# noisy pipes



## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

I looked at a job today. every time you run water in this house when the water is shut off you here a noise and can feel the vibration if you have your hand on a pipe in the basement. its not a hammer but more like a low pitch squeek or errrrnt. I couldnt pin point it and the customer says it started about 2 months ago right after a new water heater was installed. prior to that water heater being replaced this never happened. Anyone have any ideas what could cause this?


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

Does the heater have water flexes or is it hard piped?


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

Any chance the p&t is leaking by? Some of ours are hard piped to the outside and could leak unnoticed.


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## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

its hard piped with dielectrics nothing out of the ordinary looks like a professional job. also I noticed the city approved the install so it was permitted.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

New water heater hotter and faster recovery than old one??? Explains for new expansion rate..


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## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

the p&t is piped down within 4 inches of the floor it did not appear to be leaking I thought it was strange that this noise happens when any faucet in the house was turned on and off didnt matter if it was the kitchen bathroom or laundry all of them same noise. really weird


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## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

I thought about expansion but there isnt any type of backflow protection on the house so that should be absorbed into the system i would think


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Install an expansion tank..

Water meter have any type of check on it?


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

Did you check the water pressure? 

If it has a Watts N45 prv, I would take a hard look at it. I replace alot of them because it sounds like a love sick cat howling everytime the water is turned on.


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

hawkeye77 said:


> I looked at a job today. every time you run water in this house when the water is shut off you here a noise and can feel the vibration if you have your hand on a pipe in the basement. its not a hammer but more like a low pitch squeek or errrrnt. I couldnt pin point it and the customer says it started about 2 months ago right after a new water heater was installed. prior to that water heater being replaced this never happened. Anyone have any ideas what could cause this?


*Had the problem a few times usually a Conbraco back flow was intalled and a ST-12 therm tank was installed. The Conbraco would squeel until the pressure would equalise in the ST-12 about 20 sec. Also happened with a Watts #7 a couple of times. Changing the back flow stopped it. *


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## cincy plumber (Jun 14, 2009)

Besides pressure check toilet fill valves.


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

It's probably not the water heater. This sounds like a bad PRV.

However,, heat traps can make noise. But not the one described.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

cincy plumber said:


> Besides pressure check toilet fill valves.


Those Korky fill valves can do some gawd awful mean thumping with a flapper leaking at the right rate....:yes:

I had a thumping pipes and pulsating pressure job where I changed 3 flappers in the home and their problem was solved....:laughing:


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## CaberTosser (Mar 7, 2013)

Redwood said:


> Those Korky fill valves can do some gawd awful mean thumping with a flapper leaking at the right rate....:yes:
> 
> I had a thumping pipes and pulsating pressure job where I changed 3 flappers in the home and their problem was solved....:laughing:


 I've had noise issues from toilet float valves where the copper piping would develop eerie harmonics, and fixed it with a new float valve or valves. I never experienced a noise from Korky valves though, I've yet to have an issue with them at all; they're my go-to float valve actually, that and the yellow silicone "Hornet" flappers.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

CaberTosser said:


> I've had noise issues from toilet float valves where the copper piping would develop eerie harmonics, and fixed it with a new float valve or valves. I never experienced a noise from Korky valves though, I've yet to have an issue with them at all; they're my go-to float valve actually, that and the yellow silicone "Hornet" flappers.


They have a fairly hard shut off and with the right leakage rate on the flapper they can get a really nice thump and pulsation resonating through the water supply...

The issue was not with the fill valve but was the leaking flappers on 3 toilets in the home....


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## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for the ideas. I am thinking that since this house does not have any type of backflow device on the system and that there isnt any type of prv or expansion tank, that the new water heater may have heat trap nipples causing the noise. I will give the customer a call and make an appointment to replace them with dielctric nipples and see if that solves the problem. I'll let you know the outcome thanks again.


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

I would also make sure all angle stops are fully open.


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## PathMaker (May 10, 2013)

Sometimes after changing a water heater, or opening the piping anywhere in the home, some debris, whether calcium build up or any other hard matter can get lodged into a shut off valve, or loosen the washer on an angle stop. When you re-pressurize the system the washer in the angle stop can vibrate causing a loud noise. Try isolating the shut offs one at a time to see when/if the noise stops.
Ive had this happen a few times.


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