Noisy Water Pipes is what we’ve all heard at night. Most of these sounds can be ignored. However, if you hear banging noises from your water pipes, you may have a serious plumbing issue.
Noisy pipes are distractions and it difficult to find the source of the problem. To help handle the problem I mention top reasons why your pipes make noise. When you find the source of the problem, it’s time to fix it.
Some water pipes make noises due to clogs, weather and other factors.
See what’s causing your noisy pipes and contact to make your house quiet.
Here are some factors that may cause noisy pipes:
- Water Hammer
- Loose Pipes
- Worn Out Washer
- Main Shut Off Valve
- Toilets

Water Hammer
Noisy pipes caused by several factors. Let’s see what is water hammer. Water through the pipe moves with speed and force. Once you shut off the faucet, the water flow is brought to an abrupt halt. But that energy has to go somewhere. There is an air chamber in the pipe behind each hot and cold faucet. It is about 10 inches of pipe soldered vertically. Then, once the rushing water was stopped, it would push up that vertical pipe that hits a cushion of air in the pipe. That avoids the water force from causing the pipes to rattle, or hammer. Now, there are commercial air cushions that are attached to the pipe in the same place that do the same job. Hammering can create after years, as the air in that little vertical riser is lost, and thus the cushioning effect is lost.How to Prevent Water Hammering
Remove water hammering by shutting off the main water, opening all faucets and then draining the whole house from the lowest faucet. When you store water, air will be pushed into the risers that designed to avoid water hammer. There are two main ways to solve the problem.- Check your air chamber.An air chamber is a vertical pipe located near your faucet. The chamber filled with air that compresses and absorbs the shock of the fast moving water when it suddenly stops. Unfortunately, over time air chambers fill with water and lose their effectiveness. To address this issue you can do the following.
- Turn off the water supply at the main supply.
- Open your faucets to drain all of the water from your plumbing system.
- Turn the water back on. The incoming water will flush the air out of the pipes but not out of the vertical air chamber, where the air supply has been restored.
- Install water hammer arrestors.These small devices connect to your water pipes and contain a spring-loaded shock absorber. They work by diverting the force of the water when a faucet is shut off. Unlike air chambers, water hammer arrestors never become waterlogged. Emergency Plumb is able to handle the installation of these components.
Loose Pipes
Another cause of noisy water pipes can be a loose pipe under the house. The flushed water moves fast and in large volume and can cause a pipe to sway, setting up a rattling effect.How to Fix Loose Pipes
Drain pipes are another source of the problem and may just need a little stabilization. By crawling under the house with a flashlight while someone flushes the toilet, you can find the source by listening and looking.Worn Out Washer
A worn out washer in a faucet or valve may cause whistling in water pipes or squeaky pipes. The source of this squealing can be in the valves that connect to the washing machine.
How to Fix a Worn Out Washer
If you see the squealing sound comes when the washer is on, you have an easy solution. You should first shut off the valve and check the washers in the hose. Replace if they look worn or cracked. If the problem remains, shut off the house water and repair the faucet. One of the faucet’s washers may be worn or the valve seat is worn, causing water to be forced through a smaller opening and setting up the noisy pipes.Main Shut Off Valve
Another cause of squealing water pipes, specially when it seems to resonate through the whole house, can be either the main shut off valve for the house or the water pressure regulator.How to Fix Main House Valve
For the main shut off, first turn off the water at the street valve and then replace or repair the main house valve. If it is not fixed yet and you have a pressure reducer on your incoming cold water line, it may be in the reducer’s manifold.