Noises in your Plumbing
Noises in the Plumbing System
Every effort is made to reduce the noise of your plumbing system when it is installed and throughout its maintenance. There is usually a solution when noises around home occur; it is just matter if identifying the cause.
A large proportion of noises in the plumbing system are due to the water travelling at high velocity. Therefore, if you can reduce the water velocity, you can reduce the noise. When your water supply piping is installed or repaired, it is important to make it large enough to ensure an adequate supply of water and to reduce the noise.
The three main causes of complaint for plumbing noises are water hammer, whistling and chattering.
Water hammer is caused by thumping pipes when the water is abruptly turned off. It can happen on a normal tap, but is more common on pipes attached to a washing machine or dishwasher. In both of these machines, the valve is electrically operated by a solenoid valve.
Water hammer noises can be eradicated by the installation of an air chamber or short length of pipe in the wall where each supply pipe enters a plumbing fixture. When the valve closes, the moving water rushes up into the vertical pipe and compresses the air, so it slows down gradually. However, with a vertical pipe the bubble can get dissolved, in which case a rubber sealed system can be purchased.
In special cases, shock arrestors can be installed on the main supply line near the meter, or if possible, close to the source of the noise.
Water hammer can also be caused by:
Faulty stop-cock - stop-cocks can become faulty when the packing becomes loose and the jumpers wear out.
Faulty taps - again the packing can become loose and the jumpers wear out
Faulty ball valve in the cold water storage tank
It may seem inconvenient to try and access your pipes and work out the cause, but if water hammer is allowed to continue it can result in leaks in the piping, fixtures or tanks and general deterioration of the pipes.
The root cause of chattering noises can usually also be found at the pipes. Check if you have any loose piping or pipes that rub against any other metal projection.
Similar to the cause of water hammer, whistling is caused by the speed of water flowing through piping which is usually too small. The attachment of a pressure reducing valve will assist the whole plumbing system, though whistling occurs mostly at bends in the pipe.
Other Noises:
Other noises reported in plumbing are creaking sounds in walls or floors. This is caused by the expansion and contraction of heating and cooling pipes that are snugly fit. To remedy this, put some felt or lagging around the pipes. If the pipes are packed too tightly to allow this, put a small notch in the wood so they can expand.
Humming coming from the pipes will probably originate from the pump. This can be solved by fitting anti-vibration pump brackets. Also check the pipes however, as it may be due to too small water supply pipes, as is the case with water hammer.
If it is your boiler that that is making the noise, don’t just assume that they are natural boiler noises. If the flow of water is inadequate, this may cause a noisy boiler. Ensuring the correct water flow rate is particularly important in boilers attached to the wall.