Noisy plumbing is something most homeowners in Stewartstown try to ignore. Until the noise keeps you from sleeping at night, you might ignore it. But there’s a reason for the noise, and you may need plumbing maintenance or repair. Find out why plumbing is making a knocking noise and learn how a professional can help you.
Strange Plumbing Noises
In a perfect world, your home would be silent. But your home is a noisy place, full of the sound of an AC humming and a running dishwasher. While some of the noises are normal, others are signs of trouble. The next time you hear a bizarre sound in your home, consider the cause.
Your plumbing could be the origin of your strange sounds. If you hear banging, hissing, or clanking noises coming from your walls or bathroom, you could have a plumbing problem. A gurgling sound is another indication of an issue. Out of all of the possible noises, a knocking sound is one of the most common. Therefore, you should understand the reasons for the banging and take action to fix it.
Usually, there are one of several reasons for noises coming from your plumbing. First, you could have a clog in your plumbing. This often makes a gurgling noise. Secondly, you might have an issue with your water heater. Finally, you could have high water pressure. Any one of these three issues requires a plumbing repair service.
The Cause of Your Knocking Noise
To determine the cause of your knocking noise, you should be able to describe the sound. Does it seem like a hammering noise or a steady banging? Does it happen when you turn on the water, or is it a steady sound? Even if you can’t figure out the cause of the knocking, you can explain it to your plumber. This helps them get a headstart on the repair.
With that said, you probably want to try to figure out the cause of the noise on your own. Here are a few reasons you could have knocking pipes:
High Water Pressure
If you hear a knocking or banging noise coming from your plumbing, you could have high water pressure. You might enjoy having showers with a powerful spray of water, but your high water pressure could be much higher than needed. In fact, water pressure that’s too high could cause damage to your plumbing.
In modern homes, there are pressure regulators to make sure the pressure of the water in your plumbing doesn’t get too high. The regulators are located where the water supply enters the home. If there’s an issue with high pressure coming from the city water, the regulator remedies the problem and decreases the pressure.
If you don’t have a regulator, you could be faced with high water pressure. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for this. You can call your plumber and ask them to install a regulator. In doing so, you protect your pipes from excess wear and tear. You also may save your appliances; dishwashers and washing machines can’t withstand excess water pressure. Typically, a water pressure of between 40 and 80 pounds per square inch is ideal.
Water Hammer
A water hammer is what happens when water is suddenly turned off and has nowhere to go. Because of the sudden stop, the water bangs into the shut-off valve and makes a loud noise. The noise is more than just annoying; it’s jarring to the joints and connections in your plumbing. If you don’t do anything about the water hammer, you could have a broken pipe.
To fix this issue, you need a plumber to inspect the pipes. They can check for loose or vibrating parts and take measures to secure them down. Additionally, a plumber will check the air chamber. The chamber is a vertical pipe close to a faucet, and it has the purpose of absorbing the shock from fast water. Over time, the chamber doesn’t work as well.
Your plumber can fix the air chamber by turning off the water supply to the home and allowing all water to drain from your faucets. Then, they turn the water supply back on and flush air out of the pipes. Air remains in the chamber, and it can effectively absorb the flow of water.
Copper Pipes
If your home has copper pipes, they could make a knocking sound every time you use hot water. Copper expands when it is exposed to heat, so your pipes may expand every time you run hot water. The expansion often results in the pipes rubbing against walls and nearby structural features.
Copper pipes won’t experience damage as they knock, but you probably don’t like the noise. If you’re remodeling your home, you can take the time to put padding around the pipes. However, there’s an easier fix. Go to your water heater and adjust the temperature a few degrees lower than the current setting. If the temperature is low enough, the pipes won’t expand and bang.
How to Handle Plumbing Noises
The next time you hear a noise coming from your bathroom, kitchen, or walls, pay attention to it. Is it a normal noise, or is something unusual happening? If you identify a strange sound early on, you can have a plumber repair the issue before it causes you stress.
Just think of all the trouble that comes with a burst pipe. If you ignore a banging caused by high water pressure, you could end up with a broken pipe. The water could leak into your home and cause significant property damage. Had you caught the water pressure issue before the leak occurred, you would only have a small repair bill.
Therefore, you should always listen to your plumbing and call for help when you hear odd sounds. An experienced plumber will be able to identify the cause of the banging and suggest a solution.
Call Us for Plumbing Maintenance and Service
Whether you need plumbing maintenance or service in Stewartstown, you can count on us at Reliability Home Services. Call us to learn more about what we can do for your plumbing.
