You mostly tend to experience strange noises like creaks, bumps, clanks, and clinks in your house, especially during the night. Yes, you might ignore these noises. However, you should never ignore any banging noises emanating from the water pipes installed in your home. These noises can be an indication of serious plumbing problems. So, why are your water pipes noisy? How can you solve this problem? Let's see three major causes of noisy water pipes and how to solve the problems.
Water Hammer
When you suddenly turn off running water, the flowing liquid doesn't have anywhere to go; therefore, it smashes against the water shut-off valve. This produces a loud thudding sound, which we call a water hammer. This is a serious problem and can end up damaging the connections and joints of the affected water pipe. So, how can you address this problem?
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Check the air chamber. This is the vertical pipe that is located close to your faucet. It holds the pipes that connect to your tub or sink. The air chamber has air that absorbs any shock from water when you suddenly shut it off. However, when the chamber fills with water, it loses its effectiveness. Therefore, you need to check whether the chamber is in good condition.
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Consider installing water hammer arrestors. Water hammer arrestors are small devices that you can connect to the water pipe. These devices have a small spring, which acts as a shock absorber. The device diverts any water force when you suddenly turn off the water. Unlike the water chambers, these don't suffer from water clogs.
Copper Pipes
As we all know, copper is a very good heat conductor. When you have copper pipes that carry hot water in your house, the heat can easily pass to the pipes. When this happens, the hot copper water lines will start to expand and loudly rub against the hidden structural items in your home like joints, studs, support brackets, and others, when it begins to contract.
You can reduce the temperature setting in your water heater to fix this problem. However, copper pipes cannot break, even in the extreme cases of expansion and contraction. Unless you are remodeling your home, you don't need to demolish your walls to install foam insulation around the copper pipes.
High Water Pressure
High water pressure can also make your water pipes be noisy. In addition, high water pressure risks damaging your water-supplied appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. You can use a water pressure valve or regulator to control the water pressure in your house. If you don't have one installed, consider calling a professional plumber to install it.
Consider contacting a company that provides plumbing services, like All Rooter Inc., for more information or assistance.
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