Common Causes of Noisy Water Pipes

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Nothing quite matches the fear one feels when they hear a strange noise in their house—especially if that noise is coming from a drain or faucet. Although we’d like to never have to worry about our pipes, the reality is that they’ll eventually cause problems. To help you decipher exactly what might be going on, we’ve compiled this list of common causes of noisy water pipes.

Whistling Noises

If you start to hear a whistling noise coming from your pipes, it can be quite disconcerting. However, if you only hear it from one or two faucets, it could mean there’s a faulty part such as a washer or screw that you need to replace. On the other hand, whistling that comes from everywhere could mean a few things:

  • Your pressure regulator is off.
  • The valve of your main water supply is worn down.
  • There’s too much mineral buildup.

Call in an expert if you believe one of these could be the problem.

Banging Noises

A loud bang is never a fun thing to hear coming from your pipes. A number of issues could cause a loud banging sound. These include a “water hammer” forming from highly pressurized water in your pipes or oxygen being trapped inside of the pipe somewhere. You can fix these yourself sometimes by draining out your water lines, but a professional will be able to add any necessary hardware you may need.

Rattling Noises

A very common cause of noisy water pipes is when the pipes are hung up with fasteners. As the pipes expand and contract (which is very common with copper piping), they can come loose from the fasteners and start rattling in place, banging against the surrounding metal. If you can locate the noise’s source, you can refasten these pipes, but a plumber will be able to help you much more quickly if the noise seems to move around.

Humming Noises

You might have heard these noises and not even considered they might be a piping problem. Your pipes can begin to hum when the pressure inside them becomes way too high. This makes the water move through them extremely quickly. As the water moves, the pipes can vibrate, causing that humming sound you hear. Unless you can get to your system’s pressure gauge, you’re better off calling in a professional for this job as well.

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