Sounds Your Plumbing Makes and What They Mean
Many people push plumbing issues off for a later day until the issue becomes an emergency. Your plumbing system is designed to be relatively quiet but sometimes you might start hearing noises. Here are some suggestions on what they could mean.
Rumbling
Many plumbers associate rumbling sounds with a water heater issue. The water inside the tank may begin to boil and rumble if dirt and other sediments accumulate at the bottom. Our technicians fix this by draining some of the water in the bottom of the heater to clean it out.
Banging
Banging sounds come from loose piping or heavy water flow, pipes should always be secured in place. This banging sound could also be created by high water pressure. Water pressure in your home should stay around 50 PSI (pounds per square inch) and should not go over 80 PSI. We advise homeowners to let us repair issues with high water pressure immediately because prolonged high water pressure can damage your nice appliances.
Thunking, or Rattling
If your piping system begins to thunk or rattle, you may have what is called a water hammer, on your hands. Water hammers happen when the direction of water flow suddenly shifts after an appliance, like a dishwasher, is used. This sudden shift can cause pipes to collapse. Our plumbers will fix this water hammer by installing air chambers throughout your home’s plumbing system. This prohibits the water from changing direction when it approaches the wall of a pipe. We might also install a water hammer arrestor, which is a device that attaches to the pipe and contains a shock absorber that can reroute the flow of water when faucets are shut off.
Screeching and Whining
You may have built-up pressure inside your pipes that needs to be released. If you hear this coming from a water heater it could mean a few different things such as a crack in the tank, the valve is loose, or the TPR (Temperature Pressure Release) valve is just doing its job. The first two items may require a plumber to come out for a service call, but the latter means everything is just fine.
If you hear strange noises coming from your plumbing system, you might be tempted to just wait for the problem to go away, but your best bet is to find the root of the issue and repair it. Air Design has plumbers available 24/7 to help you with any of the above issues.