Sugar Magnolia Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 About every 3-4 hours our pipes in the wall between our downstairs and upstairs bang like really loud. What's up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Not sure at all but could it have something to do with temperature. Like air temperature around the pipes versus water temperature traveling through them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneymakers Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Toilet flapper in commode needs to be replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 About every 3-4 hours our pipes in the wall between our downstairs and upstairs bang like really loud. What's up? I have a "Water hammer" problem in my house. On one of the pipes the guy that fixed a leak years ago never secured the pipe back to a stud/rafter after he fixed the leak and now it's not easily accessible. A few months ago the wife said "Every time I shut off the kitchen sink I hear a BANG!". I wrote it off to being the male chauvinist that I am thinking she's over-reacting. Then I heard it. It could have awakened the dead! Went down stairs and found that a thing that anchors the pipe from the kitchen just released itself from the floor joist. I went down and re-secured it w/ my trusty hammer and voila no water hammer in that pipe. Advice: Look around your plumbing for a loose anchor (not sure of the correct term). Hope that helps. FWIW...I have heard of installing a "Water Damper" or "Air Trap" at the main can help, but I never confirmed that. Skippy? FJ? Alchico? Bunz? other guys in the know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Toilet flapper in commode needs to be replaced. Okay, this could make sense since it sounds like it is coming from the toilet in the powder room when we are upstairs (we have a reverse living house so main living area is upstairs). So, where is this toilet flapper thing and can it be replaced by a Puddy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Okay, this could make sense since it sounds like it is coming from the toilet in the powder room when we are upstairs (we have a reverse living house so main living area is upstairs). So, where is this toilet flapper thing and can it be replaced by a Puddy? I think I know of two. One at the base of the terlet and one in the back tank. I'm not sure which one he's referencing, probably the one that requires removing the toilet from the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I'm not a plumber but this explanation goes along with what RR was saying. How Stuff Works - Banging Pipes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 (edited) I'm not a plumber but this explanation goes along with what RR was saying. How Stuff Works - Banging Pipes I'm no plumber either, but loose pipes seem the most logical. And the biggest pain in the a$$ unless you are like rr and know which pipe it is. It happens every so often in our kitchen sink and water does not run for a second. Out plumber and the city say air pocket on that one, which makes sense as the cure is to bleed the line by turning the faucet off then back on slowly. Good luck. I'd call someone who knows what they are doing. Edited July 12, 2009 by Clubfoothead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchico Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Okay, this could make sense since it sounds like it is coming from the toilet in the powder room when we are upstairs (we have a reverse living house so main living area is upstairs). So, where is this toilet flapper thing and can it be replaced by a Puddy? The flapper is the rubber piece in the tank that lifts up when you push the handle to flush the toilet. To check if it's the toilet causing the problem just shut the angle stop (valve on the wall behind the toilet) to isolate the toilet and see if this solves the problem. You may have to replace the flush valve(inside the tank) and/or the flapper. If this doesn't stop the noise it's probably a washer in one of your faucets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeohiostate Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 you can install shock absorbers real cheap , also check to see if you have an expansion tank on your water distribution system , usually located by the heater or main supply fed into house. These need to be pressurized by a tire pump occasionally . If you don't have an expansion tank, I would recommend adding it, cost for parts is $30 , you can purchase shark bite fittings to make the connection to the copper or plastic lines so no plumbing skills are needed. Before doing this, I'd shake the pipes in the general area you hear the noise coming from, may just need to add a talon strap on the lines , might be hitting duct work or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneymakers Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 lift toilet lid. it is on top of tank. look inside. chain on flapper maybe too long or short. . flapper can be changed out without turning off water. it may splash a little. one way to tell if flapper is bad is to check level of toilet in tank. turn water off. if level of water goes down after a few hours than the water is leaking out under the flapper. changing the flapper is really no big deal. if you cant your neighbor can. flappers wear out. pipes dont magically come loose from the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I may be a little late but................... 1) If you hear the "hammer" every so often without someone using water you could have a flapper leaking and the commode refilling itself. However, a bad flapper would not cause the hammer. It could be a bad Fill Valve. It could also be a loose pipe as mentioned. 2) Now, if you turn on a faucet and the hammer happens after you shut it off it could be a loose pipe or a loose washer in that faucet. You can install "air chambers" to help prevent the problem. My question is: Did you have any work done to the water lines recently? Do you have a circ pump in the house? If so did you recently lose electric power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 I may be a little late but................... 1) If you hear the "hammer" every so often without someone using water you could have a flapper leaking and the commode refilling itself. However, a bad flapper would not cause the hammer. It could be a bad Fill Valve. It could also be a loose pipe as mentioned. 