The Sounds of a Plumbing System in Distress

It's common to hear random sounds throughout your home. The foundation settles, the windows expand and contract, and the furnace clicks on and off. These sounds are perfectly normal and typically aren't cause for concern; however, some sounds can have a more sinister origin.

These sinister sounds originate in your home's plumbing system and are indicative of plumbing problems that need to be addressed by an experienced contractor. When you’re aware of the sounds that a plumbing system in distress makes, you can identify these sounds to prevent a potential plumbing disaster.

One of the more common plumbing-related sounds you might hear within your home is a banging noise coming from within your walls. Water becomes pressurized as it moves through your pipes. A series of valves control the flow of water through your home, and these valves can close suddenly to stop the rush of water in your plumbing system.

The abrupt stop in water flow caused by a closed valve will create a reduction in water pressure, followed by a banging or smacking sound. Banging sounds in your plumbing are often referred to as water hammers. Frequent water hammers can not only be disruptive, they can cause damage to the joints between pipes and loosen the brackets holding your pipes in place.

The air chambers help absorb the shock of a sudden water stoppage; however, these chambers may become damaged. An experienced plumbing contractor will be able to restore the air chambers and prevent water hammers from becoming an issue.

When your plumbing system is in distress, another sound that you might hear is a shaking noise as water travels through the pipes hidden behind your walls. Your home's plumbing system is an intricate network of pipes, valves, and fixtures that are all interconnected with one another.

Some pipes run vertically and others run horizontally, but all pipes must be properly secured to ensure they function properly. Mounting brackets or straps are used to help hold pipes in place. When these brackets or straps deteriorate with time, the pressure of water movement can cause the pipe to rattle and sway.

This pipe movement can loosen joints and lead to serious water leaks. Your plumber will be able to replace worn or missing brackets to hold your pipes firmly in place and eliminate any plumbing-related shaking sounds within your home.

The faucets within your home should operate quietly. If you notice that a particular faucet starts to produce a screeching or whining sound after the tap is pulled but before the water comes out, then a faulty seat washer could be the culprit.
Most faucets are equipped with a washer that sits at the base of the handle. These washers allow the tap handles to be turned without the handles grinding against the rear of the faucet seat. Time and excessive use can cause the seat washer to come loose.

A loose seat washer will flap or vibrate as water moves past it, producing the screeching sound that you hear coming from your faucet. If the faucet is old, then a plumber can replace the entire unit to eliminate the screeching noise. If the faucet is relatively new, then a new seat washer can be installed to help quiet the faucet in the future.

If you listen, you will be able to hear your home's plumbing system calling out when it is in distress. A plumbing system in need of repair will produce banging, shaking, and screeching sounds.

Contact our experienced professionals at Michigan Plumbing today to address odd sounds coming from your plumbing system. We look forward to working with you.