How to stop water pipes from making noise

If your house is occasionally filled with the sounds of banging, clanging, whistling and rattling, you may have a problem with your pipes. Noisy pipes can make all types of sounds from a tiny tap to outright wailing. Below you will find solutions to the six most common causes for noisy pipes as well as some quick methods to solving them.

Check inlet valves if you hear a whistling when water is running. The whistling is caused when water is forced into a narrow at the valve. Inlet valves can be found underneath toilets and sinks, behind washing machines and behind refrigerators.

Insulate pipes if you hear a soft ticking or cracking. The noise may be caused by a cold pipe suddenly changing temperature when it is filled with hot water.

Replace the washer on your faucet if you hear a soft rattling sound similar to the sound of a machine gun when it is turned on.

Wrap your pipes with rubber or tighten the screws on the pipe clamps if you hear a banging when you turn on the water. Generally, you can identify which pipes are the cause of the banging because you will literally see them moving when you turn on the water.

Turn down the setting on your hot water heater if you hear a knocking sound when you turn on the hot water. The sound is caused when steam goes through the system.

Drain your air chamber if you hear a loud bang when you turn water on. The noise is known as water hammer and it may mean that water has entered your air chamber. To drain your air chamber, turn off the water at the main water supply valve. Then, open the lowest faucet in your home. You will also want to flush the toilets and turn on the washing machine and dishwasher for a few seconds to ensure that the pipes are drained. Don't forget to turn them off once they have drained. Then, turn the water back on.