Depending on the age of your home, it’s certainly possible that you’ve heard strange noises. This can be from things like a home settling, but one frequent culprit is noisy plumbing. Each noise you hear from your plumbing could indicate a different problem. Do you hear a whistle? Banging? What about hissing or even shrieking? No, your child isn’t having a scary dream – more likely the sound is coming from your plumbing. In this post, we’ll identify those sounds and see if we can pinpoint the problem.
BRING THE HEAT
Sometimes the sounds you hear will change depending on whether you’re running hot or cold water. Hot water can cause loud creaking noises, especially in copper pipes. The heat causes the copper to expand and contract. That can cause stress on the joints and braces which lead to loud noises. These aren’t particularly serious, but the noise can be annoying.
DEEP FREEZE
The air in your pipes can be a problem in cold weather. If the temperature drops below freezing (a hard freeze, and yes, this can happen in Texas) the water in your pipes will freeze. The frozen water can trap air in the pipes. It’s not the ice itself that causes pipes to burst; it’s those air pockets that build up pressure causing the pipes to eventually crack. You can fight the freeze by fitting your pipes with insulation. In extreme cold, leave your faucets dripping which will help prevent freezing.
FEEL THE FLOW
Airflow is the most common reason for noisy pipes. If the flow of air is too strong, it can cause loud whistling or hissing noises. This is especially true when the air is being forced through a pipe and mixed with water. The noises start when a faucet is turned on or a toilet is flushed. Though it can be annoying, this is not typically a serious problem.
WORTH THE CALL
There are a few things you can do to help reduce the noise. Swapping metal braces to plastic, or using foam to protect the pipes will have an immediate impact on reducing noise. These are relatively small projects, but they’re jobs that most homeowners wouldn’t want to tackle on their own. The Bosworth Company can help! Make an appointment online today by calling us at 432-570-5233. It’s Worth the Call. Always.