The 5 House Noises You Should Never, Ever Ignore

From clanking radiators and creaky floors to gurgling toilets and dripping pipes, your home can sometimes make a cacophony of sounds.

It’s important to know the difference between noises that are simply annoying to live with and ones that you should not ignore. 

Here’s what home experts say are the noises that are potential emergencies:

1. Rushing Water Noises 

“Water damages can be one of the most common and costly home insurance claims that come up for homeowners. And it can be one of the the easiest to prevent when you’re actually taking steps to mitigate issues ahead of time,” said Courtney Klosterman, a home insights expert for Hippo, a property insurance company.  

If you do hear the rushing water noise, it can mean that water is moving through your pipes consistently, which signals a leak, Klosterman said. If you hear the sound, she suggests doing a quick check for pooling water in areas that would be susceptible to leaking, like your sink or bathroom. Walking outside your home and looking for missing or damaged roof shingles would be a good idea too to see if it’s coming from your roof, as well.

Not all dripping noises are bad, though. Philadelphia-based plumber Kelly Ireland said that if a cold pipe has hot water running through it, it makes “like a tap sound, which sort of mimics a dripping sound,” for example.  

If you think you have an active water leak, check your water meter, Ireland said. They can be typically be found in the basement, garage, utility closet or front yard, depending on if you’re in an older or modern home.

“There’s a little dial. It’s either a dial, or for some people it looks like a cog … if your meter is spinning, that would be your first sign you have an active water leak,” Ireland said. “It’s very sensitive so even, like, a drip in the faucet will get that little thing to go.”