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Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
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By Ed Del Grande
If there is one topic that comes up over and over whenever people talk to me about home repair problems, it's got to be banging or noisy pipes. Especially this time of year when heating and plumbing systems are operating together, it can sometimes cause your house to sound like it's haunted!
The first thing you need to remember is that there's no such thing as a completely silent heating or plumbing system. Sorry, but that's the nature of the beast. Contained water under pressure flows in, out and through your house like a river, and half the time it's being heated by powerful burners or electrical elements. So it's bound to make some noise from time to time.
However, some banging noises, including water hammer and pipe-expansion noises can be controlled. I've made my "Ed's Top Five Noisy Pipes" list for you; I hope it will help you identify problems with your heating and plumbing systems. Once you can identify the cause of a noisy pipe, in most cases you may be able to do something to quiet it down a little, and in turn, sleep a little better as well!
Number 5: Broken valves or faucets. If you turn on a valve or faucet and hear a "klunk" followed by a restricted flow of water from the faucet or valve, you may have a washer or some packing material that has broken off and is actually trapped behind the faucet or valve opening. To fix this type of problem, you usually have to shut down the water main is shut down and open up the faucet or valve to clean it out and rebuild it.
Number 4: Steam-heating system banging. Steam heat has a bad reputation for sometimes sounding like a football player is banging your pipes with a sledgehammer! It is very important that the water level in a steam boiler is kept at the correct level. Too much water added to a steam boiler may actually flood the piping system, and if you get water in pipes that normally should carry only steam, that may be the reason for all that banging. Have a licensed technician drain the steam pipes, set the radiators, and show you the proper water level for your system. If maintained properly, your steam system should be a lot quieter.
Number 3: Forced hot-water heating system noises. Forced hot-water heat can develop the opposite problem of steam heat. Forced hot-water pipes are normally filled with water, but sometimes they may get "air bound." That may cause a lot of gurgling and banging in the pipes. In this case the licensed technician will purge the system of air and adjust the water temperature to also cut down on the expansion "ticking" noises the system may make if the pipes are over-expanding inside the walls.
Number 2: Loose pipes. A very common cause of pipe banging for heating and plumbing lines is simply loose pipes that dangle from ceilings or walls. Get some good insulated pipe clips and anchor the pipes to joists or studs safely without stressing the lines. A nice tight pipe that's well-supported with insulating clips or hangers should be a quieter pipe as well.
Number 1: High water pressure. This is by far the most common reason for noisy water pipes or water hammer. Normal home water pressure is usually in the 40psi to 70psi range. Any home with a water pressure of 80psi or higher needs to have a plumber install a pressure reducer valve on the water main and may also need water-hammer arrestors installed as well. Between the two types of controls, most pipe banging noises can be controlled.
That's my list of the top five pipe noise issues. I hope that by using the list as a guide, you'll be able to pinpoint your problem and finally get your mind off those annoying noises.
If not, I've also found that raising the volume on your TV set works just as well!
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
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