What Causes Creaking Drain Pipes?
Noisy pipes can be a nuisance and a distraction in a quiet home. Drain pipes especially can creak, groan, tick and rattle, and they can annoy you when the water is running or when it's not. These pipes may connect to your toilets, sinks, dishwasher or laundry tub. Your pipes may be creaking for a variety of reasons, and the noise does not necessarily signify unsafe or ineffective plumbing. Does this Spark an idea?
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Ticking
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If the noise in your drainage pipes is ticking, it may have to do with the temperature of the pipes and the water. If the pipes are ticking, it is likely because you are using hot water and the pipes are expanding. As the hot water flows, the expansion continues. When the expansion stops, the ticking will also stop. This may happen every time the pipes are used.
Rattling
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If your draining pipes are rattling, this can be due to an energy-saving device in your water heater. Called a nipple, this device might start rattling once you turn on the hot water. If this is not the cause, the rattling might be produced by one pipe touching or rubbing against another pipe, stud or bracket in your drainage system.
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Cracking
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If your drainage pipes make a cracking sound, this is likely due to the temperature of the pipes. The pipes may emit a cracking sound when they are cooling. If you've been using hot water, the pipes may have expanded. As they cool, they will contract, and this can produce cracking sounds. This is often the case with copper pipes; the noise can be largely alleviated by installing plastic pipes.
Whistling
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Whistling may also occur in your drainage pipes. This sound can result when sediment builds up in your pipes. With a buildup of sediment, less room remains in your pipes for water to flow through, and this will cause a whistling sound from the water. This problem can be alleviated by having your pipes cleared to remove the sediment.
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References
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