How to Fix Noisy Water Pipes
How to Repair Noisy Water Pipes
If you regularly hear banging, rattling or vibrating noises coming from your pipes, you may wonder what is making such a racket and how you can put a stop to it. There are a few reasons why you may have noisy pipes, but luckily these noises don’t indicate that there is anything seriously wrong, and the pipes can often be easily quietened. Here are three possible causes of noisy plumbing in your home.
What Causes Noisey Pipes?
1. Water Hammers
Water hammers occur when water is suddenly forced to change direction, particularly when you use appliances that require a lot of water in order to function, such as toilets and dishwashers. They can also occur when you turn off a tap in your home. This is because when you open the water tap, valves inside the pipes open up too so that the water can flow through. When you turn off the tap, the valves close up again and the water pipes are suddenly deprived of air. Air is important for cushioning the pressure water in the pipes, so if the air is suddenly reduced the pipes cannot control the pressure and a water hammer can occur.
How to Fix Water Hammer & Noisy Pipes:
To prevent these noises, try closing your water taps slowly. This will help to control the water pressure. You could also try draining your plumbing system. Air chambers are installed around homes to cushion the water, but sometimes these chambers can be filled with water and need to be drained. Once they have been drained, this can sometimes solve the problem of noisy pipes.
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2. Loose Water Pipes
If pipes aren’t securely strapped in place, they can move around when water is flowing through them. This is why these loud plumbing noises are common in older houses. If this is what is causing the noise in your home, it can be solved by attaching the pipes to the walls. A plumber will be able to help you locate the problem and fix it so you can have a more peaceful home. The pipes should also be checked for cracks and leaks in case these are the cause of the pipes becoming loose.
How to Support Pipe Work:
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3. High Water Pressure
Generally the average mains water supply in London area ranges from 1 – 4 bar… but can sometimes exceed 5 bar and your plumbing pipes can get noisy when water is pushed into your appliances at high a pressure, but this doesn’t just make an annoying noise – it can also cause problems with your appliance’s internal components.
If you have a water pressure gauge, you can check the water pressure yourself. You may even have a water pressure regulator, and if you don’t have one you can buy one – but you’ll need a skilled plumber to install it for you.
How to Regulate Water Pressure:
Pressure reducing valves are used to regulate pressures down to the desired pressure, ussauly keeping the max below 3.5 bar.. Installing a Pressure reducing valve is simple but isolating the mains water supply and ensuring you wont have a leak might not be so straight forward, so its best to get a plumber in to install this. If you’re in the North London area, feel free to get in touch and we can help!
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