What is pinging?!!

[fastwigglylines]

When DP took the DC out earlier I heard a pinging noise, it sounded just like notifications on a phone, possibly from the front room.

Which freaked me out a little as my phone was next to me, DP and DS had theirs on them. No other phones in the house.

I got up and checked anyway and the sound stopped.

I've heard it again, several times, all day. I'm not sure it is a notifications noise or not now, although it is very like it. I think it might be a muffled noise that's the same pitch. There's no rhythm to it, it's random just like notifications.

I've heard it about 20 times while writing this.

Can anyone help work out what it is?

I've only heard it when I'm in the dining room. I'm on the computer but it sounds like it's coming from behind me.

I've can only heard it in here.

I still heard it when I turned the computer volume off.

No other devices in here, although there is a piano in here. Could a piano make a muffled noise that sounds like a bing?! How would that happen?

I'm mystified!

[PattyPan]

I think the wardrobe is a reference to another recent thread where someone bought a second hand wardrobe and it had ‘bad energy’

[Walkacrossthesand]

I want to know what the second hand wardrobe reference is! The Narnia wardrobe didn't ping...

[noraclavicle]

@12frogsincoats

I think it's a term for a certain type of drug use

Yes, I recently learned from DS that that’s what Ecstasy is referred to as these days...glad you got to the bottom of your pinging though, OP

[PattyPan]

Reminds me of something that happened to us recently! I kept hearing a faint metallic rattling noise at night and thinking it was the wind blowing the tv antenna (which is broken so may well be waving all over the place). Eventually DP realised it was our bedroom light fitting! We have one that has three long arms which cross each other and vibrations (from next door’s washing machine, the nearby railway line etc) had wiggled them so that they were touching and then each vibration caused them to bang together.

[hollybollyy]

Our weird noise was a meat thermometer turning off

[fastwigglylines]

Love your update, I’m glad you found it but I did have to laugh!

Glad it made you laugh!

I do feel like a right wally that it was me making the noise all along. FFS!

It freaked me out too, when everyone was out earlier, it really did sound like a phone to me at first.

[TitusPullo]

@fastwigglylines - It wasn’t all the time, it was so random which was what was throwing me. It was on a landing too so until I was underneath it when it happened, it wasn’t obvious what was causing it when I was hearing it whilst in other rooms! It did get to a point where it was driving me a bit mad so I’m glad we solved it!

Love your update, I’m glad you found it but I did have to laugh!

[fastwigglylines]

@TitusPullo

Are you sure it’s not a fire alarm? Ours makes a different noise when the battery is low. I also discovered mains wired alarms have batteries that get low. Took a month to work out that one.

A month?!

Half a day was bad enough! Was it driving you bonkers?!

[fastwigglylines]

@IthinkIm

Have you recently bought an old second hand wardrobe?

Is this a Narnia reference? I feel like I should get it but I don't!

[fastwigglylines]

OMFG, I've worked it out!! Mystery solved!

It's the fucking filing cabinet!!

And it's me making it make the noise, by jogging the desk, no wonder I can only hear it when I'm in this room.

There's a really small metal filing cabinet next to the computer desk. It's making TINY, almost inaudible squeaking noises when the desk moves it.

And now I know what it is, it's obvious it's a squeak not a ping. But it was so quiet and muffled but at the same pitch as bloody Facebook pings that I think my brain must have reinterpreted it as an electronic ping.

And it's not behind me, it's in front and to the side, but it really sounded like it was behind me!

I'm going to move the cabinet, it's annoying!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone and keeping me company while I went slowly round the bend!

[30not13]

@IthinkIm

[Guiltypleasures001]

Headphones with a battery running out? Mine did that once couldn't work it out for ages

[TitusPullo]

@Ginandplatonic I’m glad it wasn’t just me! They seemed so intermittent and random.

[Ginandplatonic]

Snap @TitusPullo!

[Ginandplatonic]

This has happened to me a couple of times - it’s so annoying! And really hard to pinpoint with random pings. From memory the things I have tracked it down to were backup battery on hardwired smoke alarm needed changing - this one took me ages to work out, as it was random soft pings that didn’t sound like the smoke alarm at all. Or kids leaving their watches/electronic toys under sofa cushions etc and having them set to ping randomly (as you do ). Also landline off hook - more obvious as traceable to phone and constant.

[TitusPullo]

Are you sure it’s not a fire alarm? Ours makes a different noise when the battery is low. I also discovered mains wired alarms have batteries that get low. Took a month to work out that one.

[IthinkIm]

Have you recently bought an old second hand wardrobe?

[fastwigglylines]

Going to tell DS he really should be asleep and listening out for binging elsewhere....

Not sure this thread was a great idea as it's harder to ignore now as I want to know what it is more

[fastwigglylines]

Ghost/supernatural happening - this last is the most obvious obviously.


Well, by process of elimination, it must be, right!?

[fastwigglylines]

@AmySosa

Mouse (or large spider) inside piano?

I did think it might be something inside the piano, but it's always the same pitch. So if it was something inside the piano, there would need to be a reason it was only on one note IYSWIM.

[fastwigglylines]

@dillydallydollydaydream7

Carbon monoxide detector battery low? Smart meter not plugged in? Digital watch? Toys? Tablet? Land land phone not on the hook properly?

(Literally thinking of all the things in our house that makes noises when it needs attention 😂)

None of those except I have no idea what noise the smart meter makes, if any. It's not being used anyway as we changed suppliers and the new ones didn't support it Is it still on? I dunno. The hall cupboard is on the other side of the dining room wall. Hmmm...

[fastwigglylines]

@Wobblywibblywoo

Are you attached to another house, I can hear my neighbours phones ping and beep etc walls are stupidly thin

Yes, but not on this side. I've only heard it in this room.

[AmySosa]

Mouse (or large spider) inside piano?

[HeronLanyon]

Low battery alert on street. Or in house. Do you have a carbon dioxide alarm or similar stashed away
Somewhere on high shelf?
Rechargeable phone not on cradle properly.
Ghost/supernatural happening - this last is the most obvious obviously.

[halcyondays]

Cordless landline phone beeping because it needs charged?