property for your own money? The whole problem is in the chairman of the HOA, she took the position "we have everything corresponds to SNIPAM, if you don't like it, sue." When the roof leaked in the house and it was obvious that repairs were made without a court decision, and when there is round-the-clock noise from the pumps in my apartment, and this is also obvious and audible, I have to sue. At the same time, from the funds of the PCG HOA chairman pays for the services of a lawyer in litigation with tenants who in fact pay for this lawyer.

good day, Elena!

You have the right not to approve the costs of paying for the services of a lawyer, etc. by the decision of the General Meeting of owners of MKD, then the chairman will have to reimburse the HOA from his personal funds. But if the court's decision is not in favor of the owners, then the losing party will reimburse the costs.

You also have the right to make repairs and collect costs in court, but you must prove that the repair is necessary and make a reasonable estimate.

If the result of the repair does not meet the goals specified in the act or recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor (bringing the sound background of the living quarters to a state favorable for the health of the owner), the costs will not be reimbursed to you.

Thank you Elena for your answers. So if I understand correctly, we cannot do without Rospotrebnadzor. But since the measurements showed that the noise level is normal, what else can Rospotrebnadzor do for us, how can it determine that the noise is uncomfortable for the auditory perception, even if the noise is within the normal range? And what other organizations, besides Rospotrebnadzor, can help us, for example, inspect the basement for compliance with SNPs when installing equipment, after all, sound insulation of the room should be provided when installing pumps under the living room? Husband was in a meeting today owners of mcd and raised our question, the position of the chairman of the condominium has not changed, everything is normal. The noise is cyclical, sometimes it hums quieter, sometimes louder, and sometimes it is completely unbearable, but it hums 24 hours a day and it's terrible. Sorry for the possible confusion just sore, sometimes thoughts come to drill a hole in the floor and fill the basement with the equipment, but then the house will remain without water and without heating, and the tenants are not to blame. Can attract public attention through the press? Well, after all, there must be a way out?

And one more question to catch up. If I flood a basement with equipment, what is the penalty for this?

Liability under article 17.7 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation is possible:

Intentional destruction or damage to someone else's property, if these actions did not entail the infliction of significant damage, -

entails overlapping administrative fine in the amount of three hundred to five hundred rubles.

However, you are the owner of a part of the common property, that is, you will damage yourself too.

Good day!

The State Housing Inspectorate of the Kurgan Region carries out housing supervision over the implementation by persons managing apartment buildings (including managing organizations, homeowners' associations, housing, housing construction and other specialized consumer cooperatives that manage apartment buildings, as well as legal entities and individual entrepreneurs carrying out activities to perform maintenance services and (or) repair work common property v apartment building, with the direct management of an apartment building by the owners of premises in such a building), services and works for the maintenance and repair of common property in an apartment building in accordance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation.

As for other specialists who can give opinions on the state of physical and psychological health of the owners: medical reports - a district therapist, pediatrician, neurologist (children and adults), psychological - a psychologist (children and adults).

You have the right to apply to the media, perhaps they will be able to "raise" your particular case to a socially significant one for the city, region. Reporting from the courtroom is always interesting, thematic programs in the field of housing and communal services.

If there are receptions of deputies of various levels, contact the assistants, they will issue requests to the HOA.

Elena, thanks again for your detailed answers. The husband made an appointment with the deputy chairman of the regional duma. Also, after yesterday's meeting, we wrote another statement with a request to take measures to eliminate noise, but the statement has already been addressed to members of the board, and not to the chairman of the HOA. The member of the board to whom we gave the statement said that she had recently learned about our problem from the words of the chairman, and three statements, one of which was written back in October 2014 and we still have not received an answer to it, they did not consider on the board, because .To. they weren't seen at all. It turns out that the chairman of the HOA deliberately did not submit our applications to the board for consideration.

Elena, you can state all your comments in a statement addressed to the head of the RPN maintenance center on repeated measurements due to increased noise in the apartment. Describe this sound and vibration, when it was amplified, and how you feel during the day when you hear sound and feel vibration.

Regarding hiring a plumber: ask the board and general meeting(on the quality of the plumber's work), which evaluates the work of specialists and approves the estimate, including payment for the services of these specialists (workers).

Problem

I live in an apartment on the ground floor. In the basement there is a pump for pumping cold water for 9 floors. because of this, there is noise in the apartment. By agreement with the senior at the entrance, the opening hours were set from 6.00 to 14.00 and from 17.00 to 23.00. In response to repeated complaints to the Criminal Code, expansion joints were installed on the pump. The vibration is gone, the hum has decreased, but a very low squeak has appeared that strongly affects the nerves. A repeated complaint was written in the Criminal Code, but there was no answer. We contacted Rospotrebnadzor to measure the noise level. But I am afraid that this procedure will not give any results. Since the noise in the rooms is lower than in the kitchen and corridor. Tell me what to do in this situation? And do we have the right to silence during the day?

noise level tolerance is determined Sanitary standards 2.2.4 / 2.1.8.562-96 "Noise at workplaces, in residential premises, public buildings and on the territory of residential development ", approved by the Ministry of Health of Russia (http://files.stroyinf.ru/Data1/5/5212/),

Of course, you have the right to apply to Rospotrebnadzor with an application for measurements, but you yourself indicated that "the main hum falls" on non-residential premises(kitchen, hallway) there is a high probability that this check will give nothing, since Rospotrebnadzor experts will take measurements in living rooms. And even if they measure the noise level in the kitchen and in the corridor, the results of such a measurement will not be a reason to demand that the noise be eliminated.

10. Requirements for reducing noise and vibration levels

from the operation of pumping equipment

10.1 The requirements of this section must be observed in order to prevent exceeding the noise and vibration levels allowed by GOST 12.1.003, GOST 12.1.012 and SNiP II-12-77 in buildings with built-in heating points and adjacent to heating points.

Note - The requirements of this section apply to heat points of industrial and agricultural enterprises, if they are provided. terms of reference for the design of a heat point.