# [2008] Help! Constant Ringing coming from our lower level



## klisow (Oct 8, 2008)

Does anyone have any idea what might be happening in our lower level?

This morning my daughter came up from the lower level and asked if I knew where the ringing was coming from in the family room.  I went down there and there was this noise coming from the ceiling.  It almost sounds like the ringing you would hear in your ears after attending a loud event, but much louder.  It is consistent and does not stop?  We can hear it in the room on the next floor up, but real lightly. We can not figure out what it is. 

It is not anywere else in our home except that half of the basement.  We have shut off all circuit breakers, and all power and it continued during that time.  We checked our smoke detectors and our carbon alarms.  We disconnected our surround sound. We called our alarm company, and they said that it was not coming from our alarm system.  We checked all of the the outdoor faucets.  It will not stop....and is terribly annoying, you can't be in that room for more than 2 minutes.

Does anyone have any idea what it could be?  Please let us know!


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## LUVourMarriotts (Oct 8, 2008)

The first few things I thought of was either a light or a fan (something spinning).  The reason I thought fan was because the fan in my old tower sitting next to me right now makes a high pitch constant sound, but very low.  You mentioned you shut off all the circuit breakers.  Was that to the whole house, or just the basement?  Is there any exhaust fan that may be running for a bathroom on that level, or anything like it?  How about the pump or motor for the furnace spinning?

Good luck.


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## Jbart74 (Oct 8, 2008)

Do you have a battery powered Weather Radio?  Or some other emergency device that might be letting you know that the batteries are about to die?  Did you turn off all of the breaker for the upper half of the house?


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## klisow (Oct 9, 2008)

Yes, we shut off the main breaker to everything and left it off for about a minute.  The noise continued the entire time.  That's why my husband felt it may be our alarm system.  In addition, the noise is coming from our ceiling area, but we can't pinpoint where it is the strongest.  

There is no fan in the area at all, not even directly above it.  The closest fan would be in the bedroom down there, but the ringing is not generating from that area.  We do have one of those radios and several other things in the basement that are battery operated, but the noise is not coming from the storage closets where they are kept.  In fact, that's the first thing I checked.  I was thinking in was like a timer to a game or something.

Could it be anything to do with our phone lines?  I don't think that would be tied into the electrical.  The thing about that is...we don't have our phone lines on...we are cell based only?

Please Keep The thoughts coming.


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## Jbart74 (Oct 9, 2008)

klisow said:


> The thing about that is...we don't have our phone lines on...we are cell based only?
> 
> Please Keep The thoughts coming.


 
Is the call coming from _'inside the house...?"_

It's a little early for spooky halloween references, but I just had to go there.  

I can't think of anything else at this point..?


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## wackymother (Oct 9, 2008)

Did the alarm company actually come out and listen to it? Or are they just looking at their monitors and seeing that they're not getting a signal? Can you persuade them to come out and listen?

How about the heating system? Is it a sound like pipes clanging or actually like an electronic alarm?


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## mo1950 (Oct 9, 2008)

It sounds like a pipe that is getting ready to burst.   Sometimes an older pipe will weaken and the stress from water pressure will cause it to vibrate, causing a noise like what you are describing.


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## Don (Oct 9, 2008)

Cut off the water at the main valve and see if it stops.


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## Passepartout (Oct 9, 2008)

I'm with the last few on this. If the sound is up in the joists of the basement ceiling, and didn't stop when the power was off, you have a water valve leaking somewhere. I doubt it's as one poster said, 'about to burst', but that's just a guess from far away. I'd check toilets downstream from where you hear the sound. You might have to put some food coloring in the tank and see if it appears in the bowl to determine if it's seeping and causing the valve to open a little.

Jim Ricks


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## klisow (Oct 9, 2008)

The alarm company did not come out, but listened to the tone through the phone, and said it was nothing like any noise that would come from their system.  Actually, the windows, which are secured in our basement, don't even make a noise, but set off the sensor upstairs if they are tampered with.

We will try shutting the water off and see what happens.  Thanks for the idea.  At this point we will try anything and everything.

I'm also wondering if our kitties got up in the ceiling and did something.  They have access to the ceiling through a utility room.  They have went up there in the past, but only when my daughter is showering, and they feel the need to try and find her.  This still wouldn't explain the ringing while the power is shut off.

In addition, I woke up this morning to find my freezer isn't working! AGHHHH!  Our house is only 7 years old.  I need this week to be over.


