Please help me to identify high pitched noise in my house

[pileoflaundry]

I am being driven insane by a high pitched noise in my house, and I am completely failing to track it down.

The noise is still there when my washing machine, dishwasher and fridge freezer are all off. I can't hear the noise outside, only indoors.

The noise is not continuous. It's not very loud, but is getting louder, and is on for longer each time. Right now it's been going for 45 minutes. It's been going on for weeks.

I live in a terraced house. The noise seems loudest in my kitchen, but it's hard to tell. The house is open plan and the noise is quite disorientating so I can't tell where it comes from. I thought for a while that it might be next door's washing machine on a high spin, but it goes on too long, unless the machine makes the noise for the whole cycle(?). I can't hear a motor.

I thought that it might be related to my heating, but that, and the hot water, went off nearly 3 hours ago. I'm not running any taps. I have a chimney with some aerials attached, is it possible that one of them is vibrating at a natural frequency and sending the noise through the house? I can't get up there easily to check.

Does anyone have any ideas? All help much appreciated, especially if it won't involve me needing to climb out onto my roof.

Worth adding that my DH can hear the noise too, so it's not just my ears/head.

(I have two small DC so might not be able to check back frequently, sorry. On the plus side I can't hear the high pitched noise when the DC are in full swing...).

[jense060780]

I cannot Thankyou enough for this post, I have scoured the internet for reasons that both myself and my daughter could hear a high pitch continual noise for two days, it was driving us mad. I had the whole kitchen apart , switching off switches , fuses , just about to order a new carbon minoxide alarm as mine is run through the electrics , and then I found this post and guess what? I had just used a new near thermometer two days ago! I wanted to cry with relief when I took the battery out, it was indeed the source of what I thought initially was tinnitus! I hope others find this and the original post and it can help someone else from going insane!. Thankyou so so much to the original poster and her very clever husband!.

[Sparehair]

Left field but… do you have a soda stream? The bottles make a high pitched noise when the air is escaping. It was driving me nuts until I realised where it was coming from.

[Ariela]

My neighbours (new, 1 year old) sewage treatment plant makes a loud hum 24/7, it's 50ft from the front of their house and nowhere near ours however there is a curved wall behind it and I believe that is amplifying the sound which bounces back into our bedroom. I'm convinced it was a shonky installation and is at an angle so the motor/fan hums more than it should. They see no issue because they cannot hear it unless stood by it.

[KievLoverTwo]

@Highpitchednoise

Hi Pileolaundry.
Did you find a way to stop the noise as I have something identical and it's driving me crazy. I can't get to sleep!

Also, I am tagging the OP for you, @pileoflaundry, they may get a notification so they can reply.

Bumping a thread doesn't always bring it to the poster's attention.

[KievLoverTwo]

@Highpitchednoise

Hi Pileolaundry.
Did you find a way to stop the noise as I have something identical and it's driving me crazy. I can't get to sleep!

I had this happen this week. I have TRVs on my radiators. A knob that goes from 1 to 5 to control the temperature output. That was the cause. It was about one mm off number 2, as soon as I clicked it onto 2, it stopped.

I could hear it through two walls and across a hallway, a 20 ft space.

It might be a bigger radiator issue that needs dealing with in the longer term, idk - it's a rental I don't intend being in for long. Adjusting the TRV made it go away.

[Highpitchednoise]

Hi Pileolaundry.
Did you find a way to stop the noise as I have something identical and it's driving me crazy. I can't get to sleep!

[datepalmdiva]

I read your post and it is an echo of my exact situation. I had outside faucet changed as old one corroded, I had no gas meter installed (as previous one had gas leak) I had one leaking under house (mobile home) repaired. Water meter show all s fine. Gas was checked and is fine, no leaks (by SoCal Gas). Had one burned out fluorescent light taken down (brand new bulb), had wash machine, dryer & refrig all checked-everything checks out perfect. Installed put in brand new air/heater combo & outside air compressor. All work fine. HOWEVER, I have an INTERMITTEN humming noise, that I have failed to track to source. I even bought a stethoscope to try & listen to every wall-put it also to the floor-NOTHING. Air/Heat installer coming today to check. However, when I turn off A/C at breakers, didn't hear noise for entire evening. lQuiet this am. ONly thing I did was wash my hands-After that hum started, but put steth to all walls of bathoom and no noise. OUtsde water heater is fine, some sediment, yes, because we have hard water here in desert, but no major pops or squeals. No vibration when put steth to it to listen. I AM BESIDE MYSELF-the hum is driving me crazy, like a Chinese water torture. IT is intermittent. Even tried turning off refrig and lost $300 worth of food as left it off to see if that made a difference. Lost all food-and still the hum occurred. So concluded not frig. Had appliance guy listen to frig-said it is normal,, & cooling. If problem with condenser, itwould stop cooling, he said> He made me turn on the shower to see if it's water pipes-no sounds after that. Short of a GREMLINE, what the H is this? When I read your post I thought I had posted, I swear. You posted long ago, and I hope and pray you are reading this post, but you may not be. If so, PLEASE tell me if you solved your hum and share with the cause. THIS IS AWFUL. aND when you are a woman & tell me that you hear a hum, and they don't hear it, because invariably it stops until after they have left the house, they think you are hearing things or have tinnitus. I have lived in 6 houses-this one for ll years and never heard a hum. I am good at finding solutions, like a detective, and THIS TIME I am stuck. Air/heater installer coming today to doublecheck. But when he sent his employee last week, NOT ONE HUM. One hour exactly after he left the hum started. Same could happen today. can't ask anyone to spend 24/7 with me. In a BIG BIND as the hum scares me--you worry about fires explosions, etc., wiring issues in a manufactured home. IF ANYONE READING THIS is not the person who posted similar but has any SUGGESTIONS, I welcome them and thank you!

