If you’re sitting in your home listening to strange noises coming from all over your house, it could be your plumbing pipes making noise. Perhaps you’re listening to a gurgling sound coming from the kitchen or a rattling sound coming from down the hall. These sounds could be a sign of a problem with your plumbing system.
Water hammer is a term used to describe the knocking or banging sound made when a water valve is closed suddenly, changing the water flow. As the water flows towards the valve, the pressure and momentum create a banging noise when the valve suddenly shuts, causing your pipes to vibrate and make noise. This may seem harmless, but water hammer can lead to leaks and joint damage in your pipes.
Luckily, fixing a water hammer is usually pretty simple and just requires installing water hammer arrestors. Your plumber will place them near major valves to help absorb the shock of the water when it suddenly stops or changes direction. Sometimes a pressure-reducing valve is also required to reduce the water pressure in the pipes, subsequently reducing the knocking sound when the water hits a closed valve.
A banging sound could also be caused by trapped oxygen in your pipes. If this is the case, you’ll hear the sound when you turn on a faucet and it may be accompanied by a bubbling noise as the air moves up the chamber. To fix this, you can simply shut off the water supply and open every faucet in your home, then turn the main water supply back on for a few minutes to let the air release.
If you hear squeaking or squealing it could be due to small plumbing pipe components becoming loose, such as washers or aerators. If this is the case, the sound will be confined to a specific plumbing fixture and requires the part to be replaced. Sometimes pipes are hung with fasteners and if one of the fasteners becomes loose or comes off, then the part can begin moving as water passes through it resulting in shaking or rattling sounds. Properly refastening the pipe should fix the problem.
Many people believe that a commercial drain cleaner can solve their issue, but in reality, they don’t really work and they actually contain harmful chemicals that can damage your pipes further and create future issues down the line. The best option is to remove the clog by snaking the pipes.
