What Is That Awful Noise Coming From My Water Pipes?

Suddenly your peaceful Saturday morning is interrupted by what sounds like a drum circle taking place in your bathroom. Upon closer inspection, you discover that the source of the racket seems to be inside the wall. The sound of clanging, banging pipes in the wall is not something anyone wants to hear. Here's what might be causing your noisy water pipe problem, and some potential solutions to fixing it.

Possible Causes of Water Pipe Noise

There are many potential reasons for pipe noises in the wall. Much depends on whether the problem started suddenly, or if it's been going on for as long as you can remember. If the sound has been around a while with no other symptoms (I.e., no leaks or loss of pressure), there may be a pipe inside that wall that is not properly attached or strapped down, or its strap has come loose. This is especially true if your house is older, as plumbing codes did not require bracing in the past.

If your water pressure is high or unregulated, pipes may also move inside the wall simply because the water is running. If the noise happens only when using hot water, it's likely that your water heater was installed without an air chamber between the water heater and the pipe that supplies hot water to the house. If the rattle is localized to a specific faucet, a worn washer may be to blame. Other possible causes are excessive water pressure, expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes, or air in the line causing the dreaded "water hammer," that alarming slamming sound when a valve is opened or closed.

Mitigating Water Pipe Noise

If pipes are not strapped properly inside the wall, you have two choices. You can open up the wall and add brackets to hold them in place, or you can try a quick fix using canned foam sprayed in through a small hole. If the lack of an air chamber is the problem, the repair will need a professional plumber to weld one in place. Switching out a faucet washer is generally a quick and easy fix, assuming there is not a lot of corrosion present. Overly high water pressure can be moderated by having a pressure regulator installed, again a job for a licensed plumber. If the clanging only happens when you flush a toilet, the fill valve might be bad. If so, replacing it will most likely solve the problem.

When to Call in a Professional for Noisy Pipes

If the problem is ongoing and there are no obvious leaks, you may think you have nothing to worry about but the obnoxious noise. This is a potentially dangerous assumption because the more a pipe rattles, the greater the chance that some portion of the piping or joints inside the wall will fail, causing a catastrophic event. Banging pipes, no matter how innocuous it may seem, are usually a symptom of a larger problem, especially if the problem starts suddenly.

The only person who can tell you for sure is a licensed plumbing contractor. DIY plumbing repairs are rarely a great idea, but especially so when the issue is behind a wall. Plumbers have specialized tools that can detect problems even in such places as walls and other difficult access areas. Once you know exactly what's going on, your plumber can offer cost effective recommendations for addressing the problem.



By Jillynn Stevens, Ph.D., MSW
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8657525