Plumbing, drainage, and water are serious business. They are essential to nearly every activity that happens in your home, from toilets and showers to kitchen sinks, hot water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines. They run through walls, under floorboards, and above your ceiling, and they are in constant use. Properly functioning plumbing fades seamlessly into the everyday life of your home, but untreated problems can quickly lead to leaks, backups, or flooding, resulting in expensive repairs and an inconvenient mess.
As a house settles and ages, so does the plumbing, and continuous use can begin to take its toll on seams, joints, and transition points. This can lead to a variety of strange noises. Some are relatively harmless, but some can be the symptom of a much larger problem. Here are 12 of the most common plumbing noises we are asked about.
1. Hissing Faucets
A hissing sound from your faucet may be caused by too much water pressure in your pipes. We can assess the pressure in the pipes and install a pressure reducing valve if necessary.
2. Foghorn Sounds
A foghorn sound in your plumbing could be a number of things. It may be a faulty ballcock in the toilet, a loose faucet washer, or a valve in the washing machine. It may also be permeating your entire house, in which case it could be from loose or old pipes or a malfunctioning regulator.
First, identify where the sound is originating. A ballcock or washer is easy to replace, but more serious cases, especially for an older plumbing system or worn out valve, will require a licensed plumber.
3. Whistling, Screeching, or Squealing Faucet or Showerhead
The screech, whistle, or squeal from your faucet is most likely caused by a loose washer. The noise is made when fast-moving water makes the loose washer flap and vibrate. We can replace this washer quickly and easily and silence the screech.
4. Vibrating Pipes
Plumbing pipes often run through walls, under floorboards, and above the ceiling, and can occasionally become loose and vibrate. Excessively high water pressure can also cause pipes to shudder and shake.
A more serious culprit may be the “water hammer” effect, which occurs when valves close too quickly, abruptly shutting off the water flow and causing it to stop in the pipe.
A loosened pipe simply needs to be reattached to the wall. If you suspect high water pressure, one of our plumbing professionals can test the water flow and install a pressure-reducing valve if necessary.
A “water hammer” sound—especially an increasingly loud one—can cause major damage to your pipes. Replacing toilet fill valves with ones that close more slowly can remedy the problem, as can the addition of an arrestor; we can take care of both of them.
5. Gurgling Toilet
Gurgling noises from a running toilet are most likely caused by an old valve or malfunctioning ballcock, air in the pipes, or a drain venting problem. Gurgling noises when the toilet is not running, however, are a sign that your septic may be clogged or backed up.
Valves and ballcocks are easily replaced, but a potentially stopped up sewage line is a big problem. Call us immediately to prevent messy and costly backups.
6. Bubbling Sink
A bubbling or gurgling from the sink may be an indication it is backing up. Food, grease, dirt, and hair can accumulate in the drains and pipes, preventing water from flowing freely through them and slowing it down.
The technicians at Suntech Heat and Air can help identify where the backup is and how serious it is, and we can help clear it out so your sink stays silent.
7. Rushing Water Sound
Even if you can’t see it, the sound of rushing water means it is running somewhere it probably shouldn’t, and it may only be a matter of time before you do see it in the form of rot, foundation cracks, or rusted pipes. A common cause of the rushing water sound is a broken pipe, such as beneath a sink or floor board, behind an appliance, in a wall, or even in the ceiling.
8. Humming Pipes
Humming pipes is often the symptom of high water pressure, which can damage your home’s plumbing over time. Problems with high water pressure are common in larger homes where the pressure regulator tries to overcompensate for low water pressure in the upper floors.
If high water pressure is the culprit for your humming pipes, we can help regulate it to the proper range by resetting your pump or changing it out for another model, or adding an isolator to better stabilize it.
9. Ticking Water Heater
A sudden change in water pressure is likely causing your ticking water heater, and can usually be quieted by finding the pressure-releasing valve and reducing the pressure level. If this doesn’t help, call in the pros from Suntech.
10. Popping and Banging Water Heater
When sediment builds up in your hot water tank, it is common to hear a banging or popping noise. The heating element may be reacting to the alkali in the water, which is rich in several minerals and leads to rust.
First, you’ll want to flush the tank out completely and start fresh with new water. Additionally, it might be time to replace the part of your unit called the anode rod which helps keep sediment and bacteria from building up. If the problem persists or is recurring it may be necessary for you to install filters or a water purification system to reduce the damage to your tank.
