Water flowing through your home's hot water pipes can cause a wide range of puzzling, disturbing or downright annoying sounds. Understanding the causes of common plumbing noises can help you quickly figure out the specific problem and head off potential water damage that can require expensive repairs.
Ticking and Creaking
Plumbing systems that use copper pipes frequently produce loud ticking noises. The sound occurs when hot water runs through cold metal pipes, causing the copper to expand and rub against any surrounding wood or metal. The ticking sound should cease once the pipes quit expanding. Copper pipes cool off and start contracting once hot water stops traveling through them. The contracting metal often produces creaking or cracking sounds. Richard Trethewey from the This Old House website suggests slightly lowering the temperature setting on your water heater to see if that helps control these particular noises. If not, wrapping insulation around the pipes should help muffle the sounds of expansion and contraction.
Popping and Rattling
Popping noises inside of water pipes can be caused by mineral buildup. The buildup creates a rough coating on the inside of the pipes, which results in the formation of air bubbles that burst and pop once the water heats up. Flushing your water heater periodically can help prevent mineral buildup and stop those popping sounds. Loosely attached water pipes sometimes vibrate due to the pressure caused by traveling water. Pipes that vibrate against solid objects can produce loud rattling sounds. You can often stop this noisy problem by simply securing the pipe with straps or adding cushioning around the pipes.
Banging and Clanging
A sudden banging or clanging throughout water pipes is frequently caused by a "water hammer," which occurs when a closed valve suddenly halts the flow of running water. The water's energy causes a hydraulic shock wave to travel through the pipe until it hits a solid obstacle with a loud bang. Turning the water on and off more slowly might be a simple solution to stopping water hammer noises. If the problem continues, you may need to having a licensed plumber install automatically controlled valves, which close only when the water stops flowing, or an air chamber, which absorbs the pressure of the water against the pipes once the water flow has been turned off.
Although the noises caused by expanding and contracting hot water pipes don't typically indicate future water leaks, you must pay attention to the other plumbing sounds and fix the problems promptly to avoid expensive and inconvenient repairs later on. For example, incorrectly installed pipes that vibrate or rub on their surroundings are under considerable strain and will eventually start leaking. A water hammer is a particularly destructive force that can damage your plumbing systems. The hydraulic shocks caused by water hammers can rupture pipes and water heaters, as well as damage valves, water meters, gauges and pressure regulators, notes the Plumbing and Drainage Institute.
- This Old House: Fixing Noisy Pipes
- Alabama State Water Program: Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) Result
- Plumber Washington DC: Noisy Pipes Indicate a Plumbing Malfunction
- National Drinking Water Clearinghouse: Water Hammer
- Plumbing & Drainage Institute: Water Hammer Arresters
- Bob Vila: How To-- Quiet Loud Pipes
- Popular Mechanics: How to Fix Noisy Water Pipes
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