Bootsie Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 We have been hearing a noise at our house for days now and cannot figure out the source. It lasts for only a second and sounds something like a cross between a bird screeching and air/water being sprayed--something like an eeeh-awww-shh sound We have set a timer and it is occuring every 9 minutes. But it does not seem to come from the same place. Sometimes it sounds as if it is in the dining room; we will go there to try to pinpoint it and the next time it sounds like it is coming from the laundry room, the next time it may sound like it is coming from the family room. It is always the same exact sound. We can't see how it is an animal given how it has continued for days, is always the same length, and the spacing between sounds is like clockwork. It is not the ice maker. It is not the hot water heater. Since it is Saturday we have had several people stationed around the house for the past two hours trying to figure it out. It is driving us crazy! Any ideas???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 oh that would drive me crazy. Is there any way to record it and put it here? The fact that it moves around but is exactly the same and the interval is similar is very intriguing. How frustrating! Sorry, I've got nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Do you have any smartphone/Alexa type devices that could accidentally have an alarm going off that is set to sound like that? If it's a movable device or one you have multiples of, that could explain the motion. Or an alarm or speaker system set up in multiple rooms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 A/c? Heater? My guess is pipe related. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 9 minutes ago, displace said: A/c? Heater? My guess is pipe related. We can't track it to the AC or heater. We are having massive utility services/piping changed out in our neighborhood (that has been going on for over a year now). Major water lines are being changed out as well as new natural gas pipes. Our water has been cut off several times because of this. I am wondering if there is air in the pipes somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 The precise nine minute delay makes me think it is something electronic. I'm going to say smoke alarms. It is frequently very difficult to figure out which one is making the sound.Station someone below each one, and watch to see if a light flashes red during the sound. Note the brand and general design (or climb up and get the model number) then go online and look it up to see what that sound means. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Do you have any essential oil diffusers? Or air freshener plug in? Some have a timer and release every so many minutes. We went nuts trying to locate a sound one day and that's what it turned out to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Our expensive-piece-of-junk Samsung fridge started making a spraying/hissing noise with a bit of screechiness mixed in right before it died. I'm not sure if it was at regular intervals, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 My guess would be a vent fan in the attic that is trying to turn on but the bearings are going bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 16 minutes ago, Ktgrok said: Do you have any essential oil diffusers? Or air freshener plug in? Some have a timer and release every so many minutes. We went nuts trying to locate a sound one day and that's what it turned out to be. Oh yes. Public bathrooms often have these. It makes a regular hissing sort of noise. A mystery! Good luck. 🕵️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Can you put people to listen in more than one room at same time? To see if everyone then thinks it came from same direction? Because it could be a sound that has a moving source, but also could be coming from one spot, but sound like it’s moving depending on where the listener is. I have also had an animal making such a regular sound that I thought it had to be electronic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Any chance it could be something like more than one smoke detector chirping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 We have checked smoke detectors and that doesn't seem to be the source. We don't have any essential oil diffusers or air fresheners (but the sound does sound a lot like the automatic air fresheners in some public restrooms) Our first thought was it was our (horrible) Samsung refrigerator; it makes all other kinds of noises, but it doesn't seem to be the source of this. We have also checked the hot water heater. We are in a rental house that was wired for an alarm system; it isn't activated, but does make an annoying sound occasionally, but this doesn't seem to be the case now. We have stationed people in different places in the house and we can't agree where the sounds is coming from. And a person in one place will say it sounds like it is coming from a different place different times, and sometimes it is louder than other times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Bootsie said: We have stationed people in different places in the house and we can't agree where the sounds is coming from. And a person in one place will say it sounds like it is coming from a different place different times, and sometimes it is louder than other times. That would still make me think HVAC or something duct-related where the sound would bounce around. ETA: have you called the landlord? they may know something you don't, and in any case should attempt to find and fix it. Edited February 3, 2019 by EmseB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 DH suggests the well pump, if you have well water. He also said they had a mystery noise when he was growing up, and it turned out to be the fan on the freezer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 An electric meter that sends out information on usage to power station every 9 minutes and that puts noise on your wiring? Or a Smart appliance or gizmo sending out noise every 9 minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Some small electronic that has an alarm, that has been stolen by a mouse who is running around under your floors .... 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Can you turn off your breakers for a while and listen? Once the ambient noise of other appliances is gone, you may be able to figure it out. It will also isolate if it is a plugged in device that is suddenly quiet. How about a cd player, dvd player, or game system trying to spin a disk? Maybe another electronic toy with a dying battery. Or a watch, ipod, old phone, or other device with an alarm going off that is muffled? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Oh yeah, my kids' old cell phones do that periodically - it reminds me that I need to cancel their tracfone subscriptions .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 The snooze on my ipad is for 9 minute intervals, so is it some sort of snooze? I like the idea of turning of the breakers to see if it’s an electrical thing or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 35 minutes ago, Garga said: The snooze on my ipad is for 9 minute intervals, so is it some sort of snooze? I like the idea of turning of the breakers to see if it’s an electrical thing or not. good point! The snooze on many devices is 9 minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Do you have a built in humidifier? If the sound travels it makes me think duct work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Our Xboxes make intermittent noise like that when they are turned off. We only hear it when the house is very quiet like when trying to sleep or the kids are out of the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Toilet tank leaking? Filling up every nine minutes maybe? but not if it's nine minutes exactly, then I agree it has to be electric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valley Girl Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Do you have a deep freezer? Ours, which is in the garage, starts beeping periodically if the temp drops. (It once took me awhile to track the source of that sound.) Are you sure the sound is coming from inside the house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 My Dh says give up and move! 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Please update when you figure out this puzzle. I'm so curious! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctic Bunny Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 I have no ideas, but need to know. i will contribute that DH finally found our mysterious beep, which has been ongoing for MONTHS. The battery for the fibre optic modem thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 (edited) My furnace makes sort of a whining sound when we forget to change the furnace filter. We hear it in various rooms, not so much in the furnace room. Edited February 3, 2019 by Pippen 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Air in the pipes? I know when my husband worked on our pipes in our CA house, it made very strange noises for quite a while. It was air in the pipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Are the sounds getting closer together? Maybe your pipes are in labor. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 We had a beep like that a few years ago. The culprit was some internet battery equipment thingy that was installed in the basement. It might have been a dead back-up battery or something like that. It was maddening tracking down the source and it never happened before or since, but the beeps were regularly spaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 4, 2019 Author Share Posted February 4, 2019 We have not been at home most of the day, but have not hear it this evening. It does make me wonder if it has something to do with the air pressure in pipes as utility work is being done. I don't know what all is involved, but area around the water meters up and down the street has been dug up and there has been some kind of "ditch witch" equipment. Everyone's gas meter is being replaced, so we have to have a plumbing company come in next week to check all of the gas lines, and go under the house and in the attic. DD left two weeks ago for Europe; we got in touch with her to see if she could think of anything she left behind. She couldn't think of anything. But, we may have to go through the boxes she packed up and left in her room to see if there is something with an alarm that is going off if the sound starts up again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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