How to Fix Noisy Pipes

A home with noisy water pipes can quickly become an aggravation to a homeowner, one that wears on nerves and disrupts peaceful enjoyment. Fixing noisy water pipes is relatively simple once the source of the noise is discovered, and in most common circumstances a professional plumber is not required. A homeowner that desires to fix noisy pipes themselves does not necessarily need any skill, just a strong desire to resolve the issue without going overboard in replacing pipes when a much simpler solution is at hand.

The source of noisy pipes can be anything from a pipe that is loose within it's clamps, to a hot water heater that is set at too high a temperature, but in most instances noisy pipes can be fixed without a major plumbing overhaul. Plumbing that was poorly installed or designed is another cause of noisy pipes, as pipes that are too small for a given home application corrode with calcium deposits over time and the result is excessive noise within them. In this case the only resolution may well be to replace them, which can be quite costly if performed by a registered plumber.

The first step to fix noisy pipes is to find out where the source of the noise is located. If the noise is coming from within a wall, it may be possible to prevent the pipe from rattling by placing padding at each end between the pipe and the wall at the point where the pipe becomes exposed from the wall. A loose clamp that is responsible for a noisy pipe may be fixed by tightening the clamp, if this does not stop the noise a rubber or soft wooden shim can be placed between the pipe and the clamp. In cases where the pipes only rattle when the hot water is turned on, it is often because the temperature setting on the hot water heater is too high and needs to be lowered.

Occasionally, if a home has a brief water outage or uses well-water or a water softening system the culprit of noisy pipes may be due to pockets of air within the line. The noisy pipes can be fixed by turning on both the cold and hot water half way on each and letting the water run for about 5 minutes to remove the air from the pipe. A sign that this resolution is working is when the water coming from the tap "spits" briefly, as the air escapes the pipe.