Should an apartment block water pump be running constantly?

Sugar_Rush

Do they ever let up or simply run constantly?

Apartment I moved into is located directly above the pump for the facility and I kid you not it runs 24/7.

Is it possible there's some kind of fault that causes it to run over time?

Anyone have the names/details of the primary water pump installers in Ireland so I can inquire directly?

L1011

Generally yes, there will be draw on the tanks constantly and the pump will have to run. Most people will find a stop/start pump overnight vastly more irritating anyway.

"main water pump installers" are not going to talk to you.

dazed+confused

There are many different types of pumps and pressure systems.

Impossible to diagnose anything over the phone when talking to a supplier or manufacturer.

As already said a stop/start pump will generally be much louder.

delboythedub

You live in an apartment and like myself you possibly have a water pump in your own apartment which is feed from the rising mains into tank. If a tap is left running the pump will run all the time or kick in every few minutes same if the toilet cistern not filling properly and in this case the pump will not last to long. Are you in a ground floor apartment and can this pump be heard running from the outside of the building

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118374138#Comment_118374138

Yes I am ground floor.

But it's can't be heard outside the building at all.

It's just DIRECTLY beneath my place, so I catch the resonance more so, which seems to transfer to sound again when it his the walls of my bedroom, living room etc.

delboythedub

maybe contact the management company regarding this pump as i dont think that it should be running 24/7. It also could be one of your neighbours pumps running all the time

If there are no leaks or dripping taps/cisterns it could be that the reverse flow valve is worn, and it lets water trickle back into the pump, tricking the pump into activating.

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118394844#Comment_118394844

There was an issue where cisterns in apartments in my block were being investigated for "overflow" or running constantly.

Around the pump itself in the parking garage, there has accumulated large pools of water also, I don't know if that's normal for a water pump.

Also, there is this insane high pitch coming from I presume the pump, but associated with water flow (very audible from an adjacent manhole where high flow water runs), perhaps indicating the pump is running in "overdrive"?

My issue is I've consulted building management and they've failed to really investigate it, brushing it off almost.

They're off until Tuesday so I'm staying a friends place until then.

JimmyVik

If I were you I would just move. Clearly the place is doing your head in.

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118394984#Comment_118394984

Well if this got fixed it wouldn't be a problem.

If building management would just get it done (but they're NA until the 4th).

And move to where?

I can't even find a room share at the moment.

Caranica

Forget contacting building management, contact your landlord. He's the one with the relationship with management.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118375791#Comment_118375791

If it's vibration transferring to noise, it may be possible to install some kind of dampers that'd absorb/prevent a lot of the vibration.

In my experience, a pump shouldn't be running 24/7; it should only kick in when the main water tank falls below a certain level, and an apartment block's tank should be large enough to cater for some 'standard' use before it reaches that threshold and the pump kicks in. That's obviously going to be dependent on the size of the apartment block (and resultant amount of use) and the water tanks. The other possibility is a leak somewhere means the tank is never reaching the 'sufficient supply' mark and so the pump is constantly going.

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118395063#Comment_118395063

You need to start looking.

Or you can just go mad where you are.

There is always the possibility that this noise is permanent and cant be mitigated.

I lived in an apartment where the shutter for the parking garage was underneath it. It would go up and down at random times day and night. I just moved. It was never going to get better and me complaining about it wasnt going to help.

munsterfan2

Definitely push to get that looked at. The first few weeks we were in our new house the pump at the bottom of the well was running 24x7 due to a "Sticky" pressure valve. We were lucky as I was monitoring the power usage and base-load went from 300w to 1kw. Added a few hundred euro to our esb bill before we isolated the cause.

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118395073#Comment_118395073

Good suggestion.

It's actually being managed through a broker but I'll take it up with them on Monday/Tuesday as they're out of office until then.

Thankfully I've found a couch to crash out on until then.

Tinnitus still persists despite not being in the residence for several days.

It is HORRIBLE.

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118395181#Comment_118395181

Cheers, I'm submitting the complaints initially in writing so I'll have that to fall back on.

If they drag their heels on it or try to brush off the issue (as management already has), just curious if there's stiffer measures I could take to ensure they address it? (thus ensure everything goes in writing initially to confirm I'd raised it adequately with them yet it remained neglected).

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118395100#Comment_118395100

Cheers, great info.

I'll be sure to mention that cause knowing this management company, they treat every complaint as an imposition and try to find excuses for why it's not their fault.

There are large pools of water gathered around it also, I don't know if that's normal for a water pump, but could be relative to that last possibility?

