We recently moved in an apartment on the ground floor in a multi-apartment building. In the first day we have noticed that there is a weird sound coming from the basement, which we thought was from a washing machine, as it was going on for a while and then off. First night we found out it was something else once it woke us up in the middle of the night, as unfortunately it is loudest in the bedroom. It sounds like a diesel engine. I measured it with the phone to see if it was us that we are to sensitive, but it was good 50-60dB sound in the loudest room. (I found on the net some limits but I'm not sure what to make out of it).
We talked with the agency, and they told they will take a look at it, as the previous tenant was not complaining. We also asked a hauswart (a very old lady who seems just to walk around the building and do nothing), she listened and said no, this is normal it was always like this. Just don't sleep in this room.
Now, I was wondering if someone had a similar situation, and more over if it is normal for heating to sound like a bus - is this a fixable situation? I really wouldn't like to move again or go through the whole legal stuff, measurements etc, just to get the answer "deal with it". I mean we should at least get some reduction in the rent if we cant use one of the bedrooms for sleeping.
The pipes in my bedroom also make noise once the heating gets going. It is annoying, but it does not bother me that much. Maybe the sound at your place must be quite different than here. Hmmm, I doubt anything could be done about it.
The recording was quite quiet, it depends whether it is about the mic setting or it is really that quiet...
I have similar sounds. Searching I have found that usually the central heating pipes have pomps to increase the efficiency. The pipes as well as the actual heating works in waves, not continuously. It is not a problem for me though.
I understand your problem. In general this is what sucks the most in Switzerland. It is so hard to find good apartment and when you get it you learn that you did not had a chance to make really informed decision but at that time it is too late I wonder how people are buying flats here to not land in a situation as such
Perhaps the heating installation works on high temperature 90 degrees which may sounds like boiling. In old times the central heating in large buildings were high temperature. Modern installation prefer lower temperature but ues pumps to disperse the heat quickly amongst the building.
A boiler has a real flame (burning gas or oil). The burner heats the water. The burner doing it's stuff is the noise being generated. The temperature of the water is immaterial.
The noise goes on and off as the boiler is not burning constantly.
We have the same noise albeit at a much quieter level.
So, there is a hope that something is done bad here, and that it can be at least quieted a bit? It should not really wake one up at night when it starts.
And now that I think it does sound like a gas burning... Anyway, I'll mention it to the agency. They can at least do some soundproofing for the prices they charge for the flats.
Could I also suggest you consider joining the local branch of ASLOCA/mieterverband?
It's a tenants association that specialises in just this type of problem.... costs ~100 francs a year to be a member but their advice can be priceless.
I'm already a member, and I'll definitely see with them what to do if the problem cannot or will not be solved by agency.
I was more looking if this is actually something that is fixable if it's too noisy. The flat is really nice besides this thing, so it would be a shame if we have to leave for it.
This actually gave me a chill... I can just imagine buying the apartment just to find something to be a deal breaker after the first night you spend there. And I guess this happens.
I guess it's like the marriage, you're probably going to make better job at choosing once you had some experience, both good or bad
Well, there's always our approach: buy a place with no central heating. Wood stoves are nearly silent in operation and also remarkably unlikely to commence operating at random hours of the night.
Not that I'm feeling like a particularly keen advocate for that approach myself at the moment. The chimney sweep's coming round this morning and so we've had to let both tile ovens cool down. No fires since yesterday afternoon. It's 16 degrees in the living room and kitchen (and that's with electric radiators going)... 3 degrees in the stairwell. Kids set one foot in there yesterday and both instantly declared a walking-up-and-down-stairs strike: "legs not working, mommy carry!"
To the OP: I can appreciate that it feels that way in the dead of night, but 50-60 dB is not actually super loud. That's comparable to an air conditioning unit or a refrigerator running, or windows open with moderate traffic on the street outside... all of which are things millions of people do manage to sleep through. I'm not saying it's ideal, and by all means do move your bedroom if it helps you sleep, but I doubt you will succeed in demanding a rent reduction on that basis.
Years ago I had a similar problem. Even though it was not this loud, it still woke me up at night. It did take quite a few registered letters and threats, but in the end the agency changed a pump and the noise disappeared.
The answer "just don't sleep in that room" is unacceptable and also an admission that the noise is indeed there and the room is not suitable to sleep in. The first thing I would do is to immediately request a rent reduction based on that.
Depends on how you look at it. I've been trying to trick someone into taking over my apartment for weeks now but to no avail.
When they come to view the apartment I close the windows and put on some nice background music so the apartment really looks nice and peaceful, yet most of them still remember to ask "How about the traffic"...
Yeah, I'll push with it until it is solved. I got a call today from the Mieterverband saying that I notify and push the agency, and if it is not resolved soon, to contact them again, and they will resolve it.
I just cannot understand how did this not bother the previous tenants . At first I thought I was crazy, but everybody I asked to tell me if this is normal was a bit shocked. Except the Hauswart, but I have a reasonable doubt that she is deaf at her age, this is another thing I don't understand, if someone is actually paying her for the "work".