Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

I had my bathroom refurbished about 5 years ago. All is well, except for
one new thing that started last night.

When I run the hot water, the pipes apparently start to shift in the wall.
This has not happened prior to last night. It is loud. It sounds like
the joists are being pried apart while the water gets hotter, and a very
loud drip while it is cooling down. When the water cools in the pipes, the
sounds stop.

Should I worry?

Thanks.

Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

"H" wrote in message
news:ExR%f.19$JY5.4@trnddc01...
I had my bathroom refurbished about 5 years ago. All is well, except for
one new thing that started last night.

When I run the hot water, the pipes apparently start to shift in the wall.
This has not happened prior to last night. It is loud. It sounds like
the joists are being pried apart while the water gets hotter, and a very
loud drip while it is cooling down. When the water cools in the pipes, the
sounds stop.

Should I worry?

Thanks.



Do you have a pressure regulator somewhere along the incoming pipe? Might be
going bad. Call your water authority. Sometimes they'll stop by and test the
pressure at no charge. It should be tested before AND after the regulator.

Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"H" wrote in message
news:ExR%f.19$JY5.4@trnddc01...
I had my bathroom refurbished about 5 years ago. All is well, except for
one new thing that started last night.

When I run the hot water, the pipes apparently start to shift in the
wall. This has not happened prior to last night. It is loud. It
sounds like the joists are being pried apart while the water gets hotter,
and a very loud drip while it is cooling down. When the water cools in
the pipes, the sounds stop.

Should I worry?

Thanks.



Do you have a pressure regulator somewhere along the incoming pipe? Might
be going bad. Call your water authority. Sometimes they'll stop by and
test the pressure at no charge. It should be tested before AND after the
regulator.


No pressure regulator, but this isn't a water knock. It's just creaking.
Loudly.

Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

"H" wrote in message
news:ExR%f.19$JY5.4@trnddc01...
I had my bathroom refurbished about 5 years ago. All is well, except for
one new thing that started last night.

When I run the hot water, the pipes apparently start to shift in the wall.
This has not happened prior to last night. It is loud. It sounds like
the joists are being pried apart while the water gets hotter, and a very
loud drip while it is cooling down. When the water cools in the pipes, the
sounds stop.

Should I worry?

Thanks.


This is a common occurance when the pipes are secured to the studs using
only brackets. The expansion of the pipe causes it to slip along these
fastners. A good install uses plastic isolation hangers to avoid this
noise. A shame the plumber didn't spend the extra $20 or so it would have
cost to use these hangers.

It is generally not a sign of impending failure. Why suddenly, perhaps one
bracket was acting as an anchor and it finally gave up.

Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

"H" wrote in message
news:ExR%f.19$JY5.4@trnddc01...
I had my bathroom refurbished about 5 years ago. All is well, except for
one new thing that started last night.

When I run the hot water, the pipes apparently start to shift in the wall.
This has not happened prior to last night. It is loud. It sounds like
the joists are being pried apart while the water gets hotter, and a very
loud drip while it is cooling down. When the water cools in the pipes, the
sounds stop.

Should I worry?

Thanks.
Try the simple fix first. Shut off the water to the house. then
open all the fixtures and hose bibs drain all the water out of the system.
Refill the system and see what happens. the usually pipe air chambers into
the system. in time the water absorbs the air so you have no cushion
anymore.Try that might help may not cost nothing. Can you describe the
dripping sound better? also when you hear the dripping see if the sound is
coming from the hot water tank.

Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

Sounds like your plumber did not put air dampeners into your pipes,
which are risers teed of your line so that air can absorb the
vibrations and knocks.

Besides being annoying, it's probably not a huge deal. Except that if
he missed putting in these risers, what else did he miss? If you can
access the back of the plumbing through a closet or something
convenient, you can look at it and fix it.

good luck,
tim1198

Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

"tim1198" wrote in message
ups.com...
Sounds like your plumber did not put air dampeners into your pipes,
which are risers teed of your line so that air can absorb the
vibrations and knocks.

Besides being annoying, it's probably not a huge deal. Except that if
he missed putting in these risers, what else did he miss? If you can
access the back of the plumbing through a closet or something
convenient, you can look at it and fix it.

good luck,
tim1198


Thanks to all, but to reiterate: it's not the knock that occurs when the
water is turned off. It's creaking that occurs when hot water heats up the
pipes.

Sounds like it's just something I'll have to accept.

Noisy pipes -- should I worry?
 

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone actually READS the original messages..
JEEEZE....

If you can access the pipes, and can make the holes they run through bigger
that will help. If you can't make them bigger, then a lubricant appropriate
for the material will help.

--
Steve Barker



"H" wrote in message
news:mvu0g.3390$oQ2.3355@trnddc05...

Thanks to all, but to reiterate: it's not the knock that occurs when the
water is turned off. It's creaking that occurs when hot water heats up
the pipes.

Sounds like it's just something I'll have to accept.