How to Stop Your Water Pipes from Rattling
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Have you heard strange noises in the walls of your home? There's a good chance that annoying sound is caused by your home's water pipes. Noisy pipes can cause quite a stir—they may even keep you up at night.
The common pipe noises you'll recognize include a clicking noise, a hammering noise, and maybe even a gurgling noise. The good news is, you don't have to live with noisy pipes. Depending on the layout of your home and the orientation of the pipes, fixing that rattling noise from your plumbing might be easier than you think.
Why do water pipes rattle?
Both cold water and hot water pipes can cause loud noises. If the pipes are making loud noises when the water is running, it could just be loose pipe brackets or a water hammer.
If the noise is specifically coming from hot water pipes and it sounds more like an annoying knocking noise, the cause is usually because the pipes expand as they get hot and begin to rub against the beams, the pipe hangers, etc.
Emily Fazio
How to Fix Water Hammering
Water hammering is different than expanding pipes. It sounds more like a loud bang. Older homes may have an "air chamber" (a section of pipe that is supposed to be full of air) that absorbs the shock of water being turned on and off suddenly. Over time, it can fill with water, leading to the pipes producing that dreadful noise.
A common water hammer solution is to drain water from the lines and refill the water system. This reintroduces a bubble of air into the air chamber. If you're unsure if your home has an air chamber, ask a professional plumber.
If you drained the system and still hear the sound of water hammer, identify the location and attempt to reinforce or replace the hanging pipe clamps. Fixing loose piping or swapping copper pipe fittings for plastic tubing insulators can help reduce annoying noises.
Emily Fazio
Related: 8 Ways to Prevent Water Damage at Home This Winter
Products We Like That Silence Noisy Pipes
Plastic tubing insulators. Plastic ribbing in these plumbing straps helps insulate the reverberation of expanding and creaking. You can add these clamps to your existing pipes to reinforce an area where the pipes are loose and rattling, or replace all of the unforgiving metal pipe clamps.
Install a water hammer arrestor. If you know the source of the water hammering (such as the pipes from your washing machine), you can put a water hammer arrestor on the hot and cold water lines. This will absorb the shock wave caused by the change in water pressure from a fast-closing shutoff water valve. These pressure-reducing valves help manage the movement of water and reduce sounds from noisy plumbing.
Add foam pipe insulators. If the pipe is rattling against a beam, a super affordable option is to pad between the two with pipe foam insulation or foam rubber. Foam liners can deteriorate over time, though, making acoustic pipe supports a viable option if you want to invest in soundproofing your home.
Related: Have You Prepared Your Hot Water Heater for Wintertime?
