No matter where you live or the condition of your home, you’re bound to hear the odd noise from time to time. We’ll usually be most likely to hear floorboards creaking or the refrigerator humming when we’re trying to sleep, and while these are sounds that are perfectly normal, there are some noises that can indicate an underlying issue in the home. If you’ve been noticing some unusual sounds lately, take a look at the common causes for noises in the home that you shouldn’t ignore.
Whistling
Whistling sounds in the home can often be caused by issues with the furnace or air conditioning filter. Your furnace may be attempting to pull in surrounding air, making it work harder than needed and ultimately leading to an excretion of excess gas into the home. Simply changing your filters regularly can solve this problem, aiming for a new filter every 1-3 months.
Clanking
Normally, the sound of clanking or clicking is simply down to turning on your heating in cold temperatures, resulting in the house expanding with the change in temperature. If this sound is coming from the radiators, you might have a build up of steam in the system, in which case bleeding the radiators is your best bet. Additionally, these sounds can sometimes indicate a faulty pump system or pump failure, so you might want to get a professional in to assess the situation. If the noise is coming from a faulty shower pump, consider replacing this with a high quality model such as the grundfos home booster pump set.
Scratching
If you can hear incessant scratching coming from your home at night, its likely you have a critter setting up camp within your walls. Rodents love to cosy up in the insulation of your walls or floorboards, and will happily find their way in at any opportunity. Aside from the annoying noises, having rodents in the home can come with health hazards and should be dealt with sooner rather than later. Ensure all cracks in the home are sealed up to prevent further infestation, and set up traps or call an exterminator – or seek out alternative solutions if you’re uncomfortable with killing your critters.
Hissing
Hissing is a sound that definitely shouldn’t be ignored, indicating a gas leak in the home which can be dangerous. If you notice a hissing sound that’s often accompanied by a smell (but not always), evacuate the house straight away without using any electrical appliances, notify your neighbours, and call your gas company.
Buzzing
Buzzing noises that seem to be coming from a light switch or electrical outlet can mean that a wire has come loose. This can be a fire hazard, so it’s important to get this looked into by an electrician right away. With buzzing or humming noises coming from light fixtures like a dimmer switch, you should also try replacing the existing bulb with one that’s specially designed to work well with dimmers as this can be a simple solution.