This is the fourth part of the story concerning the noise nuisance. The problem started on the 20th October 2010 and since then many things have changed.
Please read the latest updates below and the previous stories at the end of this entry.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS AND UPDATES
On 07-02-2011 at 09:15am, we wrote the following e-mail:
Dear Mr Michael,
Last Friday 04th February 2011 we received the following letters:
http://www.curnockestate.com/files/majorworks/heating/no_hot_water_04022011b.jpg
http://www.curnockestate.com/files/majorworks/heating/no_hot_water_04022011a.jpg
It seems that there is a major problem with one of the boiler because my neighbour told me that you have removed one of them on Friday. I also noticed the temporary boiler outside Goldthorpe (http://curnockestate.com/files/majorworks/heating/Img_3101.jpg).
Would it be possible to provide us with an update concenring the faulty boiler and the relevant works?
Finally I would like to mention that the noise has been reduced since 02 February 2011. Is that because of the mild weather (10C during night) or did some of the improvement works had finished on that day (02-02-2011)?
Many Thanks
On 07-02-2011 at 09:31am, a Goldthorpe resident wrote the following e-mail:
FYI: As a resident of xx Goldthorpe I’d like to add that myself and my housemates heard a loud humming noise through all the flats radiators this morning around 7:50 which persisted for five minutes until one of us turned the thermostatic value on the living room’s rad. At which point it stopped.
Thanks
On 07-02-2011 at 09:49am, Cllr Roger Robinson wrote:
Dear Mr Michael
This boiler problem goes back a long time and the residents are absolutely fed up with it as I am…..can we please sort this out as we did before a long time ago…please can we get the boiler noise finished once and for all.
Please advise
Roger Robinson Cllr
On 07-02-2011 at 16:56, Mr Richard Michael informed us that:
Dear Resident,
The three boilers in the boiler house are all still operating.
The temporary boiler plant is on site to heat the hot water supply while the old calorifiers are stripped out to make room for the new ones.
With regards to possible causes of noise the bellows on the six pumps on three heating zones have been installed.
The acoustic louvres have been installed and the new supply fans are being installed this week.
An access door in the old oil tank room was found to be vibrating last week. Air was being drawn through the ventilation louvres and being drawn through a gap in the door and up the stack. The air movement in the room was enough to cause the oil tanks to vibrate and the noise was very loud. This was securely closed and taped up and G D Higgins have been asked to screw the door to the frame and fill all gaps around the frame.
With regards to the vibration from TRV’s I would ask that you bear with us on this until commissioning is carried out. The pump speeds will then be set to suit the requirements of the system which should prevent excessive water velocity in the pipework which may be causing the TRV’s to vibrate.
Regards
Richard Michael
Mechanical Contract Manager
Telephone: 0207 974 2048
On 18-02-2011 at 11:59, Mr Richard Michael informed us that:
Dear Resident,
The works have been progressing as per below and we had reports of noise from Ravenscar earlier this week.
The pump speed to this zone has been reduced and this seems to have stopped the noise.
The acoustic works are still ongoing and this delay was due to Apollo being let down by their supply chain carrying out that area of the work.
The transducers that were ordered were the wrong type and the correct ones have now been ordered.
Once they are installed the pumps can be commissioned and the speed control can be set to suit the requirements of the system.
It is hoped this will be done next week now.
Apologies for the delays in completing the works.
We will keep you informed of any further delays should they occur.
Regards
Richard Michael
Mechanical Contract Manager
Telephone: 0207 974 2048
On 28-02-2011 at 16:30, a resident of Goldthorpe informed us that:
Hello everybody. I have an update on the effects of the Curnock Estate works from the weekend and Monday afternoon.
Just to let you know, we were without any hot water on Sunday 27 Feb. On top of that, today, at around 4pm a noise sounding like workmen with (very) heavy machinery in the boiler room directly below my flat begun shaking the building. Thinking it was workmen I ignored it.
10 mins later I started upstairs to the bathroom and noticed the stairs, banister and the floor upstairs were vibrating a lot more than anything else in the house. I then touched my radiator and it was doing the same so I did what I always do and turned the tap. The noise and shaking immediately stopped.
Can you please advise me on why this is always the case? I do not overstate the noise and shaking from the afternoon. It felt as though Goldthorpe was taking off to go to the moon.
Looking forward to your response.
Thanks,
On 28-02-2011 at 16:52, we sent the following e-mail to Mr Richard Michael:
Further to my earlier email, the shaking noise and vibrations started again at 16:49 today and stopped immediately after I opened a valve on one of the rads in the flat.
