I get a pretty loud thumping noise after I run the hot water, eg, after cleaning dishes. The thump occurs maybe once every 10 minutes. I've done a little Google-research, and I understand that the copper pipes are expanding, then contracting, and somewhere along the line they bang against a stud. That makes sense. That's sort of the sound I get. But I still have a few questions.

1. The thump continues hours after I've stopped running the water. Eg, I ran the sink at 5:00 and I still get a thump at 8:30. Not as frequent, but still there. Is this reasonable?

2. I don't know how long I've had this problem, but I don't think it was happening when I first bought the house some 20 years ago. Is there any chance it will just go away in a year or two?

3. My research convinced me that it can not be fixed, I should just live with it. Is that the opinion around here?