I awoke this morning to an annoying noise.  There was a chirping sound coming from somewhere.

I checked the bathroom.  Sounds were faint.  It could be a water leak. No leaks.

Next I searched the closet in the master bedroom that holds a gas water heater.  It's about 10'x10' and holds out-of-season clothing, old blankets, suitcases, and junk.  The water heater is in its own little closet in a closet, however.

I was successful in locating the chirp.  Hubby had put one of those carbon monoxide detectors in there and the battery was low.  I got it out and took the battery out and went about my business.

What's that??  More chirps, very faint but chirps. 

I went through the house and took all the smoke detectors down and checked the batteries.

More chirps!!  

At this point I must add that hubby is away on a squirrel hunting trip.  He's up in the woods with a bunch of red-neck buddies hunting squirrels. (I'm so sorry Nutsy!  Some distant relatives may die.  But they took golf clubs with them so the squirrel deaths will be negligible.)

I went up into the attic to make sure there were no battery-low detectors up there.  All was fine.

So I come back to the closet and stare at that stupid water heater which was making the chirping sounds.  How does a water heater make a chirping sound and why?  I look over it and under it and find a small leak at one of the valves. 

I googled "chirping water heater" and found that if it isn't used much, there might be settlement at the bottom.  As I said, the man who takes 45 minute showers is gone.  Water not used enough!  That's it!  I turned on the hot water full force to solve the problem.

Chirps are still coming!!

I called my plumber on his cell phone and told him the problem.  He says, "Well, Barbara, I don't believe I've ever heard of a water heater chirping."  Since it's Saturday I didn't ask him to rush over.

So I go back into the closet and start throwing things around in a fury.  I moved a stack of blankets and there was ANOTHER CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR!  Hubby had put two in there!  TWO!  He probably thought if we were to be safe, we'd be double safe, so he'd stuffed the second one behind a bunch of stuff.

It took me four hours to solve the mystery of the chirping water heater! 

So the plumber thinks I'm crazy.  I thought I was crazy.  And the two home inspectors, Steve Smith and Charles Buell, who have made me water heater paranoid almost got phone calls this morning. 

And just think what trouble my husband is going to be in when he comes home!!!!