October 2024
By: Josh Walejewski
Read Time: 3-4 Minutes
With Halloween around the corner, strange sights and sounds in your home might have you thinking it’s haunted. Flickering lights, creaky floors, cold drafts—spooky, right? But before you call in the Ghost Busters, you may want to consider more practical solutions.
Most often, those “haunted” symptoms are caused by everyday HVAC, electrical, or plumbing issues. But if you’re dealing with something truly supernatural, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with both common fixes and a few uncommon ones for those ghostly scenarios.
So grab your sage and a flashlight—let’s investigate the strange happenings in your home.
Flickering Lights: Poltergeist or Loose Wiring?
Flickering lights are classic horror-movie territory, but if your lights are pulsing unexpectedly, it’s more likely a sign of an electrical issue than a ghostly presence.
Common Causes:
- Loose or Damaged Wiring: This can cause intermittent power loss and flickering.
- Outdated Fixtures: Older fixtures might be failing and not sending consistent power to light fixtures.
- Wi-Fi/Smart Light Bulbs: Many smart, Wi-Fi enabled bulbs begin flashing to inform you it needs to be replaced.
- Electrical Overload: If you notice flickering when you turn on multiple appliances, your home’s electrical system could be struggling to keep up.
The Fix:
A licensed electrician can inspect your wiring and fixtures, identifying any loose connections or overloaded circuits. They can also upgrade your system to handle modern electrical needs, ‘exorcising’ those spooky flickers for good.
Uncommon Causes:
- Bad Location: Your home was built on an ancient burial ground.
- A Trapped Soul: The soul of a previous homeowner wasn’t quite ready to leave the world of the living and is bound or attached to something in your home, preventing it from moving on.
Uncommon Fixes:
- Change Locations: Move immediately.
- Declutter Your Home: Rid the home of old relics/items the spirit may be attached to by either burying it far away or burning it.
Spooky Sounds: Creaks, Bangs, and Bumps in the Night
Mysterious sounds coming from your basement or attic? While it might seem like your home is alive with ghostly whispers, these sounds are often caused by everyday household systems.
Common Causes:
- HVAC Noises: Strange clanking, banging, or hissing sounds often come from your heating or cooling system. These noises may indicate issues with ductwork, loose components, or a malfunctioning motor.
- Pipes: Water pipes can creak or bang due to changes in water pressure or thermal expansion as the pipes heat and cool.
- Settling or Structural Shifts: Houses naturally settle and dry out over time. Wood floorboards, beams, and even windows can creak or groan as they shift slightly.
Common Fixes:
- HVAC tune-up: A professional can inspect your HVAC system, tighten any loose parts, and fix those noisy ducts. Routine maintenance can silence those creepy clanks.
- Plumbing check: A plumber can check for pressure issues or install water hammer arrestors to prevent pipe noises. Wrapping water lines with pipe insulation can also help reduce spooky noises from your plumbing system and save energy.
- (DIY) Structural fixes: Minor adjustments like securing floorboards or installing insulation can help reduce structural noises.
Uncommon Causes:
- Hoodoo Voodoo: A haunted object (that creepy doll you found in the attic) is upset and making its presence known.
- Unfinished Business: A spirit with unfinished business is trying to communicate from another dimension.
Uncommon Fixes:
- Make Amends: Sincerely apologize to the haunted doll and return it to its rightful place/owner.
USER DISCRETION ADVISED: If all else fails, you could burn the doll and bury the ashes—but proceed with extreme caution. This method is unpredictable and could anger the doll even more, making things way worse.
- Communicate with the Other side: Perform a séance to ask the ghost to “keep it down, we’re trying to sleep.”
Creaky Floorboards: Haunted Hallways or Wear and Tear?
Creaking floors can sound like footsteps from beyond, but they’re more likely the result of normal wear and tear on your home.
Common Causes:
- Loose Floorboards: Over time, floorboards can become loose and rub against each other, causing creaks.
- Expansion and Contraction: Wood naturally expands and contracts with changes in humidity and temperature, leading to that spooky creaking sound.
Common Fixes:
- (DIY) Tighten or Replace Floorboards: Securing loose boards with nails or screws can quiet those spooky sounds.
- Humidity Control: Installing a whole-home humidifier and dehumidifier can help stabilize your home’s wood and reduce those spooky creaking sounds.
Uncommon Causes:
- A Mischievous Ghost: Perhaps the ghost has too much time on his hands and follows you around just to freak you out.
- An Other Worldly Portal: Your house is sitting on a portal to another dimension, and footsteps from the “other side” occasionally seep through.
Uncommon Fixes:
- Perform a Ritual: Carry a bundle of sage and perform a cleansing ritual while walking through the house.
- Salt Circles: Block the portal with a carefully placed salt circle—just don’t step inside it!
