Is that a rocket, or just my fridge? Mysterious sounds in the home

What is that noise? Is it a nearby power plant, my refrigerator, or my belligerent neighbor? Am I the only one bothered by this? What is the best way to address these cases of mysterious and hard-to-detect residential noises?

Consultants regularly receive calls from people annoyed by a sound that can’t be easily identified. In their paper, published in Sound & Vibration and presented at Noise-Con 2016, Arno Bommer, Adam Young, and Edgar Olvera discuss cases in which the sound source was found . . . and cases in which it wasn’t. They also consider possible medical explanations. 

The paper offers recommendations on how consultants—and the people bothered by the noise!—can identify and address these mysterious sounds. So download "Mysterious and Annoying — Hard-to-Detect Residential Noises," and leave a comment below.

Are you bothered by a mysterious sound in your home? Share your experience here.