The walls make noise. Do I have Gremlins or…..?
The pipes in your walls can be responsible for a variety of noises. Some of them are of little concern. Some of them are indications of a more serious problem. The first step is to identify the type of noise you hear.
- Ticking in the pipes-The ticking sound can actually be coming from a city or state faulty water meter. This ticking is basically harmless…unless the ticking sound is driving you crazy. In that case, you will need to call your water utility company and ask them to replace the meter.
- Hammering sound- Sometimes cleverly referred to as “water hammer [1].” There are several reasons for water hammer. When water is abruptly turned off, the flow of water coming to a sudden halt can cause the pipes to shift and make a loud noise. If your pipes are loose, the hammering sound may be escalated. Another cause could be if the pressure entering the home is greater than 80 lbs per square inch.
- Banging of the pipes-It could be that over the years the anchors that hold your pipe have worked loose…or maybe they weren’t correctly anchored initially. Generally, pipes should be anchored every 6 to 8 feet horizontally and 8 to 10 feet vertically. Improperly anchored pipes can result in a banging sound as the water pressure causes the pipes to bang together or bang against the anchors.
- Squeaking sound-the hot water pipes are the only pipes that are capable of a squeaking sound. The heat of the water causes the pipes to expand. These expanding pipes rubbing against the anchoring straps causes the squeaking sound.
If after reading this blog you are still not sure how to categorize the sound you are hearing…please give us a call. We’d be happy to help.