20 Annoying Home Noises, and How to Eliminate Them Forever

Noisy Fridge

Refrigerator noise comes from either the compressor under the fridge, the condenser fan motor under the fridge, or the evaporator fan motor inside the freezer. Open the freezer door while the fridge is running. If the noise doesn’t get louder when you open the freezer, pull out the fridge. Most refrigerators have a condenser fan motor. Unscrew the back cover and listen—you’ll be able to tell whether the noise is coming from the fan or the compressor.

The best cure for a loud compressor is usually a new fridge. To replace the fan motor, remove its mounting screws, unplug it and install the new one.

Noisy Fireplace

Many gas fireplaces use a blower to drive warm air out into the room. They also have a fan speed adjustment switch so you can strike a balance between blower speed and noise level. But if the fan gets loaded with dust or the motor bearings wear, the blower will make a rumbling noise at all speeds. Sometimes, it’s possible to remove the blower and clean the fan blades to quiet it. But if it still makes noise, it’s time to replace the fireplace blower.

Whistling Window

If a dull whistle comes through the house on a windy day, it can make for a long day. Caulk the window to prevent any possible leaks.

• Editor’s Tip: There’s nothing more disruptive to a night of sleep than excessive sound. Apart from a cold, chilly breeze, these seemingly minor noises can have an outsized impact on your well-being. So, turn to soundproof curtains to block out some of the din.

Bath Fan

If the bath fan in your home is more than 20 years old, chances are it’s pretty loud. A loud fan may be good for masking bathroom noise, but the jet engine roar is downright annoying the rest of the time. Worse yet, your old bath fan may not be moving enough air to keep your bathroom free of mold and mildew. Here’s how to fix a noisy bath fan.

Fix a Noisy Vent Hood Damper

Often, a stiff wind will open vent dampers, causing them to clang shut periodically. If the noise drives you crazy, new spring-loaded backdraft dampers should solve the problem. Measure the diameter of the vent pipe and order the dampers from a duct supply company.

Start by replacing the backdraft damper directly above the vent hood. If that doesn’t solve the problem, install a second damper near the wall or roof discharge cap. The second damper will greatly reduce the clanging problem.

Clink, Clink, Clink of the Ceiling Fan Chain

Even if a ceiling fan is perfectly balanced, the breeze from the fan can cause the pull chain to smack up against the light fixture. Solve this annoying noises problem by removing the chain and sliding a 1/4-in. plastic tube over it. You can buy the tubing at home centers.

Rattling Doors

A door rattles when there’s too much space between it and the door stop. Reducing or removing the gap can solve annoying noises like this.

Fix #1: Move the Stop

Here’s one solution: Knock the door stop flush with a hammer and a scrap piece of wood. If the stop is more than 1/16 in. out of whack, you may end up with a noticeable unfinished spot where the door stop used to be, especially on painted doors.

If the door regularly gets slammed shut, add a couple of brads or finish nails to the stop.

Fix #2: Bend the Strike Plate Tang

Many door strike plates have an adjustable tab or tang. Some of these tangs can be adjusted in place with a flathead screwdriver. Others need to be removed and adjusted with pliers or an adjustable wrench. The more you bend the tang toward the door, the farther the door has to travel before latching shut.

Fix #3: Fill the Gap with a Bumper

A simple fix for a noisy door is to install a cabinet door pad/bumper on the part of the door stop that contacts the door. Felt, cork or rubber will all work fine. Cabinet bumpers vary in thickness, so check out the size of the gap between the slab and the stop before you head to the home center. You’ll find the bumpers near the cabinet hardware.

Water Heater Gurgle

Popping or gurgling coming from your water heater is a sign of excessive sediment buildup in the tank. Annoying noises like this are caused by steam bubbles percolating up through the muck. On a gas water heater, the sediment creates hot spots that can damage the tank and cause premature failure. On an electric water heater, sediment buildup can cause the lower heating element to fail. So flushing offers a payback in lower energy bills and extended heater life.

Start by shutting the water heater down. Turn the breaker off, and turn the thermostat to “Pilot” if you have a gas model. Shut off the water supply to the appliance and let the water cool. Then, hook a hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Put the other end of the hose into a bucket and open the drain valve.

Dump the bucket outside so the sediment doesn’t clog your pipes. Keep draining until only clear water discharges. If the tank empties before the water turns clear, open the water valve and allow more water to enter to rinse it further. Once you’re done rinsing, close the drain valve, let the tank refill and turn the water heater back on.

Soffit Clatter

Most aluminum soffits fit into a channel mounted to the wall. Sometimes, the soffits fit loosely, which allows them to clatter in the wind. Set up a ladder and tap on the soffits to see which ones are loose. Next, insert a length of screen spline in between the soffit and the aluminum channel with a plastic putty knife.

