Does Your Home Have a Belly Ache?

By Billy Aldridge

If your home is likened to the human body, then its plumbing would be something akin to the digestive tract.  Just like the human gut, from time to time your house’s pipes will start exhibiting symptoms that something is amiss.  What I mean by this is if you start hearing strange sounds from behind the walls whenever you run the sink or do a load of laundry, or you flush the toilet in the bathroom only to have water back up into your tub, then these are signs that something more serious and potentially more costly to repair is at work deep in the bowels of your home.  The important thing is not to ignore these cries for help, but to take corrective action while the solution is still a quick fix.

Things that Go Bang in the Night

If you hear a banging noise every time the washer shuts off or the dishwasher cycle ends, this may be due to a phenomenon known as “Water Hammer.”  This occurs whenever the flow of water stops and the sheer momentum of water rattles the pipes.  To prevent this from happening, a hammer arrestor is installed, that is designed to absorb the last gasp of water that would otherwise cause the pipe to bang regularly.  It is essentially a capped off pipe that stays full of air.  If the air bleeds out of the arrestor, this can cause water hammer.  To rectify this problem, turn off the water main (see video below) and then open all your faucets in the house.  When the water stops running, turn off all the taps and then turn the water to the house back on.  This should stop the banging.  If this doesn’t do the trick, then the culprit is most likely the pressure regulator, which we will cover next.

Wild Kingdom Revisited

Do you hear a loud humming sound or a noise like a seal barking after you flush the toilet?  This could be an indication that the pressure regulator needs to be replaced.  Most commonly located where the 

Pressure regulator (Photo credit: Jacob Davies)

water line enters the home, the pressure regulator is the valve that reduces the water pressure coming from the main line to the home.  To determine if the regulator is faulty you will need to test the water pressure. You can purchase a pressure gauge at any hardware store or home supply big box store.  Once attached to any hose or washing machine bib, the pressure should read between 40 to 60 PSI.  Any higher and you risk damaging fixtures, pipes and appliances.  If the pressure is higher than 80, this is a ticking time bomb that could blow at any moment.  If this is the case, you need to replace the pressure regulator right away before you wind up with a flood.

San Francisco Foghorn

If your pipes moan, groan or otherwise sound like a rendition of a San Francisco foghorn, then the problem could lie with your vent system.  Everything from your  sinks and  toilets, to your tubs, washing machine and dishwasher are designed to drain into either a sewer or septic system.  To facilitate the smooth outflow of water requires air, which is supplied by plumbing vents.  Should these vents become partially obstructed, they will start to let you know by groaning.  This is kind of like what happens when you are sucking a strawberry milkshake through a straw and a piece of strawberry clogs the straw.  When your plumbing vents get clogged, a vacuum is produced that can slow or even stop the ouflow of water from your home.  If left unchecked this can even cause the water to drain out of p-traps and toilet bowls, or allow sewer gas into your home. 

To check the vents you will need to climb onto the roof of your home, since that is where they are located.  Bring with you a garden hose equipped with a nozzle and a screwdriver. You should also bring a plumbing auger with you, as you may need to snake the vent.  The vent is a pipe sticking up from the roof.  It may have a cap, which you will need a screwdriver to remove.  Once you can see down the pipe, look to see if there are any obstructions that you can see.  If there are, fish them out.  Then taking the hose, open the nozzle to full and spray directly down the vent.  This flow might clear the clog all by itself.  If not you will need to run the snake down the pipe until you reach the blockage. Then crank the handle to run it through the clog and retrieve the snake.  Use the hose again to make sure the vent is clear and you should be good to go.

Whistle While You Work

If you detect whistling or wailing from your pipes every time you turn on the tap, this could be your inlet valve talking to you.  Located underneath toilets and sinks, as well as behind washing machines 

city water inlet and pressure regulator (Photo credit: Jacob Davies)

and refrigerators, these valves regulate the flow of water.  Whistling sounds could also be caused by a loose or broken washer in a faucet or toilet, or it could also be an indication of excess water pressure. To eradicate the whistle, you need to determine its source.  To do that, turn on the offending source and listen carefully to determine whether the noise is coming from the source itself, or behind or below it.  Once you have located the source, the best course of action is to replace the offending washer, valve and/or valve seat, as well as any worn or corroded components.

Determining the cause and cure for every noise that can be caused by cranky plumbing could fill a book.  While the home remedies for the symptoms listed above can be handled by most homeowners, these noises could also be signs of more serious trouble behind walls or beneath your home that could require a licensed plumber to repair.  The one thing you do not want to do is ignore these warning signs until you wake up one fine morning to find your home flooded or water shooting ten feet high from the front yard. Then you’ll be the one who moans and groans.

Billy Aldridge is one of the doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful hints and how-to videos, visit their site at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com