11. Dishwasher Grinding
There are a few issues with your dishwasher which could result in a grinding noise during a cycle. The most common reason is that there is a foreign object or collection of debris in the pump or chopper blade area. When you hear this noise, simply open the door to the dishwasher and let the steam and heat dissipate and pull out the bottom rack to inspect the area for anything that shouldn’t be in the area.
If that doesn’t stop the grinding noise during the cycle, another cause for it could be that your dishwasher isn’t getting enough water. Check for clogged or otherwise blocked inlet valves.
12. Washing Machine Buzzing
A buzzing sound coming from your washing machine during a cycle could be caused by a few different things. One problem, which is rare, could be an electrical short. Another possible cause for buzzing noises could be an electrical relay that is failing. However, there is also the possibility that there is an electrical motor that is failing to engage.
If any of these things are happening, turn off the power to your washing machine and call an appliance repair technician.
Silence Those Annoying Plumbing Sounds With Suntech
Our experienced plumbers at Suntech rarely meet a noise they can’t diagnose. We are committed to resolving the Oklahoma City metro area’s plumbing problems with fast, top-notch service.
Don’t wait for a small problem to become a big one. If you are noticing any of these sounds—or have one not mentioned here—give our experts a call today. We are always on call and pride ourselves on responding within 24 hours.
Preventing clogs in your drains
There is nothing worse than seeing your sink fill up with water when it’s not supposed to. Let’s not mention that sick feeling in your stomach when the toilet water is beginning to rise to the top of bowl as your brain races through a multitude of terrible scenarios! We’re here to help with some very simple tips and tricks to try and keep these things from happening and ruining your day.
Kitchen Sink Drain Clogs
The best way to prevent slow or clogged drains is to be careful about what you put into them. Genius, right? Simple things that you may not think about cause drain problems such as coffee grounds, cooking grease, and soap scum are some of the biggest causes of drain issues. Being mindful of these things will help to prevent slow and clogged drains. Here are some tips
- Pour your used cooking grease into a container and then throw it in the trash
- Throw out coffee grounds into the trash or recycle them
- Purchase a cheap drain-grate to cover the drain to prevent as much soap scum from going down the drains as possible. You can find most any drain-grate in the plumbing department of your local hardware store.
Tub and Shower Drain Clogs
Most of us aren’t typically cooking near our tub or shower drains but there are typical shower and bathtub drain clogging culprits. The most common is hair, soap scum and bath bombs. Here are some tips to avoid clogging your bathtub and shower drains:
- Purchase drain-grates for your shower and tub drains. These can be a bit trickier depending on the type of drain you have. Do some research on the type of shower or tub drain you have, and find one to fit. That will help preventing hair from going down the drain, but you should still clear the drain of any remaining hair after each use.
- Bath bombs are amazing, but they can pose potential problems. Be careful to not purchase any bath bomb that releases larger particles into the water. For instance, some bath bombs have larger gel type particles that are intended to slowly dissolve in the water during your bath. Sometimes they don’t completely dissolve and that gel like substance can build up in the drain and cause problems.
DIY Tips for Continuous Clogging Problems
Doing everything right and still fighting a pesky slow drain? Try this homemade clog removal formula out!
Ingredients for each drain:
- ½ Baking soda
- Salt
- Vinegar
- 2 Quarts of boiling water
Instructions:
- Pour the salt and baking soda into the drain
- Add the vinegar and let the concoction foam for approximately one minute
- Pour the 2 quarts of boiling water down the drain
Use this combination before you go to bed to allow the solutions to sit overnight giving it more cleaning power!
Sink With a Garbage Disposal? Try This!
- Fill an ice-cube tray half-full with vinegar and top it off with clear water. (Vinegar won’t freeze well alone. Make sure to mark the tray so that someone doesn’t mistake it for regular ice. It’s not harmful but it will be nasty!)
- Once frozen, turn the disposal on and then dump the cubes down the drain (the ice will also help keep the blades sharp… BONUS!)
- If the vinegar smell bothers you, throw a sliced lemon in after the ice-cubes. Your sink will smell great!
If you are still having issues with clogged drains, give the experts at Suntech Plumbing Services a call today at (405) 785-0950 or schedule an appointment here.