On 02-03-2011 at 09:15, a resident of Goldthorpe informed us that:
Dear Mr Michael,
Yesterday, after my business trip I came home to found a really noisy flat. There is a lot of background noise as well as pulsating/humming noise in some rooms.
I was also informed that there was no hot water for three days (Saturday to Monday).
Could you please provide us with an update concerning the works inside the boiler room?
On 02-03-2011 at 09:15, Mr Richard Michael informed us that:
Dear Residents,
I was on site yesterday to look into the reported noise issue.
The commissioning engineer was on site and had carried out some checks
to the system. He had found that the new pump invertors and the new
transducers had not been set up correctly.
Tony contacted GD Higgins and they were trying to get a specialist
engineer back to site today to correctly set up the heating pump speeds.
Apologies for this noise issue.
Regards
Richard Michael
Mechanical Contract Manager
Telephone: 0207 974 2048
On 15-03-2011 at 01:59am, we wrote the following e-mail to Mr Richard Michael:
Dear all,
It is 01:30am and there is a high pitch pulsating noise in the whole flat. One of your equipment is not working properly again. Another sleepless night.
Could you please check it this morning and provide me with an update and hopefully a solution?
On 17-03-2011 at 10:45am, Mr Richard Michael wrote the following e-mail:
Dear Resident,
With regard to the noise problem that you suffered on Monday night:
This was investigated and there were no signs of any failures or rises/drops in pressures or temperatures on the system log.
All equipment continued to run all night and no noise was present on Tuesday morning.
What GD Higgins did find was that the door in the oil store room had been re-opened and had been left ajar once more. This had happened previously and when in a certain position it causes a very loud noise and vibration (as per e-mail attached).
This had been opened up by National Grid while they were looking at routes for the new gas pipework runs.
I have requested that GD Higgins weld shut this door today so it does not happen again.
Works
The first of the two new calorifiers are now in place and the changeover to these is scheduled for Monday.
Once these are up and running the remaining calorifier will be stripped out and replaced with a further two new ones.
The work to the pumps has been carried out with anti-vibration matting, bellows, transducers invertors and commissioning all complete.
The acoustic louvres are complete and the acoustic doors in the boiler house were being finished yesterday.
The acoustic panels in front of the boilers have had to be re-designed twice as the first two installs did not allow sufficient safe access to maintain the burners. This is now due for completion this weekend.
As you know the correct forum for updates on the works is the residents progress meeting. The next meeting is tomorrow morning in case you do not have the last residents newsletter.
Regards
Richard Michael
Mechanical Contract Manager
Telephone: 0207 974 2048
On 17-03-2011 at 11:33, we replied to Mr Richard Michael’s e-mail:
Dear Mr Michael,
Thanks for the update.
I have never received or become aware of the newsletter or the residents forums concerning the works. When and to whom did the Camden Cancel send the newsletters?
Could you please provide more information about those meetings or a copy of the newsletter?
Is the TRA aware of those meetings? If yes, why did they not inform the residents?
On 17-03-2011 at 13:05, Mr Richard Michael informed us that:
Dear Resident,
I have been informed that the residents drop in is Tuesday mornings and the residents progress meeting invite is normally only to the TRA. This is due to space in the site office.
The only reason that you were invited previously to this one, which your friend attended, was to meet with Councillor Robinson to discuss your specific concerns.
The last newsletter went out before Christmas and the next is due out next week.
Regards
Richard Michael
Mechanical Contract Manager
Telephone: 0207 974 2048
On 17-03-2011 at 14:15, we sent the following email to Mr Richard Michael:
Dear Mr Michael,
Thank you very much for the clarification. It is very much appreciated.
Unfortunately, I will have to have the updates from you for the following simple reasons:
1) Like every other normal person I work on Tuesday mornings
2) TRA General Meetings are twice or three times a year. By the time they “inform” residents the subject is irrelevant.
3) TRA “…minutes are confidential to Committee members unless explicitly agreed otherwise” (see attached e-mail). TRA does not want to send information in an electronic form and during the last few years I have received nothing from them. All my e-mails have been left unanswered and all the information that TRA holds, seems to be confidential and not available to specific residents including myself.
Thanks again and I hope the above clarifies my position as a leaseholder and a resident who was asked to pay more than £12,500 this year alone.
Yours sincerely
RELATED STORIES,
– Pulsating Noise From Boiler Room
– Clattering Noise From Boiler Room
– No Hot Water, No Heating, Just Noise
– Noise Nuisance – January 2011
– Noise Nuisance: Dates and Facts
– Heating Works & Noise – Feb 2011
– Heating Works & Noise – Apr 2011
– Heating Works & Noise – Jun 2011
– Heating Works & Noise – Sep – Oct 2011
– Noise Diary 1
– Noise Diary 2