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## rickandcindy23 (Oct 9, 2008)

A carbon monoxide detector, perhaps?  But why would it be in the ceiling? 

What a mystery.  I cannot imagine how annoying that must be, but if turning the water off doesn't work, call the fire department and tell them you have an alarm going off.  Rick has been a firefighter for 33 years, and I can tell you that they are always happy to check on an alarm, and between 8 guys at a firehouse, they can ALWAYS figure out what the problem is, because there are 8 different people with various different life experiences.  One of them will know what it is.  

The Denver firefighters actually replace smoke alarms and put batteries in them for people who have them beeping.  It is one of the many services they provide to the people in the city.  It's amazing.


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## pjrose (Oct 9, 2008)

A few months ago there was an article online about people who heard a constant noise in their house and nobody could figure out what it was.  

Here's a link:

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/life/seniors/news-article.aspx?storyid=114679&catid=234
You may able able to find a newer follow-up.


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## Makai Guy (Oct 9, 2008)

My first thought was a ballast in a ceiling mounted fluorescent light, but killing the power would have shut that down.


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## Ann-Marie (Oct 9, 2008)

Is it possible that some bees have nested?  Or maybe some other type of critter.


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## pjrose (Oct 9, 2008)

*vibrations on pipes?*

Today we were at a house and heard an almost screechy whiney noise that sounded like it was coming from somewhere in the ceiling and lasted for about five minutes. It kind of sounded like a very off-balance ceiling fan.   During the same time period there was a train going through probably a mile away.  We could hear the train rumbling, and when the train had passed through the whiney noise stopped.  

My guess is that the vibration from the train set off a vibration in the house - possibly in the pipes?  

So.....are you near any sources of vibration - maybe an underground spring, or waterfall, or vibration from a factory or racetrack or ??? 

Are there pipes in that ceiling, perhaps copper pipes that are touching and make the noise when something vibrates them?


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## klisow (Oct 9, 2008)

*We found the problem! A humerous one at that!*

Well, we did many of the suggestions above, including shutting off all water to the house.  

Finally, my husband got a ladder and was going to start looking in the ceiling vents.  When he was setting up the ladder, he leaned toward the ground, and the sound was even louder.  He looked under the coach, and my 10 year old son's Sharper Image Robot bank was under there.  It was low on batteries and sending out this high frequency pitch.  We have always loathed that bank because it has a sensor on it and moves and talks at you when you enter a room.  It was banished to the basement months ago.  Apparently, my son found it and ressurected it.  Guess What?  It's in the trash now.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and input, we really do appreciate it.  

Oh...and the freezer started working again...for no reason.


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## pjrose (Oct 9, 2008)

*This is hilarious! *​
:hysterical:    :rofl:    :hysterical:    :rofl:    :hysterical:​


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## wackymother (Oct 9, 2008)

klisow said:


> Oh...and the freezer started working again...for no reason.



The robot was controlling its mind. At last the freezer is free from its evil power.


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## Kay H (Oct 9, 2008)

At least the problem was solved without a lot of cost.  If only all our problems could be fixed as easily.  Now you can all sleep peacefully.  Thanks for keeping us posted.


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## applegirl (Oct 11, 2008)

So glad you solved the mystery!    Thanks for letting us know.

Janna


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## Fallmaier (Dec 22, 2021)

Thank you so very much… I had the same problem and after going crazy turning off all circuit breakers and the water supply I checked my grandson’s toy box and found the problem… one of his dad’s battery operated HE MAN 
toys was whining


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## Fallmaier (Dec 22, 2021)

You guys are terrific… still helping people over 10 yrs later… thanks again
Frank


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## kanerf (Dec 22, 2021)

Some toys are just evil


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## mdurette (Dec 22, 2021)

Fallmaier said:


> Thank you so very much… I had the same problem and after going crazy turning off all circuit breakers and the water supply I checked my grandson’s toy box and found the problem… one of his dad’s battery operated HE MAN
> toys was whining



Very curious - did you google this issue and came upon this old thread?


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## TheHolleys87 (Dec 23, 2021)

What a great thread!


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## Fallmaier (Dec 23, 2021)

mdurette said:


> Very curious - did you google this issue and came upon this old thread?


Yes
that’s what I did


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## Icc5 (Dec 23, 2021)

Glad you figured it out.  I was about to ask if you checked for an automatic sump pump.  I know that's something many houses have and never even think about.
Bart


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