2) Now, if you turn on a faucet and the hammer happens after you shut it off it could be a loose pipe or a loose washer in that faucet. You can install "air chambers" to help prevent the problem. My question is: Did you have any work done to the water lines recently? Do you have a circ pump in the house? If so did you recently lose electric power? It happens ramdomly when no one has used this bathroom recently. it hardly gets used since it's a powder room. No work done recently or loss of power. No circular pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 one way to tell if flapper is bad is to check level of toilet in tank.turn water off. if level of water goes down after a few hours than the water is leaking out under the flapper. Or put a couple of drops of food coloring in the tank. If it's a bad flapper, you will see the food coloring in the bowl within a few minutes. Lots of good info here, Sugar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Or put a couple of drops of food coloring in the tank. If it's a bad flapper, you will see the food coloring in the bowl within a few minutes.Lots of good info here, Sugar. yep, thats the best way to check. Sounds like the flapper is bad causing water to seep out the tank. When the tank fills it is causing the "hammer" noise you are hearing. I would replace the flapper and fill valve. The parts should cost about $15 but that depends on what type of commode you have. Most can take the Korky flapper and the Fluidmaster. However, you have the Mansfield type as well as the Americiann Standard that I also see in my area. Just be sure to get what you have. Also check the flush lever to see if that is broken. Sometimes the lever stays connected but drops loer than it should. The chain from the flapper (depending on the type) gets caught under the flapper causing the water to seep out. Open the tank top and take a few pics and we can go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 yep, thats the best way to check. Sounds like the flapper is bad causing water to seep out the tank. When the tank fills it is causing the "hammer" noise you are hearing. I would replace the flapper and fill valve. The parts should cost about $15 but that depends on what type of commode you have. Most can take the Korky flapper and the Fluidmaster. However, you have the Mansfield type as well as the Americiann Standard that I also see in my area. Just be sure to get what you have. Also check the flush lever to see if that is broken. Sometimes the lever stays connected but drops loer than it should. The chain from the flapper (depending on the type) gets caught under the flapper causing the water to seep out. Open the tank top and take a few pics and we can go from there. More good info. FWIW...We had a plumber over fixing the valve in my wifes tub/shower. Man was I glad I didn't try to tackle that job. He's an old guy (60 yo ) and watched him thru the whole process. He was having what I would call difficulties. He reassured me (his words) "No valve ever beat my ass in forty years!" Nice guy. Anyway the repair was perfect, but the tools he pulled out of his bag I never saw. Then he asked "I have 20 more minutes on the hour...Got anything else?". So the wife tells him about the toidy in our bedroom going on every so often (for the last 5 months). My macho kicked in and I said I can replace the flapper, dammit, no biggie! The plumber said ain't gonna cost you no more in labor and why do you think the flapper is bad? So I conceded. He put some dye in and the bowl was clear after 10 minutes! He said "That's what I thought! It's not the flapper it's the chain and handle.". He made some adjustments and the toidy has been fine ever since. I gots me a good plumber! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 More good info.FWIW...We had a plumber over fixing the valve in my wifes tub/shower. Man was I glad I didn't try to tackle that job. He's an old guy (60 yo ) and watched him thru the whole process. He was having what I would call difficulties. He reassured me (his words) "No valve ever beat my ass in forty years!" Nice guy. Anyway the repair was perfect, but the tools he pulled out of his bag I never saw. Then he asked "I have 20 more minutes on the hour...Got anything else?". So the wife tells him about the toidy in our bedroom going on every so often (for the last 5 months). My macho kicked in and I said I can replace the flapper, dammit, no biggie! The plumber said ain't gonna cost you no more in labor and why do you think the flapper is bad? So I conceded. He put some dye in and the bowl was clear after 10 minutes! He said "That's what I thought! It's not the flapper it's the chain and handle.". He made some adjustments and the toidy has been fine ever since. I gots me a good plumber! About 2 weeks ago when I had got home from work I sat down and kicked back. Suddenly I get this phone call from a regular. HIM: "Hey Joe, I kinda got an emergency." ME: "Whats up?' HIM: "I tried to replace the washers in my tub and now the water is shooting out and I can't stop it." ME: "You mean you didn't shut off the water?" HIM: "I don't have any valves behind the tub and I don't have a valve to the whole house or a key for the city water." ME: I was glad he only lived about 5 minutes from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 About 2 weeks ago when I had got home from work I sat down and kicked back. Suddenly I get this phone call from a regular. HIM: "Hey Joe, I kinda got an emergency." ME: "Whats up?' HIM: "I tried to replace the washers in my tub and now the water is shooting out and I can't stop it." ME: "You mean you didn't shut off the water?" HIM: "I don't have any valves behind the tub and I don't have a valve to the whole house or a key for the city water." ME: I was glad he only lived about 5 minutes from me. Cha...ching! Easy money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) So, I just heard the noise again coming out of the toidy. It sounds like a 350 lb linebacker wretching, ready to upchuck in my commode. Does this help? BTW. no one has used the toilet all day, including a 350 lb linebacker. Edited July 13, 2009 by Sugar Magnolia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 So, I just heard the noise again coming out of the toidy. It sounds like a 350 lb linebacker wretching, ready to upchuck in my commode. Does this help? BTW. no one has used the toilet all day, inculding a 350 lb linebacker. That would be a big LBer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 That would be a big LBer. okay I exagerrated-a 250 lb linebacker--but it sounded like he was wretching really bad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 So, I just heard the noise again coming out of the toidy. It sounds like a 350 lb linebacker wretching, ready to upchuck in my commode. Does this help? BTW. no one has used the toilet all day, including a 350 lb linebacker. If the flapper is bad then it will leak even if no one uses it causing the toilet to fill. Check the flapper as stated above and replace the fill valve since it is the likely cause of noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I'd check the flapper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 I'd check the flapper. If it was the flapper, wouldn't you hear water running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneymakers Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 If it was the flapper, wouldn't you hear water running? No your pipes would bang. check the flapper already. you can check it faster than it takes to post on the huddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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