What’s That Noise? Plumbing Edition

May 15, 2018

Are the unknown noises in your home causing you stress? Not sure what they are? We’ve got the guide to help you self-diagnose some of the most common plumbing related noises you may be hearing in your home, and help you figure out how soon you need to contact in the experts.

Noises coming from the toilet

Toilet hissing:

The continuous hiss may be the result of the refill valve not turning off. The hissing sound is made when high pressure water is passing through the restricted fill valve and entering the tank, this causes vibrations that you hear as hissing.

Toilet thumping:

This sound is called water hammer and can be caused when a valve closes suddenly at the end of a pipeline system causing a pressure wave in the pipe. The pressure wave can cause many problems ranging from loud noises to a pipe collapse.

Jack hammer:

This rapid banging or jack hammer sound also known as resonance, occurs during the flush cycle and is caused by an obstruction in the main shut off valve at the wall behind the toilet, the supply line, or fill valve.

Short air bursts:

This sound can occur when the fill valve is turning on and off because it is refilling lost water from the tank.

Gurgling:

A toilet that suddenly begins to gurgle or make any unusual noises can be a sign of a much more serious clog in your sewer line.

Noises from the water heater

Popping:

If your water heater is making popping noises, that means the water is overheating. This is attributed to the sediment buildup in the tank. The solution is to have your water heater drained and flushed.

Noises from drain pipes

Rattling:

A drain pipe rattling is usually caused by the water lines not being properly secured. This can be fixed easily but only if your water lines are easily accessible. It means that there are one or more places your water lines come in contact with the wood of your floor joists. You will need to get plastic pipe hangers that go between your water lines and your joists. A defective pressure reducing valve can also cause some very strange noises. Unless you are familiar with plumbing and comfortable fixing this type of problem, you should contact a plumber for help.

Noises from the faucet

Hissing faucet:

A faucet that hisses when you turn it on usually means your water is too pressurized. The water shoots through the pipes and out of the faucet with too much force. Over a long-enough period of time, high-pressure water can damage pipes and appliances.

Screeching valves:

If the valves or faucets on one of your water appliances screech or chatter as you start to turn them on, it’s probably because of a loose or defective part somewhere in the faucet. You can easily address the problem by simply replacing the valve or faucet with a new one.

Noises from the showerhead

If your showerhead makes a whistling, hissing, or squeaking noise while you use it, it’s probably clogged. Sediment and deposits of scale, grease, or other minerals in your water collect in your showerhead over time, just like they do in many other plumbing appliances.

At Lindstrom Plumbing you can expect our plumbers to show up on-time, be courteous and clean up before they leave your home. We provide fast, professional plumbing and emergency services to our South Florida neighbors. No matter what your plumbing needs are, we offer the services and products to meet them.