# humming water lines



## maxtheplumber (Feb 21, 2009)

can anyone help with any information? I am currently dealing with a residential home where the pipes are humming throughout the house. the humming or vibrating is coming mainly from around the water heater but you can pretty much hear it in the whole house. 

the pipes will humm when the water is or isnt in use. out of the blue it will start doing it. i have replaced the nipples at the water heater thinking the little balls in the nipples were causing the problem. this did not fix it. The water pressure is about 80 PSI and there is a regulator there. When i first encountered the problem last week there was an older regulator and i replaced it thinking it had gone bad but the problem persisted. This house4 is also located in southern california.

i would really apreciate any help or advice regarding this matter.

thank you very much

max


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## U&I Plumber (Feb 15, 2009)

It would be in your best interest to post in the introduction section and give us a bit of history on you, the answers will be more forthcoming after that.


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, the members here will be more than happy to assist you, but they like to know a little something about whom they are talking to first. Please tell us a bit about your self and your history here:

http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/

Once we get to know you there may be some people here who have the answer you seek. 

Thanks!


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

maxtheplumber said:


> .... This house4 is also located in southern california.
> 
> i would really apreciate any help or advice regarding this matter.thank you very much max


That's the problem right there. Move the _ing house out of Southern California (or southern california, whichever you live in) and no more problem.


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## U&I Plumber (Feb 15, 2009)

:whistling2:

It'll only get better from here... 




Some of these guys haven't yelled at a handyman in several hours man they is chompin at the bit...

:furious:


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Lets hold off on the sarcasm until we hear from him.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Bill, a first year could figure that out.

Besides, its too cold to play outside and the phone hasn't rung...yet.


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

I know, but lets not judge too quickly, I sent him a pm asking him to post an intro, so............


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

What tune are they humming?


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## U&I Plumber (Feb 15, 2009)

I'm thinking they was humming something from Iron Maiden along the lines of "Run to the Hills" cause he is *GONE.*

*Slapping a name on it doesn't make it so :no:*


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

BTW, he did post an intro.

http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/hello-plumbers-2401/


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

maxtheplumber said:


> can anyone help with any information? I am currently dealing with a residential home where the pipes are humming throughout the house. the humming or vibrating is coming mainly from around the water heater but you can pretty much hear it in the whole house.
> 
> the pipes will humm when the water is or isnt in use. out of the blue it will start doing it. i have replaced the nipples at the water heater thinking the little balls in the nipples were causing the problem. this did not fix it. The water pressure is about 80 PSI and there is a regulator there. When i first encountered the problem last week there was an older regulator and i replaced it thinking it had gone bad but the problem persisted. This house4 is also located in southern california.
> 
> ...


You know for a fact there is no timed recirc on the lines?


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## PLUMB TIME (Feb 2, 2009)

What about water temp? To high and may create steam.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Is there a hot water re circ on the line?

If so you may want to check the pump cartridge.......


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## U&I Plumber (Feb 15, 2009)

We need more info, I would look into cranking the pressure down to 55 psi to start, also how old is the house, how long has it been a problem, if there is no circ pump look to the fill valves in the toilets and check to see that they are not leaking by as this could be an issue especially with the water pressure you claim.


You say that it makes the noise even when there is no water running? have you confirmed this by turning the water off at the meter?


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Sounds like pump to me


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Sounds like water seeping past a valve somwhere, toilet ia one culprit


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

maybe, but that would be a huge 'seep' if you could hear it through the whole house......then again with copper that could ring true, pex probably would be quite ........


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

I have had a toilet valve flutter so bad it echoed through the lines.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

were they copper or pex lines.......the echoing ones?


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Yes, always on copper, never heard it with pex. I think because pex is so flexible it dont transmit vibrations as well


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Yea, pex is thicker for sure.


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

Toilet fill valve. Mine was passing quite often and making a noise like a ghost moaning. You should have seen that estucheon rattle:laughing:. Took a couple of months but I sent an apprentice to fix it last week.


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## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

Probably a toilet valve. Loose washer somewhere. Toilets are easy to check - drop some colored dye in and see if it shows in the bowl - if you can see the toilet's running, you may have found the problem. 

These types of vibrations can be tough because there are a number of things that can cause them. How about an expansion tank on the water heater? if you've got a reducing valve, you need the tank.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Nevermind. I Re-read initial post.


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

uaplumber said:


> Took a couple of months but I sent an apprentice to fix it last week.


What made you wait so long, are you too expensive?


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

Yup, I had to save up.

But hey, at least I called a plumber:thumbup:


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## maxtheplumber (Feb 21, 2009)

thank you all for your help and information. My boss and i have both been working on finding the problem so i dont know if he has checked the toilets. i'll also see if the meter spins when the humming is heard. thats a very good point. dont know why i didnt think about that. duh. 

the customer that lives there says that the house was re plumbed about two years ago. The copper looks fairly new and everything is strapped right and what not. At first i thought it may be a loose washer somewhere so i checked around. i found that the shower valve stems were in bad shape so i replaced them. the problem persisted. The humming is almost like a smooth hum or vibration that starts off quiet and then gets loud and goes back to quiet and disapears. it is very weird. It happens more often when you use the water than when you dont but it humms when no one is using it. I have heard shower valves make a loud rattling and banging sound before when you would turn it off but this is not that type of banging. I have fixed this issue before with shock arresters. And when i have plumber some residential showers i have used T's with caps instead of just Elbows for the hot and cold connections to the valve. I thought it added support to the valve and they would act as shock arresters.


ok now i am getting off of the subject. i hope i am not boring you guys. 

oh yeah.. there is no recirc line or pump.

thanks again for reading


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## smythers1968 (Feb 4, 2009)

I agree with the toliet running..had one where the toilet had a ball float fill valve moaned worst than a whore not getting paid.. Put a fluidmaster in and done.

Good luck


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Are you sure an old washer from a stop valve hasn't come loose and traveled through the system. I had that happen in hard copper systems and it gets stuck in a reducing tee. It will just sit in the tee and vibrate like a reed in a musical instrument. Toilet ballcocks are another common culprit.


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## SPH (Nov 4, 2008)

my vote is with the toilet as well,

looking at the meter probably wont show anything as the amount of water trickling by wont register.


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## U&I Plumber (Feb 15, 2009)

Looking at the meter is not the point, the original post says that the noise is there weather the water is in use or not, this can be verified by shutting the house off at the meter.


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

How about isolating the different fixtures?? When does the noise disappear? Then that will get you to close proximity of the problem. That said, it can be an angle stop not back seated, or maybe only partially open. I think this has been viewed in another thread post....


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## WestCoastPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

M5Plumb said:


> How about isolating the different fixtures?? When does the noise disappear? Then that will get you to close proximity of the problem. That said, it can be an angle stop not back seated, or maybe only partially open. I think this has been viewed in another thread post....


I'm trying to pm you but it is not working.Are your settings on "allow"?


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

WestCoastPlumber said:


> I'm trying to pm you but it is not working.Are your settings on "allow"?



I just checked settings and all show okay...


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## TradeQualified (Aug 28, 2008)

Could it be some humming birds inside the pipelines? lol :laughing:


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