During the spooky season, it’s fun to imagine things that go bump in the night. But literal bumps in the night — or any other unexplained sounds in your home — bring a lot more spooky tricks than sweet treats to your life. Spooky noises can give away the presence of a burst pipe, rodent invasion, or other troublesome home problem.
Here are five spooky home sounds and the best ways to fix them. Even the bravest homeowners can get spooked by unexplained noises.
Banging noises
Before you blame a ghost on unexplained banging noises, call a plumber. They’re going to check your water supply pipe to make sure it’s not loose. They’ll also make sure your water pressure is not too high, as well as make sure you don’t have any loose valves. All those problems can actually result in banging or knocking sounds.
Phantom flushing
It’s the middle of the night, everyone’s in their bedrooms, and you hear the toilet flush all on its own. That’s called “phantom flushing,” but it’s no poltergeist. Rather, random flushes are caused when small leaks from the tank get past the seal and flow into the toilet bowl. Once enough water has filled the bowl, it flushes automatically. The solution here is to fix the leak, which is often caused by a loose gasket or flapper. You can test for this by putting a few drops of food coloring into your tank. If the food coloring appears in the bowl without being flushed, you have such a leak. Call a local plumber to fix the problem
Mysterious drips
A dripping sound can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare, especially if you can’t tell where it’s coming from. Water leaks in hidden areas can wreak havoc in your home, and should be addressed as quickly as possible. They can often be caused by a clogged gutter, leaky faucet, clogged pipe or even a faulty HVAC system. Call in an expert to help you if you can’t identify the source.
Squeaks and squeals
During fall and winter, your home is an inviting and warm safe space for raccoons, rodents, and other pests. If you hear squealing and screeching noises, or strange scratching behind walls, see if you can find the source. If you can’t find where they’re coming from, hire a pest control company to look for signs of rodent or pest infestation.
Creaking sounds
Creaking noises might make your home sound haunted, but often they’re just the sounds of wood slightly expanding or contracting with temperature changes. If you hear creaks as you walk around, but it’s probably just some faulty floorboards. You can call in a contractor, handyman, or flooring expert to repair those pieces of wood and make sure your house is noise-free.