Clicking Pipes

We live in a Van Metre townhouse in Southern Walk. Whenever you run the showers on the third level (master or guest bath) a loud clicking noise is heard...it stops about 5 or 10 minutes after you shut the shower off. The noise is coming from inside the wall, about right between the 2nd and 3rd floors. I assume it is the main water pipe either rubbing or expanding against the joist or something. It just started about a month or two ago, we have been in our house a little over a year.

It is extremely annoying. Any suggestions on what it might be or if it can be fixed (for a reasonable price) would be great.

 

We have the same problem with one bathroom and one wall in our house. Not sure what the solution is. At first I thought it was actually dripping but over a year I have not seen any water damage so I don't think it's that anymore. Only happens with one bathroom though. I would be interested in any ideas.

 

Have you tried flushing the pipes and bleeding the air out of the faucets? Could also be a bad washer in the faucet...

 

I don't think it has anything to do with the faucets. It seems to be the drainage that is clicking. It happens on both faucets, the toilet, and the shower. It generally goes away after a few minutes by clicking faster and faster until it just stops. The water can still be running in the case of the shower and it stops.

It's always the first time the bathroom has been used in a while.

 

IMO, the most logical explanation is contraction/expansion of your pipes. You could confirm whether it was the supply or drain pipes by taking one set of pipes out of the equation. For example, you could pour water from another source (like your kitchen) down the drain to see if it is the drain causing the noise. Then you could swap, and plug your sink/shower and run the water to see if it is the supply. If the water supply pipes are causing the problem, you could further isolate the source by running only hot water, and then only cold water.

 

good idea. i have a feeling our problem has to do with the hot water being supplied to the upstairs showers (not sure if it's same feed that would supply the sinks too?). our "clicking" only occurs when either of the two showers are running.

just trying to figure out if it is worth it to tear up the wall and ceiling in order to silence it. from what i've read it's not damaging anything...more of an annoyance.

 

Pats Fan is absolutely right (he usually is). We are in a TH in Southern Wlak as well and we have the same "problem". It was on my list for the 1 year walk thru, but Van Metre (actually Peed Plumbing) said that it would be more trouble to adjust than to just leave it. It is not a sign that something is wrong, it is just the pipes rubbing somewhere.
We've learned to live with it.

 

From the MyHomeImprovement.com web site Q&A: (sic)

Water pipe noise
Question:
When draining water from upstairs bathroom sink there is a knocking noise not loud in the wall what causes this?

Answer:
I had the same problem in my house. I found that when they originally installed the plumbing,the plumber drilled samll holes and then installed the ABS drain pipe. ABS expands and contracts very little, but non the less does. This expanding causes the wood to creak.The same can happen with copper water pipes.

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Water pipes
Question:
Whenever we do a wash, the pipes clang in the basement. (washer is in the basement) Any ideas?

Answer:
Check to see if the pipes are supported well. If they are then the problem may be either a faulty fill valve in the washing machine,or loose washers in the hose bibs filling the tap.

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Knocking pipes
Question:
How can I solve the problem of knocking pipes? Each time I turn on the kitchen hot water (only) the water comes out in spurts and the pipes knock loudly. I turn off and on several time and the problem stops while the water runs. Turn the water off and the next time, same problem.

Answer:
Most people believe that when a faucet spits and sputters and knocks, that it is due to air in the lines; but, a water system is a pressurized, closed system, which is under 50 to 60 pounds of pressure. And in order to have air in the line, you would first have to have a hole in the pipe. And still, air could not enter the line because of pressure in the pipe. You would first loose water from the pipe before air could overcome the 50 or 60 pounds. so where does the hammering come from? hammering noramlly comes from something loose in a faucet or in a shut off valve. for example, if the hot water shut off valve under the sink washer was loose, and floating freely, then it can block the passage of water entering the kitchen faucet, thus causing a blockage for water to flow freely to that faucet, which can cause hammering or knocking. this can also be caused by a piece of loose debris in the pipe that cannot pass freely through the line - and interrups the flow of water. the loose washer can be on the hot stem of your kitchen faucet, if it is a two-handle faucet. so check hot side of kitchen faucet stem for loose washers; dissassemble shut off valve under kitchen sink - and check for debris in the shut off. you will need to turn off the house water for the latter. The last possibility - kitchen faucets with sprayers have what is known as a diverter. this diverter can go bad and open and close rapidly, causing a hammering and knocking. i do not think this is your problem, from what you've stated - that it only happens on the hot side.

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Noisy pipes
Question:
We have a loud rumbling noise in the pipes. It happens a few times a day.

Answer:
Noise is most likely lose water in one of the faucets or valves, or a faulty fill valve in your toilet. Check for running water in your toilet bowls or if the noise happens when a cetain fixture is used.

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Noisy pipes
Question:
Mostly in the a.m. when a commode is flushed or turning water on in the bathroom a groaning or squeaking comes tru the pipes hot or cold, mostly cold water pipes. Plumbing is 10 years old. Do I have a pressure problem or what?

Answer:
The noise could be from water pressure, but may also be caused by the expansion/contraction of the water lines. The temperature of the water standing in the pipes overnight would be warmer than the incoming water. This sudden change in temperature may be causing the pipe to contract and move slightly, causing the noise.

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Popping Pipes?
Question:
I live in a split foyer and the kitchen is on the 2nd level over the den. When water is ran in the right side of the sink (which is the side of the garbage disposal) or the dishwasher is running, there is a loud popping noise that can continuously be heard from the floor/ceiling area of the kitchen/den depending on which room you are in. (If you are in the kitchen, it sounds as though the popping is in the floor, and if you are in the den downstairs, it sounds as though the popping is in the ceiling.) There are no signs of any water leaks for the ceiling in the den isnt discolored, weak or "bubbly". I just purchased the home in August '01 and the home is only 4 years old. Do I have a major problem or is it just popping pipes? What would possibly cause this & to what extent would I need to go for repairs should I need them? How could repairs be made since there is no access to this area?

Answer:
Since you are using hot water when you run the dishwasher what you are hearing is a pipe expanding from the heat. It could be either the water line (copper pipe?) or the drain line (PVC plastic) because both expand when hot. The popping noise occurs when the expanding pipe rubs against the wood that it is strapped to, or through a hole in the wood it runs through. Cutting out the ceiling or wall would be the only way to affect a repair, but even if you could see the pipes, the movement is so slight you may not be able to see them move. Short term this is more of a nuisance than a problem. Long term, the rubbing may cause a hole to come in one of the pipes, but I wouldn't worry about it. That could be 20 years from now, if ever.

 

What do you expect when you only pay 500k for a townhouse? 8)

we have it happen too... I presume it's because of the way the pipes are routed through or strapped to joists.... if only the plumbers would put in some soft buffer material, you wouldn't hear a thing

 

www.myhomeimprovement.com
I checked out that noisy pipe reference on the site GCyr was talking about. Interested they list quite a selection of questions people are dealing with re noises and other issues. But they also list good solutions for creeking floors that you get when you walk across them. (Have you ever noticed these if your walking around at night trying not to wake others up?) Interesting to see all the problems people have and sometimes some of the easy solutions