Translating…
People scoff at the idea of haunted houses. Furniture moving on their own, ghostly appearances during late hours, disembodies moaning voices and rattling chains-the usual stories. These are the stories that were meant to scare off children into their beds-stories that are mostly superstition and folklore. In this modern day and age, surely those stories are just plain old stories, right?
Maybe, but then again, maybe not. You would be surprised at what bad plumbing can do to a house-enough to make it seem that the house was haunted by evil spirits thirsting for blood!
How Can Pipes Haunt a House?
What travels inside the series of pipes beneath the house is not just water. Air can also travel in pipes, and in some cases, pests like roaches and rats. All of these things produce sound when they rush to and from the pipes, and while most sounds are muffled by the miles-long distance of empty space between the pipes, some can carry through vents and drains.
Echoes can also play a part in creating that ghostly, disembodied moaning sound. The rush of air inside a hollow metal pipe can produce a variety of sounds, depending on the speed of the air passing through. A slower passage could produce a lower, dark-toned moan, while swiftly rushing hot air (as with the house’s radiator plumbing system) can produce a high-pitched, banshee-like scream.
The pitter-pattering of leaks coupled with the scurrying of rats’ feet can sometimes account for the eerie sound of rattling chains. If you think that it is quite farfetched, just imagine what a single, tinny drop of water on a metal surface could sound like if it was magnified by echoes after echoes throughout the underground pipes.
So, Haunted Houses Really ARE Just Stories
Like what was stated, maybe, but then again, maybe not. While it is true that some supernatural-seeming occurrences can be explained by science-and a simple understanding of how pipes work-it cannot be simply assumed that none of the other reported haunted houses are caused by otherworldly beings. You have to admit-no matter how bad the plumbing of a house can get, it cannot cause furniture to move on its own, or cause ladies in white gowns to appear in shadowy staircases during the full moon.
What this really comes down to, is that you should take into consideration that there are many possibilities around something. Oh, and that you should have your pipes regularly checked, just in case.