Unexplained Cold Rooms: Ghostly Presence or Poor Airflow?
If you have one room in your home that’s perpetually colder than the others, you might be tempted to believe it’s haunted by a ghostly apparition. But the real reason is likely an airflow/ductwork problem.
Common Causes:
- Zoning Issues: Homes with one thermostat controlling multiple areas may have inconsistent heating, especially if certain rooms get less airflow.
- Improperly Sized HVAC system: If your system is too large or small for your home, it may struggle to heat or cool rooms evenly.
- Poorly Designed Ductwork: Even the best HVAC equipment may struggle to adequately heat every room if the ductwork is not designed or balanced properly.
- Drafty Windows/Doors: Old or damaged windows might be letting cold air seep in from outside.
Common Fixes:
- Zoning System: Installing a zoned HVAC system allows you to control the temperature in different areas independently, solving uneven heating issues.
- System Upgrade: If your HVAC system isn’t the right size for your home, upgrading to a more efficient system can eliminate cold spots
- Ductwork Modifications: Existing ductwork can be modified to provide even airflow to every room in the home.
- Install a Ductless Heat Pump: Adding a ductless mini-split can address airflow issues in problematic rooms, creating year-round comfort
- Seal Windows: Consider investing in a window winterizing kit, caulking to seal cracks and gaps, or installing weather stripping to create a tighter seal
Uncommon Causes:
- The Spirit of an Overzealous HVAC Technician: A late tech who was a little too passionate about restoring customers’ air conditioning has returned to ensure things stay extra cool regardless of the time of year.
- A Forgotten Spell: Centuries ago, a powerful sorcerer cast a spell to keep their potion room cool, and the spell was never broke
- A Time Loop: The room is stuck in a time loop from a past frigid winter day.
Uncommon Fixes:
- Appease the Ghost HVAC Technician: Leave out a thank-you note acknowledging their professionalism and dedication to their craft, but kindly request they dial it back. If that doesn’t work, consider bargaining by offering to leave them a 5-star review on Google.
- Undo the Forgotten Spell: Consult an ancient grimoire for a counter-spell to undo the original enchantment.
- Break the Time Loop: You’ll likely need to create a paradox—perhaps by introducing something that couldn’t have existed in the past. A modern cold climate ductless heat pump should do the trick. Even if it doesn’t break the loop, it’ll keep the room warm!
Musty Smells: The Smell of Spirits or Hidden Mold?
That musty, stale smell you notice may evoke thoughts of an old, haunted mansion, but it’s more likely due to poor ventilation or hidden moisture problems.
Common Causes:
- Mold or Mildew: Mold thrives in damp, poorly ventilated areas like basements, crawl spaces, or bathrooms.
- HVAC System Odors: Mold can also develop in your HVAC system if condensation builds up in your ducts or air handler.
- Poor Ventilation: Homes that aren’t properly ventilated can trap moisture and odors, making them linger.
- Poor Humidity Control: Homes with excess humidity are prone to mold and mildew growth
Common Fixes:
- Mold Remediation: A professional can locate and remove mold, ensuring it doesn’t spread and cause health issues.
- HVAC Cleaning: Having your HVAC system cleaned regularly can help prevent mold buildup and keep your air fresh.
- Ventilation Improvements: Installing exhaust fans or improving ventilation in moisture-prone areas can prevent mold growth.
- Install a Whole-Home Dehumidifier: a high-capacity, whole-home dehumidifier can remedy problem spaces like basements, crawlspaces, and laundry rooms that are prone to humidity issues.
Uncommon Causes:
- A Forgotten Hex: Centuries ago, a witch cast a spell to curse your home with a permanent musty odor as revenge for a stolen flying broomstick.
- Accidental Beatle Juice Summoning: That musty, stale smell wafting through your house might be a side effect of Beetlejuice hanging around after an unintentional summoning.
Uncommon Fixes:
- Reverse the Hex: You’ll need to bake a pie (apple is preferred), leave it by the window, and mutter the words, “I return your broomstick,” while shaking a feather duster. This should please the witch, thus, lifting the curse.
- Say His Name 3-Fold: The most reliable way to get rid of Beetlejuice is to unsummon him by saying “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
Conclusion
While haunted houses make for fun Halloween stories, most of the spooky signs we notice in our homes ‘usually’ have logical, fixable causes. The expert team at Kettle Moraine Heating and Air Conditioning is here to help!
If something supernatural occurring, try some of our uncommon fixes. We wish you luck! Until next time, have a happy and extra spooky Halloween!
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About the Author
Josh Walejewski
Josh is a professional marketer who has worked in the HVAC industry since 2017. With a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree (B.A.A.S) in marketing and sustainable business management from the University of Wisconsin, he has a passion for all aspects of HVAC, business, marketing, and environmental stewardship.
