Intermittent Tapping Noise at Night

X4 VWC · Jul 23, 2017

I'm no stranger to noises from the California but with the forum's help, I've always been able to track them down. I've done a search (there's a lot of threads on 'noise') but this might be a new one ... and it's at night when parked up. I'm a light sleeper so any annoying or intermittent noise tends to keep me awake (hence this post at 3am).

I'm getting a quiet popping/tapping noise from the nearside rear quarter of the van during the night, it's hard to locate but maybe midway and low down in the sink/fridge/wardrobe unit. Everything is off except the fridge (setting 2 at night so hardly comes on). No electrical hookup. No heater. It occurs - as a single pop/tap - every five to ten seconds at seemingly uneven intervals. Sometimes it stops for a minute or so. Could the fridge be making this sound continuously between cycles?

Hotel California · Jul 23, 2017

Fridge makes noise for sure .
Is your sink tap fully closed ? Could be the pump in the watertank that is making the noise.(there are treads on this )

X4 VWC · Jul 23, 2017

Hi Hotel - the tap is definitely off and heater off. I wondered if it was a pipe gurgling but I don't think it would do that all night.

VWDrooper · Jul 23, 2017

To rule out the tap try dumping all clean and waste water, leave all taps open and see what happens, my guess would be fridge only because it does mate noise and it's the only thing running

JohnGuppy · Jul 23, 2017

Just an idea. Could it be the fridge relay. As the battery voltage lowers. It switches off. And on at stages. To preserve battery life. Have a look at your control panel voltage sometimes it's drawing no current hence could be s tick now and then switching on and off

TwoDogs · Jul 23, 2017

Axe murderer? That's what I'd assume at 3am.......or a clown.....

DM · Jul 23, 2017

Every fridge cycle things are heating up and cooling down. I wonder if that may be the cause. It could well be that something is rubbing against something else as it expands / contracts between cycles. I get all sorts of expansion noises from my central heating system at home as the pipes warm up.

Keith Smith · Jul 24, 2017

We have just been away for a couple of weeks and on the two nights we slept downstairs I could hear a sort of "dripping" noise which continued for quite a while before stopping. Sounded initially like it was coming from the kitchen area but when I got up and had a proper listen it was definitely coming from the back of the car. Very disturbing when trying to get to sleep and difficult to track down the cause.

JohnGuppy · Jul 24, 2017

It will get better the older you get trust me with dynaudio you don't hear anything. It's your fridge. And relays you could complain but do you hear it during the day but I guess if it keeps you awake it's upsetting

Keith Smith · Jul 24, 2017

John Guppy said:
It will get better the older you get trust me with dynaudio you don't hear anything. It's your fridge. And relays you could complain but do you hear it during the day but I guess if it keeps you awake it's upsetting

I am pretty certain it was not coming from the fridge and definitely not relays clicking.

Hotel California · Jul 24, 2017

Keith Smith said:
We have just been away for a couple of weeks and on the two nights we slept downstairs I could hear a sort of "dripping" noise which continued for quite a while before stopping. Sounded initially like it was coming from the kitchen area but when I got up and had a proper listen it was definitely coming from the back of the car. Very disturbing when trying to get to sleep and difficult to track down the cause.

That is definitly the fridge ...

JohnGuppy · Jul 24, 2017

The fridge works on 12volts and turns it's self on and off and lots of dripping as fluid. Warming up and down. Check you home fridge at home but you don't sleeping the kitchen but I am sure u would hear noise as people say can you live with it

hirsty · Jul 24, 2017

Easiest way would be to turn the fridge off & try again, Shirley?

X4 VWC · Jul 25, 2017

Sorry for the delay, turns out it was an axe murderer. You just can't be too careful, can you?

I've tried setting the fridge to 3 instead of 2 and didn't hear the sound all night. It could be coincidence, maybe it's just because we were parked differently but no tapping noise. If that's all it is - great - I'd rather hear a few more fridge cycles than tap, tap, tap.

I'm back in the van in a few days so will report if anything comes back.

Thank you for all your suggestions.