Pipes are not one of those fixtures around the house you would focus your attention on because you don’t always see them. However, when your pipes at home start making weird noises, it’s about time to give your plumbing fixtures a full check-up. Your pipes might be telling you that something is wrong with them. Below are some translation from pipe language to layman’s term and how to act on your pipe’s issues.
What you hear: hissing
What it means: “the water pressure in me is too high!”
The water pressure on your area might be too high if you hear hissing or whooshing sounds coming from your pipes – especially whenever you turn on the tap. For some people, high water pressure is a good thing for taking shower or for quickly filling up a pail of water, but having high water pressure cost you higher water bills as well. Aside from this, it puts stress on your plumbing fixtures over a long time causing it to easily break or have leaks. What you need to do is install a pressure regulator valve to reduce the water pressure and stop the hissing.
What you hear: whistling
What it means: “the water pressure in me is too low!”
If you hear whistling sound coming from your pipes, there could be a possibility that the water pressure is too low. You can simply address this problem by tuning down your pressure regulator. However, it could also mean that something is blocking the pipes, either air or other objects. If this is the case all you have to do is open your faucet while your main shutoff valve is off and let all the water out from the faucet, possibly letting out the small debris barring the pipes as well. To test if there’s no obstruction in the pipes anymore, turn on the main shutoff valve again and run the faucet to see if there is still a whistling sound.
What you hear: banging or thudding
What it means: “the water wants to flow, but it can’t!”
This condition is most commonly known as the water hammer. It is when the pipes vibrate and bang against the wall after a sudden stop of water flow when you turn your faucet off. Usually in these cases, the water pressure is too high. In some instances, air chambers are installed in the plumbing fixtures to absorb the shock of high water pressure in the pipe and soften or tame the pressure of the water on the pipes once the faucet is closed.
What you hear: rattling or chattering
What it means: “my fittings are broken or loose!”
When there is rattling in your pipes every time you open the faucet, your plumbing fixtures might be loose, or worse, broken. Trace which part of your plumbing fixtures needs replacing and install fittings immediately. If the fixtures are loose, you just need to tighten the connection in the pipes in order to stop the rattling noise.
What you hear: whooshing
What it means: “there is a build up of debris inside the heater!”
Whenever you take a hot shower, you might hear this sound due to the building debris caused by what they call hard water. New models of water heater nowadays have fittings or installations designed to prevent this problem. If your heater is an older model, all you have to do is drain the hot water inside. Be cautious when you do this. You will need to drain the hot water into your tub or on straight into your water drain because hot water can make the toilet crack. Once all the built up debris is gone, you may notice a reduction on the whooshing sound made by your shower.
If you have a plumbing emergency, you can contact our friendly plumbers at 702-431-6502. We are available 24 hours a day or you can schedule service appointments at your convenience. We respond immediately on problems such as pipe repair, main line sewer backups, clogged bathtubs, sink problems, outside drainage problems and slab leak repair.
