Experts have warned over certain sounds you should never ignore when you hear them around the house - as they could mean something urgently needs repaired.
The worrying creaks, groans and whistles can originate from appliances, gutters or even the walls. While not all of them are likely to be an expensive fix, hearing certain sounds from your boiler may mean something isn't right.
To help determine what these noises are, Toolstation has gathered sound clips from around the home and worked with an expert to reveal what the noise actually is, how much it would cost to fix and what could happen if the problem is left ignored.
Any unusual noise we notice coming from the boiler is always a cause for concern and should never be ignored, especially now we're starting to switch the heating on as the cold weather begins.
But if you hear a bubbling or popping noise coming from it, there could be a number of costly issues you need to deal with.
It could either be low water pressure or, more seriously, kettling - which is when the heat exchanged overheats and produces steam bubbles. When these move to a colder area, they make this bubbling sound. If it is the latter, this would require calling in a heating professional.
This can cost from around £75-£300 to fix, but the expert says you shouldn't be afraid to get it checked out. They said: "If you do hear a peculiar sound coming from your boiler, it’s always good to call a professional either way just to double-check. Low pressure in your boiler usually just requires topping up."
Here are some more sounds in the house that should never be ignored, according to Toolstation.
Scratching in walls
A scratching noise coming from the inside of the walls at night most likely means there is a pest problem. This could mean rats or mice have found their way into the home via an opening or small hole in the foundations. This might be paired with finding small droppings around the home, teeth marks or pungent smells.
The first step would be to call pest control so they can assess and help solve the problem, for an estimated cost of £90-£240.
Expert trade professional Mark from Cheshire said: "To me, this sounds like a likely case of a rodent infestation within the walls. If this is ignored, the pests could create a nest within your walls and start chewing through important wires. This could cause more serious problems and raise the cost to fix as you’d have to call out an electrician."
Hissing radiators
This usually means that there's water or air moving through the heating system. Sometimes, too much air can get trapped in a radiator and stop it from heating up in parts, or even altogether. Bleeding the radiator is the best way to fix this issue, and this can be done at home with a radiator key.
This cheap fix would only cost between £1-£3 however, if the hissing is accompanied by banging and thumping or other louder noises, then a heating engineer will be needed to investigate further.
An expert said: “Leaving your radiator to hiss and not bleeding it can lead to other problems that are worse than your original one. Firstly, trapped air means your heating will reduce despite you having it on, wasting your money. Leaving it for long enough will cause knock-on problems to the whole of your system and you’ll eventually have to call in a plumber. This will substantially increase the cost to fix."
Rustling gutters
Noises coming from your guttering could be a range of things, but it’s most likely pests, birds or worse, a leak. According to the expert, a leaking gutter can be due to unwanted holes in the pipes, a broken bracket, or a failed seal.
This would call for a gutter servicing professional to take a look, costing an estimate of £120-180. Fixing the issue straight away could save a lot of money down the line.
The expert highlighted that it's important to get this one fixed promptly as any leaking water could cause damp to appear in your home.
You can listen to the different sounds here on this website.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
