When 57-year-old Emma Reid started hearing bizarre noises in her Cardiff home, she initially thought it was her late father-in-law's spirit trying to communicate. But after enduring months of spooky whispers and groans, Emma and her daughter uncovered a scarier truth: a faulty boiler on the blink.
The creepy saga kicked off after the father-in-law's passing, as he used to stay in their home. One day, Emma's 12-year-old daughter got stuck outside when her key snapped in the lock.
When Emma arrived home and let her in, they smelt a strong gas odour. It turns out their cat had accidentally knocked the hob on by mistake. If Emma's daughter had gotten into the house and turned the switch on, things could have ended badly.
The strange occurrence made Emma think these weird happenings were her father-in-law's ghost giving them a heads-up. In the weeks after this close shave, eerie sounds – whispering, moaning, and banging – started to haunt the house, especially when Emma's daughter was on her own.
The racket was so freaky that even the family's cat wouldn't touch its dinner downstairs. Convinced it was the old man's spirit looking over them, they tried to get used to the unusual noises.
But what they believed to be supernatural turned out to be far more life-threatening, reports Wales Online. It turned out their boiler was leaking carbon monoxide, causing the noises they mistook for otherworldly signs.
"We were lucky," Emma Reid admitted. "What we thought was a ghost could have been a real threat to our safety."
Emma's tale is a stark warning about the perils of skimping on boiler checks, with the chillier days just around the corner. October is prime time for boilers to pack up.
Checkatrade reported a huge 76% surge in requests for boiler services from September to October last year. With Halloween on the horizon and the danger of breakdowns spiking, Checkatrade is urging homeowners to get their boilers sorted to avoid the deadly risks of carbon monoxide leaks.
Emma Grant, Head of Trade Experience at Checkatrade, said: "Emma's experience reminds us that sometimes the scariest things in our homes aren't ghosts, but faulty boilers. Many homeowners underestimate the importance of regular maintenance, which can prevent dangerous situations like gas leaks and carbon monoxide exposure.
"As we enter the peak season for boiler breakdowns, Checkatrade urges all homeowners to schedule a professional boiler service with a trusted tradesperson to ensure their safety during the colder months."
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