Pay Attention to Those 6 Home Noises and Get Them Fixed
The thumps and bumps are not imaginary and you should get them looked at
Mitchell Parker
3 October 2017
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Don’t go calling the Ghost Hunters folks just yet if you’re hearing strange noises around your house. There’s probably an earthly reason for what’s going bump in the night. In fact, sometimes the noises in a house are a warning to prevent something really scary from happening – like a backed-up sewer pipe. But it’s all about knowing what you’re hearing and who can help. If you’re hearing any of these sounds, it might be time to call a specialist.
Gurgling From the Toilet
Cause: This could be one of two things.
1. Your sewer pipe could be backed up. Flushing a couple of baby wipes could partially blocking the sewer pipe and, well, the you-know-what might be getting ready to hit the fan.
2. A worn-out toilet valve can cause a gurgling sound, but the constantly running toilet will tip you off. In that case you just need to replace the gasket in the tank reservoir.
Who to call: A plumber. Or buy a drain snake from the hardware store and try to clear the problem yourself.
Knocking or Banging Inside the Walls
Cause: This typically occurs when you turn your water faucets on and off. It’s called a pressure hammer, and it occurs when air pressure builds up in your water pipes, causing them to vibrate when the pressure is released.
If the pipe wasn’t mounted properly, or it has loosened over the years, then it bangs against the stud in your wall. “It can go crazy,” says home repair specialist Tapley Dawson, a partner at The Home Doctors. “The inside of a stud bay is like a guitar or piano, so yeah, you’re going to hear it.” If the sound gets to you à la “The Tell-Tale Heart” – you’ll have to open up the wall and put a sleeve over the pipe.
Who to call: A home repair specialist
Cause: This could be one of two things.
1. Your sewer pipe could be backed up. Flushing a couple of baby wipes could partially blocking the sewer pipe and, well, the you-know-what might be getting ready to hit the fan.
2. A worn-out toilet valve can cause a gurgling sound, but the constantly running toilet will tip you off. In that case you just need to replace the gasket in the tank reservoir.
Who to call: A plumber. Or buy a drain snake from the hardware store and try to clear the problem yourself.
Knocking or Banging Inside the Walls
Cause: This typically occurs when you turn your water faucets on and off. It’s called a pressure hammer, and it occurs when air pressure builds up in your water pipes, causing them to vibrate when the pressure is released.
If the pipe wasn’t mounted properly, or it has loosened over the years, then it bangs against the stud in your wall. “It can go crazy,” says home repair specialist Tapley Dawson, a partner at The Home Doctors. “The inside of a stud bay is like a guitar or piano, so yeah, you’re going to hear it.” If the sound gets to you à la “The Tell-Tale Heart” – you’ll have to open up the wall and put a sleeve over the pipe.
Who to call: A home repair specialist
Humming From the Refrigerator
Cause: “That’s the gremlins inside eating your food,” jokes Dawson. Actually, it could be the compressor motor. Fridges are full of electrical devices, he says, that can cause all sorts of problems. New refrigerators shouldn’t make any noise.
Who to call: An appliance repair specialist
Cause: “That’s the gremlins inside eating your food,” jokes Dawson. Actually, it could be the compressor motor. Fridges are full of electrical devices, he says, that can cause all sorts of problems. New refrigerators shouldn’t make any noise.
Who to call: An appliance repair specialist
Squeaking From the Dryer
Cause: Many old models have a belt that wraps around the drum similar to that in a car engine. When the belt gets loose and worn out, “it starts to squeak like bedsprings,” Dawson says.
Who to call: An appliance repair specialist
Thumping From the Washing Machine
Cause: This is most likely due to the spin cycle’s being thrown off balance by clothes bunched up on one side, often when the machine is overloaded. Just open the machine and spread out the clothes evenly.
Cause: Many old models have a belt that wraps around the drum similar to that in a car engine. When the belt gets loose and worn out, “it starts to squeak like bedsprings,” Dawson says.
Who to call: An appliance repair specialist
Thumping From the Washing Machine
Cause: This is most likely due to the spin cycle’s being thrown off balance by clothes bunched up on one side, often when the machine is overloaded. Just open the machine and spread out the clothes evenly.
Scratching, Rustling or Chewing in the Ceiling or Walls
Cause: I hate to say it, but if you hear prolonged scratching, you probably have a rodent problem. Sometimes you can unmistakably hear rats chewing their way through walls.
Who to call: A pest control specialist
TELL US
What issues have you faced in your home? Share with us how you solved them in the Comments below.
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Cause: I hate to say it, but if you hear prolonged scratching, you probably have a rodent problem. Sometimes you can unmistakably hear rats chewing their way through walls.
Who to call: A pest control specialist
TELL US
What issues have you faced in your home? Share with us how you solved them in the Comments below.
MORE
9 No-Splurge Jobs That Will Improve Your Home Life
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I purchased a single story new construction home. Because there are a lot of workers around at first I thought the noise I was hearing was bass from their stereo but after being here a week, I notice its present at all hours mainly when i walk into my bedroom and master bath. It sounds like a very muffled low bass thumping. Any ideas as to what could be causing this?
did you find out what it is, Jane? that kind of sounds like the noise I hear in the master bath of our house. it's been there as long as I can remember. I was either told or always imagined it to be traffic sounds from passing cars with the noise coming thru the plumbing venting (or exhaust fan vent, or both). either would allow noise to come more readily down into the wall or ceiling of the bathroom.
since bathrooms have mostly hard surfaces noises are going to sound louder there than they would in rooms with a lot of carpeting, upholstered furniture, pillows, etc. pay attention to the days and times of day when the sound is worst and compare that to what's going on outside in those hours. rain sounds especially loud in our bathroom compared to other rooms. the roof and ceiling are no different there than they are in other rooms, so it's always made sense to me that the extra sound is coming from openings that go thru the roof and into the bathroom.
if the thumping is on weekday afternoons or any time on weekends for short bursts here and there and much more likely when the weather is nice, look for a basketball hoop in use outside. that makes a surprising amount of noise that can be heard inside even from a few houses away.
you got it, Judith. that's exactly what a wired doorbell looks like. make sure the circuit breaker is off to that part of the house before you start disconnecting it.