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Angela Smith · Apr 29, 2009, 01:41 PM

Home is about 35 years old, changed to refrigerated air last summer since than our house is constantly creeking from the ceiling. At nights it is so loud it will wake me up from my sleep. It also happens all day every day at least 3 or 4 times per hour. Any ideas??

ballengerb1 · Apr 29, 2009, 01:44 PM

Old houses often creek and moan but 35 years isn't that old. If it was constructed properly I would not think the house would be shifting. Interesting term, you do mean central air conditioning , right? The humidity in the house may be low and that can cause more noises. Where do you live?

Angela Smith · Apr 30, 2009, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Old houses often creek and moan but 35 years isn't that old. If it was constructed properly I would not think the house would be shifting. Interesting term, you do mean central air conditioning , right? The humidity in the house may be low and that can cause more noises. Where do you live?

Thanks for responding, I live in Southern New Mexico. The house did creek before the swamp cooler was changed to refrigerated central air conditioning but nothing like the creeking that is happening now. Any ideas?!

ballengerb1 · Apr 30, 2009, 02:27 PM

On the next windy day go into your attic with a flashliught and see if you can see or feel the creeking lumber. I assumed the house creeks more in the wind, right?

hkstroud · Apr 30, 2009, 11:13 PM

You said you had a swamp cooler before. I am not very familiar with these. Does this describe what you had?

A swamp cooler (more formally called an evaporative cooler) is essentially a large box-like frame containing a big fan and walled in by water-wetted pads, usually made of cedar shavings or cellulose. The fan whooshes the hot outside air through the dripping pads (which are continually soaked by a water pump), cooling the air by about 20 ºF as the air evaporates water molecules from the pads. The fan then blows the water-cooled air through the house and out a deliberate vent.

If so, that type of system would tend to put moisture in the house which would be absorbed by the wood. The new refrigerant system would do just the opposite, tend to remove moisture from the house. As moisture is removed from the wood it will move or shrink, hence the popping and cracking.

It will stop in time.