The soffits may have been cut too short, so push the screen mold in far enough so it won’t be seen from the ground, but not so far that it slides past the end of the soffit. A package of 25 ft. of screen spline is available at hardware stores and home centers.

Gutter Drips

Is that dripping noise in your downspout forcing you to keep your bedroom window closed at night? Tie a synthetic rope onto one of the gutter hangers and run it down into the downspout. Drops of water will cling to the rope and flow down instead of plummeting the whole length of the downspout and causing that irritating drip.

Adding a rope restricts water flow, so this may not be the best option if your gutter is prone to overflowing or getting clogged easily.

Banging Cabinet Doors

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who shut cabinet doors and those who slam them. If you live with a door slammer, consider installing cabinet door dampeners. The piston in the dampener slows the door down before it makes contact with the cabinet.

The one shown here is adjustable and installs with one screw in less than five minutes. Your cabinets need to have self-closing hinges for the dampeners to work. You can buy a 10-pack at home centers and online.

Vibrating Washer and Dryer

Washers and dryers transfer vibrations to floors and telegraph noise throughout the house. The solution is to set their feet on rubber anti-vibration pads (available at some home centers and online).

Squeaky Door Hinge

Spray squeaky door hinges in place with a little all-purpose lube, silicone spray or dry Teflon spray. If the squeaks persist, remove the hinge pins and rub off any rust or corrosion with a steel wool pad. Then, coat the pins with lubricant before replacing them.

Banging Toilet Lid

Toilets are responsible for a whole lotta annoying noises. Slow-close toilet seats work great at stopping the ‘clank’ when lowering the toilet seat, but if you still hear the noise of the lid hitting the tank upon opening, here’s what you can do. Put a vinyl bumper on the lid of the toilet tank. A toilet seat with a slow-close lid and vinyl bumpers is available at home centers or online.

Sump Pump Drip, Drip

If there’s a dripping noise made by water falling from your drain tile into your sump basin, try this: Tie a string to the bottom edge of the drain tile pipe and extend it right into the basin. Attach a washer on the other end of the string and make sure it isn’t so long that the pump gobbles it up. Now, water will follow the string instead of dripping into the sump basin.

Jingling Dog Tags

If the constant jingling noise from your dog’s tags drives you crazy, try getting a dog tag silencer. They’re jackets for the dog tag that typically have Velcro straps. One will last about a year on an active dog. These silencers are available at pet stores and online.

Garage Door Rumble

A garage door in motion can produce all sorts of rumbling vibrations, which can easily migrate indoors, especially if there’s a living space above it. Here are a couple of quick and inexpensive fixes that will help reduce the rumble.

Fix 1: Install Anti-Vibration Pads. Cushion the connection between the opener and the framing with rubber pads. Use heavy-duty rubber washers, cut pads out of an old tire, or buy specially made rubber/cork antivibration pads. You’ll be adding about an inch in thickness, so you’ll need four longer lag screws and some fender washers.

Fix 2: Replace Metal Rollers with Nylon. Nylon rollers are quieter and, unlike metal rollers, don’t require periodic oiling. A 10-pack is available online or at garage door suppliers. To install them, lower the door and remove the hinges one at a time.

Beware: On some garage doors, the bottom roller brackets (closest to the ground when the door is closed) are attached to a cable and garage door springs. In this case, you should not remove the roller or bracket without the help of a knowledgeable professional. Removing these parts with the garage door closed could result in rapid discharge of the tension in the spring and any number of safety issues.

Whistling Duct Grilles

If your grille or register hums or whistles, all you have to do is twist the fins slightly until the noise stops. Pliers will scratch and kink the delicate fins, so use a hinge with strips of tape applied to the inside. Then, grab a fin between the hinge leaves and give it a twist. Twisting all the fins so they open a little wider will give the best results.

Noisy Pipes

Supply lines can vibrate when water is running through them, and the framing can amplify the vibrations. To fix the problem, isolate the pipes from the wall and floor framing with expanding foam. If you can reach the offending area, spray foam between the wood and the pipes.

If the area is sealed, drill a small hole and squirt in some expanding spray foam. Don’t overdo it, though; too much foam could literally bow out your drywall. Patch up the hole when you’re done, and touch it up with a little paint.

Popping Ducts

Ducts made from sheet metal can make a popping sound when the furnace kicks on, changing the air pressure inside the ducts. One simple fix is to reinforce the sheet metal by scoring it. Simply take a straightedge and score a large ‘X’ in the center of the sheet metal with a screwdriver. It may take a few X’s in a row to stop the pop.

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