Hum and Vibration - code violation?

[jchi]

Hi,

I live on the top floor of a six story apartment building in Chicago. There is an annoying hum and vibration emanating from the walls of my kitchen and bathroom. The noise can be described as a combination of a humming motor and a tuning fork. The noise can be either constant or variable in pitch, and it cuts in and out throughout the day. The noise is not loud, but it is extremely irritating. Also, when the vibrations are about to stop I occasionally hear the pipes shaking in the walls for a few seconds.

I believe the source of the noise is the water pump on the ground floor. The building has steam heat.

Would this type of noise be considered a building code violation in most municipalities, or does the noise have to be a certain volume in order to be a violation? Clearly something is malfunctioning.

The landlord claims that everything is OK with the pump, and doesn't seem interested investigating further. I am planning on calling the city building inspector, but I would like to know what's reasonable to expect if the inspector is able to hear the vibrations. Thank you.

 

[JG plumbing]

I'm going to doubt it's a code violation.

Your saying the water pump for the drinking water? Why do you think steam heat has something to do with this?

 

[jchi]

Hi JG,

Thanks for your reply. That's too bad that it's probably not a code violation.

I'm a novice; I wasn't sure if the steam heat mattered, so I mentioned it just in case.

 

[Geofd]

When was the last time it was serviced, we had a problem simaliar to this, so I hooked up a gauge to the janitors closet faucet, I could see 20psi + swings in pressure, there is either one central balancing valve or they are on each floor,these help with pressure fluctuations normally a pumped system is serviced at least
Once a year,try putting a gauge on a faucet on a janitors faucet on the ground floor open the cold side just watch the gauge, the try it on the upper floors and see what you get for pressures
Do you have flushometer or tank type toilets

 

[JG plumbing]

The sound could be any number of things. If I were you I'd figure it what is making the noise for sure. A pump on the ground floor should not be heard from the sixth.

 

[jchi]

Thanks, Geofd.

The toilets are flushometer. I'll have to find out about the maintenance schedule and get access to the janitor's closet. I'm a tenant in the building, so I can't troubleshoot on my own. That's why I was hoping the building inspector would find a code violation, and force the landlord to get serious about a diagnosis and repair.

The maintenance manager thinks the problem is the pump...not sure on what basis though...maybe the pump's age.

 

[Geofd]

Have the maintenance guy try the gauges it not a code violation just a nuisance

 

[FishScreener]

Typically tall buildings pump to a stand tank on the roof, and then run it back down through pressure reducing valves to each floor. I would be very difficult and expensive to size and install a pump to deal with varying demands and pressures. So, a stand tank is installed high. And then a smaller pump can run longer to fill that tank. The tank has enough reserve capacity to keep up with the demand, and you don’t have to pump to it at a high rate. Just enough volume to refill the tank over 8-hours or so. Peak demand in residential happens twice a day. The morning when people are getting up and showering, then again in the evening when they fix dinner, and do laundry.

A bad pressure reducing valve makes the noise you are describing. And if it is mounted just behind your wall would be very audible. Plus if the pump at. The ground floor or basement was making enough noise that you are bothered by it where you are, every tenant in the building would be complaining.

 

[jchi]

Hi Geofd, I asked the maintenance guy about the pressure gauge test. He said we could try it, but the results wouldn't be accurate if residents are using the water. Is this true? Assuming he's wrong and we run the tests at the utility sinks, what would a normal vs. abnormal reading look like on the ground floor vs. 6th floor? Thank you.

FishScreener, I'll have to ask about the stand tank, but I don't think this building has one. It's only six floors.

 

[Geofd]

Well,gotta know what the pressure to the pump is,then after it gets boosted, I had a gauge on a slOp sink on the 6 the floor pressure after the pump was 70 psi, by the time it got to the 6th gl at rest it was 42psi during use it went down as low as 15 psi the pump company adjusted the balancing valves and did something with the pumps while I as there, it took a while but it's a pretty constant
60 psi on the 6th floor
By puting the gauge on and opening the cold side you will see what the pressure is at rest, and when there is a load on it, do this at peak use times off peak times we did it over days on and off at all diffrent times should have a company that deals with booster systems

 

[jchi]

I think the pressure to the pump is 40 psi, and it's boosted to 80 psi. I will try to do the tests this week. Thanks.