Switch to natural gas causing vibrations in Torrington home

To the Editor:

The public needs to be warned about severe consequences when switching to natural gas.

A distinct vibration of the flow of the gas through the pipes causes an unending discomfort when trying to sleep and is seriously affecting me and my husband, who has ALS. There was, and still is, a multi-level campaign to switch to natural gas. The mayor of Torrington sent out letters to praise the advantages of switching, without listing the unfortunate results.

No-interest or low-interest loans were offered to pay for the conversion. Rebates were offered for high-efficiency gas boilers and furnaces. Eversource even arranged for free access. And now there are TV ads and internet ads everywhere you look.

Switching to natural gas has become a living hell for us. We took the bait and took out a second mortgage. Living in a onestory brick ranch with hardwood floors may have something to do with the humming and vibration, but Eversource said they never heard of this problem.

The meter is directly in back of my bedroom wall and the supply pipe is less than 6 inches from the house and stands about a foot high. When I lie in bed to go to sleep, the bed vibrates and I feel a vibration in my body and hear a humming sound.

When I called Eversource, they came to check out the meter and pressure regulator. They found nothing wrong with the meter, pressure regulator or boiler installation. We decided to turn off the boiler at night for a week and one night we also turned off the refrigerator. The vibration and humming continued.

Another night, when the boiler was off, I was awakened by a vibration at 4:30 a.m. The frequency and intensity is completely random.

Eversource staff came and checked everything out again and said it must be something in the house. The power was out the morning of Sept. 29, for 90 minutes. I laid down in my bed and still felt the vibration and heard the humming. That’s with nothing running in our house or immediate neighbors’ houses.

My husband told them that the problem increased when they started digging up Charles Street and maybe the lateral, from the main to the house, is pulsating when they purge the lines or with gas demand from other parties. They said it’s not possible.

We moved my bed to a different wall, resulting in very little change. We put a carpet under the bed legs and thick foam under each bed leg. Again: very little difference. Our contractor replaced every hanger with hangers with rubber bushings hoping it would reduce or eliminate the vibration. It helped a little, but still prevented my sleeping. My husband purchased industrial vibration-eliminating pads, and we placed one under every leg.

The vibration continues, albeit less intense, in other parts of the house. I tried sleeping in my husband’s bed, the couch in the living room, and the EZ lift chair. This was with the boiler off.

My husband has ALS and I have enough stress in my life without having to function without sleep. The vibration continues.

— Marie Ziese, Torrington