My home telephone makes a 'ding' noise in the middle of the night - does anyone know what causes this?

Question

It doesn't happen every night and sometimes happens a couple of times a night.

Answer 1

All lines are auto tested every night, some respond with a ping that is audible,. If you ring BT they will give you a free filter to put in your phone link that will stop the ping being heard in your home.

Answer 2

This can be caused by any problem between your phone and the exchange. If you have overhead telephone cables and the one to your house passes through the branches of a tree, it's possible that some of the insulation has rubbed away. Report it and BT will (eventually) check your cable.

If the ding is a nuisance - unplug the phone.

Answer 3

Its the telephone company doing whats called a polarity check.

It checks that the telephone line is working properly and that that you are not drawing any currnet from the line.

Answer 4

Same here! It seems to start ringing but then stops after about half a second...and only at night. I suppose it must be our type of phone that's the problem.

Answer 5

Do you have broadband and do you turn the router off when its not in use if so thats why. Its like a sort of test being sent from the broadband isp

Answer 6

Engineers testing the line.

Answer 7

could be the batteries need changing if not then call your provider and ask them to run a line test on the line may be a fault!!!

Answer 8

Sad to say it is just another darn machine that beeps at you. Like everyother machine these days. Beeping nuisance!

Answer 9

do you have sky tv ?
if so this could be due to them updating the system. at least that is what we have been told because our phone does the same thing.

Answer 10

That's when the government gets bored eavesdropping on you and finally hangs up.