Q: Recently, I’ve noticed my hot water heater making an unusual noise that I’ve never heard before, and I’m not sure if it’s serious. Why is mywater heater noisy, and should I be worried about it? A: ...

When I was a child and heard groans or creaks in the night, my mother would reassure me: “That’s just the house settling.” And it’s true that a house can make noises for harmless reasons, like when ...