Noisy Pipes and Water Problems

Water hammer and loose brackets can cause noisy pipes.

Noisy pipes are one of the most common household plumbing complaints. There are many reasons that pipes can make noise, and nearly as many solutions to the problem. Fortunately, few noise problems are directly related to the quality of water. Rather, noise problems are typically caused by how water flows, where it goes and what its temperature is. Taking this into account, noisy pipe problems can be narrowed down to several categories.

Water Hammer

Water hammer is a loud banging noise that occurs when you use your plumbing, often following by a rattling sound as pipes recover. This effect occurs because fast-moving water in your pipes is pushing air in front of it. This air slams into pipes and valves, creating the noise that you hear. The problem is typically caused by air entering the system at the pump or through the pressure modification system.

Joints and Brackets

Noisy pipes can also be caused by old pipe joints and brackets. If your pipes are loose or if the brackets holding them to walls are old, they can start rattling every time you use them. This is one of the easiest problems to fix. Listen the next time your pipes start rattling to pinpoint the problem area, then look for loose pipes and replace or reattach them as needed.

Sediment

Sometimes the water flowing through pipes can make loud whistling noises. This sound is probably caused by dirty or hard water that is depositing sediment in the pipes. As the sediment grows, the pipes become constricted and can create whistling noises. If the whistling is only coming from area, a particular valve may be the culprit. Otherwise, consider buying new filters or a water softener to help mitigate the problem.

Cracking

If your pipes have small cracks in them, they can make cracking or groaning sounds with changes in temperature. When hot water flows through the pipes they expand slightly, but as they cool back down the cracks will contract and make noise. This problem occurs most often with older pipes. You may be able to solve the problem by using insulation on the affected pipes.

References

• A Plumbers: Noisy Pipes
• Benjamin Franklin: Noisy Water Pipes Are Common but Can Lead to Bigger Plumbing Problems