What Your Noisy Water Pipes Are Trying To Tell You

2/22/2019 (Permalink)

Water damage in a Franklin, NY home

What Your Noisy Water Pipes Are Trying To Tell You

Every house has its own set of familiar noises, like the creaking of floorboards or groaning of a settling foundation. However, the sounds coming from your water pipes may be a warning. While a whistling faucet may simply require a new washer to quiet down, if you have a hissing, whistling sound in multiple fixtures and a hammering noise coming from your pipes, you could be headed for a pipe break. 

Residential water pressure is usually around 80 psi, but sometimes municipalities have to increase pressure for nearby non-residential facilities. When this happens in Franklin, KY, the increased water pressure can damage your home’s plumbing. In addition to the irritation of noisy pipes, high water pressure can:

• Erode pipes
• Reduce life expectancy of fixtures
• Increase water bills
• Result in leaks
• Cause a pipe burst

What’s Causing the Noises?

As a large amount of water is forced through fixture openings designed to handle a lower flow, it makes a whistling sound, just like forcing a large amount of air through pursed lips causes a whistling sound.

When water suddenly stops flowing through pipes, the momentum causes it to slam around inside the pipe, which causes a clanging or banging sound. Your plumbing has built-in air chambers to prevent this from happening, but when water pressure is higher than normal, the chambers aren’t enough to prevent the hammering sound. The longer you wait to address high water pressure in your home, the more likely it is to cause a pipe break.

What To Do About High Pressure

If you suspect your water pressure is too high, call a plumber in Franklin, KY, to test the pressure for you. A device called a pressure regulating valve, or PRV, can be installed to control the water pressure inside your home. Hiring a professional to prevent a pipe break is far preferable to hiring one to fix broken pipe inside your walls.