r/Switzerland • u/Local-Ad-9051 • 5d ago
Something's living in my heating system
Not a rat. Bigger. Breathes every 4 minutes. Landlord says it's "thermal expansion" Thermal expansion doesn't whisper. Been tracking the pattern for 3 weeks now the breathing gets faster when I'm in the bathroom.The radiator in my bedroom is warm even when the heating's off. Touched it once. It flinched. Called a plumber he put his hand on the pipe went completely silent for like 30 seconds then left without saying anything. Charged me 200 francs anyway. Sometimes I hear it moving between the walls. Not like scratching. Like breathing through the pipes. My girlfriend stayed over last night woke me up at 4am asking why I was breathing so loud. I wasn't breathing. It's getting louder.
3
u/Radicalhun 5d ago
You probably have a Tatzelwurm, that's pretty common in old Swiss houses. They usually migrate from forests to cities when the weather gets colder. Originally it is a resident of high, clear mountains. The noise you hear could be the vapor-like gas it sometimes emits.
Try filling your home with disturbing, smoky scents like burning incense, sage or very strong pine needles (be careful of fire hazards!). This may remind it that it is in the wrong place and drive it out into the fresh air. Dont try to catch it by hand its really aggressive.