4 Common Causes of Noisy Water Pipes

From slow drains to structural damage, plumbing problems often come with a number of obvious signs. While noisy pipes may be easier to overlook, pipe noise can often indicate a hidden issue that you should not ignore. Knowing the common causes of noisy pipes can give you an idea of how serious the problem is so that you can call a plumber before your house needs more expensive repairs.

1. Excess Water Pressure

Low water pressure is a problem that is immediately annoying, but high water pressure can be a much bigger problem in the long term. High water pressure can damage your water heater and other appliances connected to your plumbing, and can lead to leaks and even bursting as it wears down your pipes over time. Excess pressure also leads to more wasted water every time you turn on a faucet.

Water hammer is the noise most frequently associated with excess water pressure. Water hammer is a loud bang that you will most often hear when you turn off a faucet. Most faucets have an air chamber under them that absorbs the shock of fast-moving water when the faucet is turned off. If the pressure is too high, the air won't be able to stop the water in time before it bangs against the shut-off valve.

2. Partial Blockages

When your pipes are clear, water should flow quickly and noiselessly down your drains. While a full blockage may prevent water from draining at all, a slow drain is usually an indicator of a partial blockage. You can also identify partial blockages by a gurgling noise as the water drains. This occurs because air in the pipes cannot move past the water quickly enough and bubbles back up through the drain.

If gurgling drains are ignored, the blockages they contain will worsen over time. This is especially problematic in main sewer lines and toilet drains. Complete blockages in these locations will cause wastewater to back up through every drain in your home, leading to water damage and a serious health risk for you and your family.

3. Worn Components

Your home's plumbing system has several possible points of failure that are exposed to constant wear from water erosion. Worn washers and joints can cause squealing and whistling sounds before the wear gets to the point that leaks occur. You should be especially mindful of these noises near appliances when they are running, as the washers in appliance inlet valves are particularly susceptible to wear.

A rattling sound behind your walls may be a sign of a component failure outside of the pipes themselves. This rattling can occur when fasteners holding the pipes in place have become loose, as the pipes will begin to rattle against the walls when they vibrate as water flows through them.

4. Heat Expansion

Your pipes are not immune to the temperature of the water that flows through them. Metal pipes, especially copper, will expand when exposed to hot water and contract when exposed to cold water. If your pipes are not insulated properly, pipe expansion can be enough to cause your pipes to scrape and rattle against studs, joists, and other structural fixtures in tight sections of your home's walls.

The easiest way to avoid noisy pipes caused by heat expansion is to lower the temperature of your water heater. Lowering your water heater temperature by 10 degrees may be enough to solve the problem, and will have the added benefit of improving the heater's energy efficiency by 3 to 5 percent. Insulating the noisy sections of your pipes is another effective solution.

Identifying the cause of your noisy pipes is easier if you know the relationship between the most common noises and plumbing problems. No matter what noises your pipes are making, Express Plumbing & Draincan pinpoint the issue and help you avoid costly repairs in the future!