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118395338#Comment_118395338

There are large pools of water gathered around it also, I don't know if that's normal for a water pump, but could be relative to that last possibility?

There shouldn't be large, or any, pools of water. That definitely points to the pump needing maintenance at the very least (assuming it's not just rainwater coming into the basement - it's been a fairly wet few days!)

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118395848#Comment_118395848

Well the basement/parking-garage is bone dry everywhere apart from around the pump?

It'd be one hell of a coincidence if a leak occurred directly above said pump.

Though, we were also contacted last week, several apartments in the building, informing us of an inspection as apparently water is leaking from some apartments down into the parking garage.

Maybe they're confusing leaks from apartments with leakage from the pump itself in terms of explaining why water is pooled on the ground around the pump?

That's pretty much complete speculation on my behalf though.

Again the water is pooled exclusively around the pumping unit/tank, is deepest around the unit itself, and shallows as you move away from the unit.

TaurenDruid

99% chance it's coming from the pump, so! Yep, definitely get on to your landlord. Maybe check in with your neighbours, see if they can hear it too and if it's annoying them get them to get on to their landlords/the management company, too.

The_Conductor

Those pumps have a finite lifespan- typically 8-10 years.

Its 100% not unusual for them to be running fulltime- if its the unit for the whole block- even a localised pump for 2 units will run for an improbable amount of time (despite being inspected and found to be functioning fully as normal).

If it is audible throughout your home- bring it to the attention of the Management Company in the first instance (if your the owner) or your landlord if you're renting- and ask them to investigate.

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118402423#Comment_118402423

This pump is brand new.

It was installed last year and is state of the art.

But yeah they should explain to me why it's running 24/7 before I commit to moving out.

Sugar_Rush

A lot of conflicting reports as to whether it should or should not be running/pumping 24/7.

Over in the plumbing forum a dude claiming under no circumstances should it be pumping constantly.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118393112/#Comment_118393112

sheepondrugs

Happened in my apartment block. The ball valve for the main tank (located beside the pump) for the block was goosed causing the pump to remain on continuously . It caused a large water leak also as the tank overflowed. Might be worth checking out. 100% management company responsibility.

Sugar_Rush

I mentioned the high pitch is more audible from a manhole and the 2nd story basement of the car park, where the facility pump is located on the 1st level.

Is it possible there's like a mains water booster pump skid that's generating the sound, and I'm mistaking it coming from the facility water pump?

Would mains supplies often use water boosters?

mickdw

It sounds as though there is a double basement from what you say.

Is it possible that this is not a water supply pump at all but a sump pump evacuating water from the basement structure?

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118409424#Comment_118409424

Yes there's a double basement.

The only visible water is around the facility water pump on the first floor.

The 2nd level is bone dry but like I said has 2 manholes through which rushing water can be heard, and the exact pitch audible in my apartment is coming from them manholes.

That wouldn't be a mains booster pump?

A sump pump?

It's evacuating a hell of a lot of water if so?

Do you mean water run off for the entire facility?

mickdw

It could be anything. It could be that there are open sections where weather can get into basement so could collecting that.

Could be collecting runoff from the structure.

Could even be a structure where an amount of ground water is allowed enter the structure and then pumped out. I was involved with one such build previously.

If you can hear water in a manhole, its not water supply, it drainage of some shape or form imo.

Sugar_Rush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118410455#Comment_118410455

Okay, drainage - I'm assuming drains use pumps? (no former plumbing experience).

So I can hear openly running water, it's unlikely that openly running water is going into apartments as drinking water, shower water etc.

That manhole is the most evident source of the interfering pitch.

Yeah obviously I need to get onto management but I need to present something valid.

It's unlikely that even if it were a run off pump it would also run 24 hours a day 7 days a week?

Would that be a fault potentially?

Related to the letter we got last week that some apartments cistern valves are apparently dysfunctional as they're leaking into the parking garage?

Sierra Oscar

How many apartments is it servicing?

I'm in a development with 160 + apartments. The pump is essentially running 24/7, water is always being used by someone somewhere in the development throughout the day and night. It's fairly rare that there isn't a draw on the main supply, which is pumped to each individual apartment.

I wouldn't have thought a sump pump would run continously, unless there is a serious leak somewhere and that is unlikely to have been identified by the management company. Sump pumps tend to drain the sump completely, switch off, let the sump fill above a certain point and then activate again.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118411053#Comment_118411053

As has already been pointed out you do not need to get on to management. You need to get on to your landlord. And you do not need the detail, requesting that the leak and constant running be investigated is sufficient.