Does your home or office suffer from noisy pipes? While different noises can come from your plumbing system, and no system will ever be completely silent, if you mainly hear the sound when you turn on the water, the pipes are probably loose somewhere and hitting against something.
Banging pipes are much easier to fix when they are visible, but in most cases pipes are located in the walls. To find the source of the noise, you should follow these steps.
Go to each faucet, turn on the water and look for any movement or shaking. If you find movement, place padding or foam insulation at each end where the pipe comes out of the wall or goes under the home or business. This added insulation should stop the noise.
Unfortunately, the noise may continue, and you may need to go under the house or access pipes behind walls. You may need to examine them to make sure the U-clamp, or strap holding the pipe, is not loose, allowing the pipe to hit the wall.
To eliminate the noise, you will need to strap the pipe back down and add some insulation between the wall and the pipe. This can include a piece of rubber, foam, or anything that will not wear down with the movement of the pipe when the water is turned on.
As you anchor or strap your pipes down, it is important to remember to allow for some movement. Pressure and temperature changes will cause pipes to expand and contract, and you do not want to cause a pipe to break because it is secured too tightly.
Should the knocking sound only happen when you turn on the hot water, then you only need to turn down your hot water heater, as it is set too high.
Additionally, if the banging sound is happening at an older home or business, check to make sure you have a water-pressure regulator and make sure your water pressure is not set too high. High water pressure is wasteful and can also cause damage to your appliances, including dishwashers, icemakers, washing machines, and other water-supplied appliances.
If problems persist after you’ve taken these steps, contact Drain King for assistance.