[Willowtreed]

Hope it’s ok to comment here, I just want to say fabulous idea, thanks so much. Why didn’t I think of that? ✌🏼

[Bri2016]

Can’t help but we’ve got a strange possible high frequency noise that upsets only one of our dogs. When ever I touch the controls of our dishwasher one of our dogs runs upstairs (dogs don’t go upstairs with us normally) with tail between legs and hiding in furthest bedroom and stays there until machine has finished its cycle. Or if door is open she runs outside. We can’t hear anything, the other dog and two cats aren’t affected by whatever upsets 1st dog. It’s weird but she picks up on something to do with the dishwasher. Any explanations?
Sorry pileoflaundry Ithis doesn’t help you but it’s strange what some of us hear and others don’t. Good luck with your strange noise

[Looly1965]

Hi, just read your post, I'm having same issue but mine is to do with neighbours from hell. Environmental couldn't pick it up. Its being investigated and whilst people are in and out of property, the noise has gone so far. It may be cameras or spy ware which in my case is more feesable because I found evidence he is accessing my home via the attic. Or as it was pointed out to me via a builder and electrician they could be growing weed. Let me know if you find out as I have been searching since 2017 other than that treat it like tinnitus and find coping mechanisms.

[InspectorClouseauMNdivision]

I can hear high pitch noise like a charger can make when my neck stiffens a bit. Maybe?

[goingtotown]

Dimmer switches can make a high pitched sound.

[Cambridgecrazy]

Actually I just on and off the circus board again. I found that I have some peace and quiet for a moment or two. Then suddenly the fridge starts running and the constant high pitch noise coming back again. Can someone helps me please. So desperate.

[Cambridgecrazy]

Can someone help me.
I have a new kitchen... since then I have high pitch noise. I refreshed the circus board and the noise disappeared but if I used the socket eg smart meter monitor, the noise returns. Please help me to get rid the noise or do I need to upgrade my circus board? The kitchen installer said he could not help and he could not hear it but I am not imagining things. As soon as I am out of the kitchen or outside, I don’t hear that noise. It is very frustrating. Please help.

[WhatALoadOfFuzzyBollocks]

Oops LOL

[minipie]

zombie thread!

[WhatALoadOfFuzzyBollocks]

Have you seen this thread OP?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3488572-Help-me-identify-this-night-time-noise

[WhatALoadOfFuzzyBollocks]

I'm hearing the same OP, we might be neighbours. I wondered if its neighbours boiler but pressing ear against wall (only to see if noise is coming from there house its not something I would do otherwise - honest!) I don't hear it. I hear it outside which makes me think it is the heating vents from flats. Environmental health won't come out as can't pinpoint where the noise is coming from. Theres a lot of building going on wondered if its to do with that? Also theres a couple of takeout joints and wondered if it might be extractor fans? It always happens this time of year [when its cold and people put the heating on] and it fucking hurts my ears to the point I think it could cause hearing damage and bring on tinnitus.

[roses2]

My neighbours boiler makes an almost constant high pitch noise which I can hear...

[Happy1Too]

A malfunctioning kitchen timer had gone off!
Kitchen Aid Digital Battery operated Timer was producing the high pitched sound in our kitchen. It took quite a bit of searching our home for a source of the sound, and then searching online.
The solution was on Mumsnet Q&A. The solution saved us a lot of time, heart muscle, and stomach lining vs. going thru the dozens of other suggestions online. KISS principle!
Only web site with a real solution!
Thanks

[VBolster]

I’m not kidding - check to see if you have a battery-powered digital meat thermometer in your kitchen. We were going bonkers with a high-pitched noise (sounded like it was coming from the ceiling) and my husband started hunting through the drawers after we’d tried everything else. The thermometer wasn’t on, but somehow still made the noise. No more, thank goodness!

[pileoflaundry]

Apologies for the late update, my DC came down with D&V and then kindly shared it with me.

Don't worry Caurnie, it's best to know where the annoying noises are coming from. And now that I'm no longer trying to tune into the noise, the other noises have faded too, so I can use my hob without wincing!

We had some younger guests and challenged them to find the source of the noise. They tracked it down to next door's boiler flue.

Thank you everyone for your help and great ideas. Once I've recovered I will talk to the neighbours.

[CaurnieBred]

Oops - sorry for pointing out the hob whine

[pileoflaundry]

The noise stopped at 21:47 last night, which was the exact same time as the previous night, and the night before that.

The noise has been on since just after 7am, as has next door' boiler. It was loud for the first 15-20 minutes and since then has been at just the right level to send me mad.

To make it worse, all the trying to track it down over the weekend has meant that I've now tuned into other annoying noises that I hadn't heard before, like my induction hob .

I'm going to have to talk to next door aren't I...

[pileoflaundry]

The noise has been off for a couple of hours. It's been bliss.

I've been outside 5 times to see if the neighbour's boiler has been on or off. It's corresponded to the noise being on or off every time (3 times on, 2 times off).

The noise sometimes goes off for 10 or 15 minutes, which sounds like it could be a thermostat turning things off and then on. Although I could just be fitting the theory to the facts.