What the fuck is going on with my cooker/fridge?

[Jumble Cashback]

Right, I'm not making this up okay, but either my fridge or my cooker has been making a loud banging noise at irregular intervals since some time last night.  At first I thought it was definitely the fridge, so I took everything out of it in case it was something carbonated inside it going mental from the cold, but that didn't help.  Then I switched it off at the wall, but that didn't help.  So I thought it must be the cooker, so I switched it off at the wall too.  No help.  The noises are definitely coming from that part of the kitchen and it's definitely something electrical because every time it bangs the lights flicker a bit.  I've turned off everything even remotely close to that part of the room at the wall and it's still happening.  The noises are like mini explosions and only happen once every 20 - 40 mins, but are very loud.  So much so that I can clearly hear it from my bedroom and that's not even the next room down.  I'm having to sleep with big, mad clumps of toilet paper in my ears, which only do so much to block out the noise.  So, unless Gozer the Gozerian has moved into my kitchen, what the fuck is going on?

[biggytitbo]

It's either a massive trapped rat, or its a poltergeist. Or its the poltergeist of a massive rat.

[CaledonianGonzo]

You might have some sort of bird trapped in your cooker chimney outlet.  Probably a golden eagle.

A golden eagle that can control electricity too, by the sound of it.

Try to capture it alive - it might be worth something.

[biniput]

It's possible that 2 main wires are getting too close together or maybe something has fallen between them. The result could be a charge build up that is discharging itself or something. Get the electrician in soon.

[biggytitbo]

It could be ball lightning, trapped in a pipe. Pipe lightning.

[Jumble Cashback]

I want to get someone in A.S.A.P., but I can't do that without calling the landlord first ('cos christ knows, I can't afford  to pay one) and the letting agency aren't open on the weekend so I've got to live with this fucking din for another night.  Uuuuurgghh.

[sproggy]

Sounds like a serious wiring problem.  Your consumer unit MCBs should be protecting you but sounds like there's a fault somewhere, try flicking the cooker one off first (it should have its own 32Amp and labelled 'cooker') until you can get an electrician out to fix the problem.

[Jumble Cashback]

They're both still off.  Won't be able to cook anything which is a pain in the ass, but it's worth it not to die in a massive explosion.

[small_world]

Just leave it on, with the banging, danger of fire and death, until you are about to go to bed. Then turn all of the fuses off. Apart from the upstairs lights, or whatever you'll absolutely need.
Should be fine. If not, just turn them all off. Peasy

[Saucer51]

When I was late teens my parents had a fridge that was kept in our tiny little larder, under a stone shelf. To get the fridge in and out of there took a lot of easing back and forth and it was jammed in tight. But over a course of a few months, the fridge kept defrosting. No problem, these things happen. Yet every time the fridge was eased out of it's troll-hole for examination, the plug would be out of the socket. The plug socket was in the wall at the back of the troll-hole. It would have been impossible for anyone to get their arm in the inch of space either side and reach all the way along to remove the plug without a huge amount of effort moving the fridge out first. I was always tempted to write this off as a poltergeist at work, but there must have been a simpler explanation. Funny, admittedly, to see my family's puzzled faces every time the unplugged fridge was pulled out.
The replacement fridge was fine.

[Jumble Cashback]

Turned out it was coming from under the floorboards under the fridge.  Big, fiery, sparky flash-bangs.  Mice had been chewing the wires.  Electrician sorted it out, but not before knocking my bookcase and having a whole bunch of special edition DVD box-sets fall on his back.  Including that metal Blade Runner one.  Just as well I'd taken down my complete Columbo or he'd have needed an ambulance.

[BlodwynPig]

I reckon it will be a mouse under the floorboards. Call an electrician.

[Serge]

The image of someone trapped under a massive DVD box-set is a strangely pleasing one.