 | Richard Tade
is President and owner of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Wichita, a repair/remodel plumbing company formerly known as C. Lee Tade Plumbing, which has been serving Wichita since 1950. Water heaters, gas lines, garbage disposals, toilets, faucets, drain cleaning, water services, drain lines and whole-house repiping are some of the services offered by Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, where all plumbers are licensed, have passed criminal back ground checks and are randomly screened for drugs. Richard can be reached at (316) 265-1776, or email at: plumber@tade.com |
Plumbing
2002-04-01 13:45:00
Noisy pipes?
Question: What causes noisy pipes and what can I do about it?
Answer: Noisy pipes can be caused by several factors. Let's start with what is commonly known as ‘water hammer’. Water hammer is a destructive force that can damage residential or commercial plumbing systems. Not only is "noisy plumbing" an annoyance, but shock forces due to water hammer can rupture copper supply lines or cause joints to leak. Water rushing through the pipe and out the faucet moves with speed and force. When you shut off the faucet, the water flow is brought to an abrupt halt. This abrupt halt is what causes water hammer.Pumps, valves, faucets, toilets, and solenoid-activated valves, as commonly found in washing machines and dishwashers, are all examples of devices that can induce water hammer within a plumbing system. Water hammer can result in noisy, banging sounds as pipes rattle and expand to absorb the pressure wave. If left unchecked, water hammer can damage pipes, valves and eventually weaken joints. Failure to properly address water hammer can yield the following dangers:• Broken water pipes• Leaking connections• Pipe vibration and noise• Loosened pipe hangers and supports• Damage to or premature failure of washer & dishwasher solenoid valves, water heaters and toilet fill valves. Traditionally, the solution to water hammer has been to install pipe risers inside the wall at each faucet or valve junction. In theory, the risers would trap air as the plumbing system is first filled with water. The column of air acts as a natural damper, compressing as it absorbs residual shock waves from a sudden change in the water flow. Their are two problems associated with pipe risers. First of all, they eventually fail due to water logging and secondly, studies have found they could be a possible breading ground for bacteria and other muck, which could possibly contaminate the whole house water supply causing unexplained illness. The best solution to water hammer is proper pipe sizing and water hammer arresters.Another cause of plumbing noise is a loose pipe under the house or in the walls. Water pipes are usually attached to the floor joists or vertical studs in the walls. If your water lines are visible, either in the basement or crawl space, have someone turn a faucet on and off real quick while you observe the water lines. If the problem is caused by an improperly secured pipe, you might be able to find the source by listening and looking.Whistling or squealing in pipes is often caused by a worn out or loose washer in a faucet or valve. A loose washer acts like a reed on a saxophone. When the water flows past the washer, it vibrates very rapidly causing the whistling or squealing. If the problem washer is in a faucet, it should be easy to find. It will only whistle or squeal when the faucet is turned on. Other places to find a problem washer could be in the house main water supply shut off valve, the washing machine shut off valves and certain toilet fill valves use washers too. Depending on the style and age of the toilet fill valve, your might be able to repair it. If not, replace it with a new fill valve.
