Just moved house. Have poltergeists.

foxmaiden

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My partner and I just purchased our first home – an older home built just after WWII. The previous owners were a young couple with children who had only owned it briefly. They were pretty environmentally conscious and hadn’t used any pesticides in the garden which we liked and had invested in energy efficient and water saving windows and appliances all of which we appreciated. We also got a good deal because they wanted to sell it and move quickly – we bought it and took possession in three weeks! We don’t know much about who lived here before them.

Shortly after moving in we started to notice a few strange things. Doors started opening on their own. Even if they were firmly closed and latched and there was no air circulation or anything they would just swing open – all the interior doors and some of the cupboard doors do this regularly.

Then sometimes the shower just turns on and turns off again when no one is in the bathroom or sometimes when one of us is in the bathroom the shower will just start and then stop.

It must be a poltergeist, right?

Actually there are perfectly rational explanations. Once I figured them out and explained them to my partner she jokingly said, “I still prefer poltergeists.” – it is more interesting that way.

So, can anyone figure it out?
Everything in this post is perfectly true and most of the clues to the rational explanation are there.
 
Warped door frames, either caused by subsidence, damp or cowboy builders :p.
 
No raccoons : ), no cockroaches (yeach!!), door frames and doors are nice and square and hung straight (good hypothesis though).
 
There is a gigantic tree in the garden, and its roots are slowly but surely ruining the foundation of the house.
(I hope not)
 
Did they install those light activated auto-off water faucets? And automatic doors to minimize heat loss? Thermostats that sense when a room is empty and shut the doors and turn down the heat? That seems a little extreme for a residental home, though.
 
"They left one of their children behind!"

LOL.

Trees roots are not the problem - thank god! Everything is square and solidly built. The home has all the original carpentry and it is top notch. The inspector said the builders back then really took pride in their jobs and did things well.

And there are no automatice sensors or anything high tech in the house. It's an old house that needs some interior comsmetic renovations, but at least it's been freshly painted throughout. They only replaced the exterior windows and doors and put in low-flow applianced when they were making it more energy efficient.
 
I'd guess that the door latches aren't properly aligned w/ the striker plates, and the antiquated plumbing in the bathroom reacts to faucets opening up in the kitchen or a toilet flushing due to fluctuating water pressure.
 
Actually I'm erring towards poltergeist's at the moment. Just because you saw how the door swung once it doesn't mean it's not the restless dead the rest of the time.
Have you checked to see if there is an old Indian graveyard in the basement yet?
 
Do you have a pet of some type that can open doors?

Is your low-flow shower head clogged with mineral deposits? Do you have low water pressure?
 
The only other thing I can think of is air pressure. Parts of the house are so well insulated from one another that temperature and air pressure differentials push the doors open.

I don't know how this one could make the faucets run though. Changing the water temperature will definitely do something, but it shouldn't be able to force a faucet open.

If the water supply comes from a well and tank or some other not-so-reliable source, that might explain some of this.
 
Well, I think you should move. If you've gone through the house with a four-foot level and a two foot try square, and every single door is absolutely square and plumb, both when open and closed, then that house is not of this world.
 
Was one of the previous owners disabled? Or were their children? It sounds like the setup was designed to give convenience to someone who may not have been able to open the door or turn on the shower themselves.
 
I think you should invite TAPS to see what is "haunting" your home. That way I can find out the "real" cause when the episode airs instead of your reasonable/logical/sane explanation. :rolleyes:
 
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