# Can anyone tell me what this noise is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225 "2003-12-20T23:52:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1

**Author:** ![Chickenhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Chickenhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenhead)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/1 "2003-12-20T23:52:08Z")

I moved into my apartment in August, and I’ve been hearing this noise on and off since I moved in. I can only describe it as the sound of a very distant washing machine on the “churn” cycle (as opposed to the spin cycle). The pulsing sound varies from about two pulses per second to one pulse every two seconds. It doesn’t come from an identifiable direction–every time I think it is coming from one wall, it sounds like it’s coming from another. It’s not particularly loud; when I watch TV, I don’t notice it, but when I try to study, it drives me crazy. When it appears, it usually lasts for about fifteen minutes. My guess is that it has something to do with the plumbing. It almost sounds like water being forced through the pipes. It doesn’t sound mechanical (like a worn-out furnance or similar), because it sounds too distant, and too much like a whooshing-thump than a clank. I really have no other guess as to what it might be. And no, I don’t think it’s the neighbors being romantic. ---

**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/2 "2003-12-21T00:14:30Z")

What kind of HVAC system do you have? How often does it happen? Can you hear it outside your apartment (in a hall, yard or balcony)? ---

**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/3 "2003-12-21T00:22:26Z")

> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chickenhead \* > I can only describe it as the sound of a very distant washing machine on the “churn” cycle (as opposed to the spin cycle). The pulsing sound varies from about two pulses per second to one pulse every two seconds. Does anyone in the neighborhood own a hot tub? They can make churny-gurgly noise that carry quite a distance. ---

**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/4 "2003-12-21T03:52:43Z")

Perhaps your neighbor has a bread machine. ---

**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/5 "2003-12-21T05:20:53Z")

Do you have a sump pump under your building? ---

**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/6 "2003-12-21T17:35:13Z")

It could be industrial subsonic noise (which tends to become VERY loud if your room acts as a resonant cavity.) If so, buy a big overstuffed chair, or perhaps find one of those “cubical walls” in a used furniture shop to act as a sound absorber. On the other hand, maybe you’re hearing The Hum: [http://amasci.com/hum/hum.html](http://amasci.com/hum/hum.html) ---

**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/7 "2003-12-21T17:52:26Z")

Quiet,Please…NO ---

**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/8 "2003-12-21T21:05:19Z")

If you have baseboard-type heating, it could be the circulating pump on the boiler. When you turn on your hot-water faucet, do you have immediate hot water? If so, the noise could be a cycling circulation pump. Does one of your faucets drip? That could cause the pump to cycle. Or a dripping faucet in another apartment on the same line. ---

**Author:** ![Zardoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a8b319/32.png) [@Zardoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zardoz)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/9 "2003-12-22T00:17:47Z")

Sounds like a 1920’s style death ray. ---

**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/10 "2003-12-22T19:08:39Z")

Sounds like a washing machine to me. Regular cycle and delicates. After the sound stops, listen for the clank of buttons and zippers and stuff being tumble dried… especially after the 2 per second version. Maybe your neighbor has one of those stackable apartment-size washer-dryer combos. I had one in an apartment in college and it was a wonderful convenience. ---

**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/11 "2003-12-22T20:33:08Z")

If the apartment building has a lawn sprinkler system, the noise could be from the water pipes when it is operating. Of course, that probably shouldn’t happen in the winter unless you live in the sun belt. ---

**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/12 "2003-12-22T21:48:34Z")

Had the same thing when I lived in one of my Delaware apartments. It drove me nuts, and I mostly couldn’t sleep in that room (my bedroom). I hope you find out what it is. ---

**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/13 "2003-12-22T22:34:44Z")

Check these out: \<[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a981218.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a981218.html)\> \<[http://www.earthpulse.com/science/taoshum.html](http://www.earthpulse.com/science/taoshum.html)\> In the UK \<[http://homepages.tesco.net/~John.Dawes2/](http://homepages.tesco.net/~John.Dawes2/)\> ---

**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-noise-is/220225/14 "2003-12-22T22:35:02Z")