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For the last 24 hours, there's been a constant high pitched sound coming from within my first floor bathroom wall. I've tried a few things and can't figure it out.

  1. We moved into our townhouse 2.5 years ago. It was built in 2001 and we have two neighbors that we share a wall with on either side of the house.
  2. Everyone in the house hears the high pitched sound.
  3. I located it on the first floor bathroom wall slightly lower than the electric outlet and light switch. This wall is not shared with either neighbor.
  4. I've turned off all electric breakers. Sound persists.
  5. I've turned off all water to the house and drained the pressure in the bathroom sink. Sound persists.
  6. Checked carbon monoxide alarm and water level alarm in the HVAC and water heater closet. Sound is not coming from either alarm.
  7. Checked at a couple hour intervals throughout the day and night for any signs of water but there isn't any sign.
  8. Called a handyman and he checked it out. He thought of two possibilities: insects or drain panel alarm. As we only have one thermostat, he said we shouldn't have a drain panel so ruled it out. Our area is a bit swampy so we do have a problem with spider or camel crickets entering our house.
  9. The handyman is coming over again today to see if he can see anything with a camera snake, apply some biodegradable pesticide, and patch a large hole behind our bathroom sink. The biodegradable pesticide should only affect insects and if it were insects, they would leave within an hour.

I personally don't believe it's insects because it's been a constant pitch for around 24 hours now but I'm completely stumped so we're willing to try it first. Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks!

Edit: Added recording: https://on.soundcloud.com/qrFNB

Mike
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  • Can you record the sound and post it here? – HandyHowie Jul 17 '23 at 12:31
  • Problem is the sound coming from that section of wall or is the wall acting like a funnel and amping the sound at that point. Constant pitch for that long sounds almost like a plank(noise maker) Most natural or house sounds should change during that time, even something like a failing bearing on a motor. – crip659 Jul 17 '23 at 12:31
  • Do both neighbors hear the sound too? – Huesmann Jul 17 '23 at 12:55
  • The neighbor that shares a wall with the bathroom came over to listen, then he went back to his house, and he said he doesn't hear anything. I haven't talked to the opposite neighbor about it. – Mike Jul 17 '23 at 13:44
  • What is the best way to record and post here? – Mike Jul 17 '23 at 13:44
  • Could there be something touching the wall from above or on the other side that could transmit the sound? I flipped all the electrical breakers off so it would have to be something that runs on battery? I changed the configuration of the rooms on the opposite side of the wall and above it on the second floor a few days ago. It could be that I moved something that's battery operated that's causing the sound near the wall. I'll take a look around the wall now – Mike Jul 17 '23 at 13:47
  • Most phones have a "sound recorder" app, but it can be hard to record certain sounds. Make sure everything else is totally silent if you try. The last high-pitched sound in my house was from a USB charger that was going bad, but you turned off all the power... – JPhi1618 Jul 17 '23 at 15:05
  • Ok, I've recorded it on my phone, it's a m4a file. Is there a way to upload it here? – Mike Jul 17 '23 at 17:43
  • Added recording to the original post. – Mike Jul 17 '23 at 18:03
  • Did you ever find the source of the noise? – Cheery Jul 27 '23 at 15:53

1 Answers1

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I heard the sound recording. I could be wrong, but it does not sound like animals. To me, it sounds like an oscillating appliance, e.g. a radon fan, which presumably would be shared by both houses in the condo, and not controlled by your service panel. Is there a third panel for the shared spaces in the townhouses? If there is one, you could coordinate with your neighbor to shut off all electricity in the building, and then checking if the noise persists.

It could also be an old fire alarm. Some of them sound the alarm when the batteries are almost drained, and if the battery is not replaced, the alarm slowly dies and makes a sound similar to what you recorded.

As others have mentioned, sounds can travel though the structure, and you might be hearing it located at a light switch because it's traveling through the stud bay or through the electrician's holes in framing.

Cheery
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