Clicking noise within ceiling void

[AP5235]

Hi. I've recently moved into a rental flat. I'm having problems with a letting agent being extremely unhelpful. Before I go down the route of reading the riot act to them I wondered if anybody could help me identify a problem with an intermittent clicking noise that is coming from the within the ceiling located in the corridor inside my flat (not the shared corridor). The noise is quite loud (enough to wake me) and seems to happen day and night completely randomly. I think it is electrical but I have no knowledge. I turned off the main incomer at the junction box but it still sounded. Is it the sound of a relay, arcing? Could there be a circuit up there related to another flat or communal area?
Thanks in advance for looking.

View attachment New video.mp4

 

[gustaff]

What is above your flat, could it be a fire door banging shut?

 

[AP5235]

Hi. It's an old conversion. Couldn't say for sure what runs about the ceiling but there are other flats above. If you listen to the noise on the video its a mechanical/electrical noise, not a door shutting.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

If you listen to the noise on the video its a mechanical/electrical noise,

I for one, could not hear anything. But suppose it is a relay (Or not) what would you like us to do about it?

Sorry it does not solve your problem, you will have to keep complaining. Put it in writing to the management company.

 

[ProDave]

Are you sure it's random? It sounds to me like a relay or contactor energising. Economy 7 time clock turning on or off?

I don't think it's a "fault" so what do you expect the LL to do if there is nothing to "fix"?

 

[AP5235]

Apologies if you can't hear the noise on the video, it plays loud enough here.
I was looking for some help in identifying the noise and to identify if it is a fault.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

I seem to have a sound card problem I rebooted, yes I heard it Yes, sounds like a contactor. It also sounds like it is doing what it is supposed to, so as ProDave said, no fault. Not sure about why though.

FYI: A contactor is used to switch a large load. Or uses a small switch to switch a load, so the switch used has almost no load
e.g. a Movement sensor, senses movement and operates a contactor which switches all the communal light on.

Do the communal lights come on when you move?

 

[AP5235]

I seem to have a sound card problem I rebooted, yes I heard it Yes, sounds like a contactor. It also sounds like it is doing what it is supposed to, so as ProDave said, no fault. Not sure about why though.

FYI: A contactor is used to switch a large load. Or uses a small switch to switch a load, so the switch used has almost no load
e.g. a Movement sensor, senses movement and operates a contactor which switches all the communal light on.

Do the communal lights come on when you move?

Thanks for your info and reply, I haven't come across a contactor before, good to know what one is and that potentially could be it. It's not a communal area, it's the corridor within my flat. There are no proximity sensors/lights. I turned off all the circuits on the board (and the main incoming circuit) but it still sounded. So I'm wondering if there is a circuit running through there to another flat or the communal corridor. It is very loud and wakes me at night. Is there potentially anything dangerous about it?

 

[AP5235]

Just to add, there is a hot water timer (not Eco 7) but this is not triggering it as it comes on at a specific time. Regardless, I have turned off all the power at the board. So AFAIK there can't be anything within my flat triggering it. The timing of noise is random to anything I can observe; sometimes once or twice a day, sometimes dozens of times, day or night. The temp/heat sensor is on a separate circuit.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

If you have turned the power off to your entire flat, and it still operates, as you say, it is nothing to do with you/your flat.

Sadly it is not possible to say what does trigger it, even if you found out what triggers it (e.g. Sensor outside for car park lights) there is nothing you can do other than complain, send an email with the clip you posted here. (Yes, ask them to check their sound card works )

 

[Fleeting]

Problem with something like this once you have picked up on it you can lay in bed waiting for it to happen. As above send it to your landlord and insist it is investigated.

 

[Andy™]

does sound like a contactor

 

[michael8554]

Very irritating if it's all the time.
Sounds just like my Economy 10 contactor.
But that only clunks six times a day, and it's in my garage, so I can't hear it indoors.

We once had an intermittent "chirp" noise every 10 minutes or so from somewhere in our kitchen.
A cricket or similar insect we thought.
Eventually we emptied all the cupboards and found a smoke alarm we'd bought and forgotten about.
The chirp was the warning that the battery was going "flat" !!

 

[Andy1733]

Are you sure it's electrical linked. Could it be central heating pipe? If it's central heating linked it will be at certain times of the day. Early morning. Evening. Have you spoken to the other Tennant above. Can they hear it

 

[stuboy]

it sounds like a mighty big contactor, if it is, for a domestic property, he have E7 and its no where near that loud! I am guessing taking a saw to the ceiling is not the desired approach?!

 

[Andy™]

another thought, it could be switching on some... er... lighting... upstairs

 

[Murdoch]

Maybe it’s a pull switch in the flat above. Sound travels in unusual ways

 

[binky]

Are you sure it's electrical linked. Could it be central heating pipe? If it's central heating linked it will be at certain times of the day. Early morning. Evening. Have you spoken to the other Tennant above. Can they hear it

I have creaky central heating pipes, they tend to make a noise for several minutes as they warm up and expand.

 

[Andy1733]

I have creaky central heating pipes, they tend to make a noise for several minutes as they warm up and expand.

Mine are the same on the landing but I have one in the bedroom that clicks twice. Drives me potty. Just too lazy to sort it

 

[Geoff1946]

The heating pipes under the landing used to serve as alarm clock in my old house.