Many of us take our plumbing for granted that even when we notice something odd, we typically just let it be and think it would fix itself sometime in the future. However, some signs just can’t and should not be ignored. These include the sounds you would hear from faucets, toilets and any plumbing fixture in your home.
With that, here are five plumbing sounds you should look out for and what causes them so you can immediately call an expert Sydney plumber and have it fixed.
1. Continuous dripping
The first and perhaps most common plumbing sound we hear that signifies something wrong with the pipes is the continuous dripping of the water.
This can be pretty annoying, but you can simply tightly close the faucet to avoid it. But, what happens if water continues to drip even when you’ve firmly shut down the faucet? The sound may signify old hardware, so if your faucet is more than 20 years old, it’s high time to have it changed.
2. Water hammer
Water hammer happens when you turn on the faucet and it suddenly turns off. Since water has nowhere to go, it slams into the shut-off valve, which creates a loud hammering sound, thus the name. The sound itself can be pretty alarming, but more than that, it could actually cause damages to the water pipes, especially the joints and connections.
To solve the problem, you can start by checking the air chamber or the vertical pipe that is located near your faucet. This is often located in the wall cavity and holds the pipeline that is connected to the faucet. Over time, this fills with water and will lose its effectiveness.
While you can check and fix the problem on your own, it’s definitely better to call an expert Sydney plumber to have it fixed, especially if you don’t have any knowledge of plumbing.
3. Screeching or whistling pipes
The screeching or whistling you hear around your house at night when everything is quiet won’t necessarily mean it’s haunted. Most of the time, it is the pipes telling you something is wrong with your plumbing system.
Typically, when pipes screech or whistle, this means that there is air somewhere in your pipeline. The hard part is pinpointing the exact location of the sound. However, you can easily solve this by turning off the shut-off valve and then opening your faucet fully until it runs dry. Then, reopen the valve.
The pressure may also not be high enough. What you can do is replace the faucet washers or the valve stem, often a job left to the experts.
4. Clanking in water heaters
Clanking and popping sounds in water heaters are normal, so when do you know when it’s not?
Although these sounds are common, an increase in these clanking or rumbling noises from your water heater could suggest something is wrong with it. This often happens since lime deposits would form within your heater, meaning it’s rather old and requires cleaning or even replacement. Do not ignore it since these formations could cause damage to the heater, especially when you’re using a tank.
5. Loud noises from the pipes
If you hear any loud noises from the pipes, check your water pressure. It could be too high and could easily damage plumbing fixtures and your appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines. So, check around your home and find any pressure regulator, which would help avoid the noises and the possibility of buying a new appliance.
If you don’t have a regulator, have one professionally installed and ensure that the water pressure is only between 40 and 80 pounds per square inch.