Unexplained Household Noises And What They Really Mean

Ever been startled by a strange noise at home?  Have you heard it for the first time? And once you noticed it, you don’t have a clue where it 's coming from. May be you've been hearing that noise off and on and been too busy, or lazy, to check it out. Whatever it is, rest assured it isn’t about your house being haunted or kids playing a prank!

What's that noise?
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Homes across the world are known to produce a myriad of sound effects such as scratches, creaks, groans, moans and whistles etc. Let’s debunk the myth behind these noises, some of which may prove scary, especially in the dead of the night.

Howling and Whistling

Detect drafts using a Candle, Match or Incense
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Does the description howling winds sound familiar? The sound effect is a compulsory part of most horror movies, and term often found in fiction pieces.  You can experience that natural acoustic effect right at home, especially if you live in a high-rise building, and one of the external windows or doors of your apartment is not air-tight causing an air draft which is howling sound that you hear! 

A dirty filter in your air-conditioner can create a whistling sound to because it restricts the flow of fresh air into the unit.

Gurgling

Sediment deposit in water heater

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Popping or gurgling noises at home probably can be traced to your water heater/ geyser. If water available in your residential locality is hard water, a sediment buildup inside the unit is more likely. The bubbling or popping sound comes from the sediment settled at the bottom of the heater, as the water gets heated. Clean and drain sediment from the water heater with the help your trusted HomeTriangle plumber to fix this problem ASAP.

A long term remedy is to treat inlet water to reduce hardness. You can choose to soften water when it is pumped into the overhead tanks or when it is distributed - centralizing the treatment makes it more cost effective.

Scratching

Rodents Beware! 

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Scraping or scratching noises? No marks for guessing that your cozy home could be invaded by a rodent! You can keep rats at bay using off-the-shelf rat-kill products or by availing professional pest control services.

Knocks and Cranks

Centralised air-conditioning can cause crank and knocking sounds

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Centralized air conditioning units with multiple vents and metallic ducts that run through the premises can flex due to temperature changes. Cranking and knocking sounds are common when such units are at work.

Humming / Whirring

Faulty or overworked fans are the culprits in such cases, irrespective of its type. The sound is especially pronounced when the home is silent.

Crackling and groaning

Did you know that refrigerators tend to produce a crackling noise? The sound is notably loud in frost-free units. Internal components made from different materials are subject to stress caused by heat generated within the system. Given the fact the refrigerators are eternally active; this could be one noise that you may have to live with!

Chirps

From Crickets and other insects, there are after all a multitude of common pests that can disturb the peaceful setting at home. While this definitely is not an unexplained noise, there is one specific insect call that still puzzles us. Have you heard a high-pitch humming usually from crevices in dark, damp walls – very common outdoors and even in bathrooms? Called Suvathu Kozhi in Tamil, this life-form is hardly seen or recognized, except for its tell-tale hum. Please feel free to correct us if we’re mistaken!