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Plumbing Q's & A's on Noisy Pipes Can't find a solution to your problem? Post a question in our Forums. Pipes rattling  Whenever the toilet is flushed in the upstairs bathroom, about 30 seconds later, the pipes rattle loudly. Does anybody know why this is happening and what can be done to fix it? Either replace the fill valve/ballcock/fluidmaster assembly or repair the shutoff valve...   Banging pipes  I have a small,one story home in the country. I have a boiler,new 3 years ago,deep well pump new 4 years ago,and a new Flotec pre-charged pressure tank 6 months old. Nothing has changed since. Advertisement Contact me to place your ad here Twice in the last month,if you shut the hot water tap off a little to quickly,the pipes will bang and shudder. You have to turn the water back on and shut it off very slowly. Thinking there might be a small leak somewhere,I checked for that and can't find a thing. It's almost like it may be sucking air someplace but I can't figure it out. It's never happened before in the 24 years I've lived here. Sounds like you have a bad washer in the handle of the hot faucet, a bad washer in the shutoff valve to the hot faucet, or your pressure tank is working SO well it is creating 'water hammer', or your water heater is creating too much pressure... Another thing you can try (this has worked for me).. There are air chambers on the supply lines to every faucet. They are columns of pipe which filled with air, cushion the sudden stoppage of flow. The one on you hot water line may be solid. If you can drain that section of pipe you can get air back in there to stop the water hammer. Shut off the hot water at the hot water heater and open all the hot water taps to drain the water out of them.. Then close all the taps and reopen the supply. This may solve the problem.   Sudden onset of banging pipes This past Wednesday, right after we went to bed, we heard a really loud banging for about 5 seconds that sounded like pipes.    Since then, when we've flushed the master bathroom toilet, within a few seconds, it shudders and vibrates. We haven't heard the banging again, though.    Does anyone have any idea what it could be? Should we call a plumber for service? Sounds like you need to change the ballcock, fluidmaster or fill valve in your toilet. OR you have a bad washer in the shutoff valve to the toilet.   Noisy bathroom sink pipes I recently changed my bathroom sink supply lines and waste pipes that ran into the floor and put them into the wall. The problem is that when you run the water in the sink for a few minutes and then turn the water off, you hear a loud gurgling sound and then a few seconds of dripping coming from the waste pipe before the sound stops. Now I used made sure that the pipes in the wall run at a slight angle toward the floor, but I can't figure out why I can't get rid of the noise. Can you help? Did you install the vent line as close as possible to the sink? If the vent line is too far from the sink down the line that slopes away, it will probably be causing the gurgling sound. Pressure regulator Noise?? We just replaced our pressure regulator and now when we use any water, our pipes squeal very loudly. The sound seems to come directly from where the regulator is located.  Any suggestions on how to correct this??? I assume you mean a whole house pressure reducing valve? If you do not already know, these are adjustable by a small set screw on top. If you have it adjusted all the way down (lowest pressure) you may be creating a problem known as cavitation. Cavitation happens when the water in a large diameter pipe must suddenly go through a smaller orifice. The result is a loud squealing noise. To correct, turn water on and adjust the set screw out until squeal disappears. If it does not you may have a faulty pressure reducing valve. Alternatively, if you have a shutoff valve prior to or after the pressure reducing valve, and they are of the washer variety, check them for a bad washer and makes sure they are open all the way. If you can narrow it down to a watered valve and changing washers does not help, replace them with a ball valve.

Very NOISY Pipes

We have a problem in our house which I hope someone can answer. When ever the toilet flushes or you turn the tap on - while someone is showering or using water somewhere else (outside, etc.) there is a very load groaning/vibrating sound coming from the water pipes(mainly the hot water line.) Any suggestions as to why and how I can fix?

Try this...
When the noise is occurring, lift the lid off the back of the toilet and fully open and or shut the fill valve. I think that the fill valves often shudder and cause a hammer all through the pipes. If it stops when you have it full open or full shut, that is your problem.. Replace the tank's fill valve.

Humming Sound in Pipes!

Our house is approximately 20 years old, located in the country so we have a well with an electric above ground pump and a septic system.
Recently we have been awakened at night due to this terrible loud humming noise. We think it is coming from the bathroom, around the toilet and shower area. All drains are working and the water pressure hasn't changed. What could this be? Who should we call to check it?

Before you call anyone, try this first. When it is humming, take the lid off the back of the toilet and pull up on the float and then push it down...
If that stops the humming you may need to just replace that fill valve. They often vibrate when they get old and feeble, and the sound since it is travelling through all those pipes can get quite loud.

Noisy kitchen faucet

Help! I'm at my wits end... I have a kitchen faucet that "clunks" almost every time I turn on the water (mostly the hot water side). It is a Delta type single handle design. I have done the following things to remedy the problem to no avail
1. Changed all the washers/cam/seals etc in the faucet.
2. adjusted the water pressure
3. Drained and refilled the system to try and fix any air problems
4. anchored/secured loose pipes that could be the source.
This faucet has a spray nozzle accessory as well.

I'm guessing the problem isn't with the faucet, but with the water pipes below it. Try tying down the water pipes. This should keep them from banging around when the faucet is turned on. If this does not work the next thing to do is most likely to replace the faucet, my plumber tells me two things
(1) most faucets last approximately 15 years and
(2) Delta faucet's are excellent.

Noisy Pipes

Very time I turn on the water or flush the toilet the pipes will rumble and noisy for a few second. How can I get this fixed??

Believe it or not, the most common cause of this is a weak or worn toilet fill valve. Since they sort of sit there with only a little pressure holding them shut, changes in pressure can make them leak by and cause that noise.
Replace that valve (a relatively cheap part sold in most hardware stores) and you should be all set.

Loud Banking Pipes! Help!

We built our home almost 5 years ago, never have our pipes made this loud clanging vibration noise before. I notice it when I use the water (usually hot that I've noticed) when I turn the water off, approx. 15 seconds later the loud noise starts. I run over and turn the water back on for a couple of seconds and the clanging/rattling ceases. This is really beginning to irritate everyone in the home. What could be causing this? Doesn't seem to be air in the pipe as I first thought, and after reading the posted messages. Please help us!

A couple of things could be happening. You could have a loose washer on in a valve of faucet somewhere in the lines. Or one of the hot water pipes is touching another pipe of hard surface.

Also, the energy saving nipples that screws into the top of the hot water tank have a check ball that can rattle when any hot water faucet is turned on.

Finally, check to see that your water pressure is not too high for the house. You should have a pressure-reducing valve at the main water shut off for the house. Try lowering the pressure if none of the above is the problem.

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