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Original poster

Pipes banging!

13 replies

jojosapphire · 04/08/2016 18:50

Hi all,
We finally moved in to our new house on monday. Every time we run water hot or cold we hear a loud bang and can't identify which pipe it is. After a quick google we have tried draining the system with no luck! Any ideas?

Thanks jo

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 04/08/2016 23:29

Have you got a hot water cylinder? What colour?

Have you got a loft tank? What size? Black plastic?

Does the kitchen cold tap cause the bang? Does the WC cistern filling up? Do both hot and cold bathroom taps do it?

How old is the house?

PigletJohn · 04/08/2016 23:30

Is it one bang or repeated knocking or drumming?

Original poster
jojosapphire · 05/08/2016 07:02

Hi piglet, no tanks at all and its one bang every time we run any water from all taps and toilets!

OP posts:
Original poster
jojosapphire · 05/08/2016 07:03

Oh and was built in the 70's....

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lilydaisyrose · 05/08/2016 07:04

Ours/our neighbours' pipes do this - we think it's thewater pressure and has happened since we got a new boiler.

PigletJohn · 05/08/2016 12:31

does it happen when you turn the tap off? (not on)

have you got ceramic taps with levers (not screw-down capstans)?

Put your thumb over the spout of the bathroom tap and turn it on. What happens?

Are there any disused old pipes visible, for example where the airing cupboard used to be, or in the loft, or where a bathroom or sink used to be?

Are you relatively near the bottom of a hill or in a valley?

Sooverthis · 05/08/2016 15:58

My house does this and we've had a new boiler and new radiators fitted reading this thread I've realised it when we toilet cistern refills. At night it's quite loud dh thought we had a water pump I find it almost relaxing at night, drives him barmy. Be interested in the answers might tell him might not

PigletJohn · 05/08/2016 18:26

If you get a thump when the WC cistern reaches "full" that's very easy to fix.

Take off the lid (if you have a cistern with a push button in the top you will make a note never to buy one again) and look at the fill valve. If you are raunchy you can call it a ballcock.

It will either connect to an inlet pipe coming in from the side, or on a stalk coming up through the bottom of the cistern. Side is easier. examine the fill pipe outside the cistern. If you are lucky it will have a service valve that you can turn off by turning the plastic lever or the screw head so that is at right-angle to the pipe. Lever is easier.

You are going to buy and fit a new fill valve. "Torbeck" is very quiet, but the newer "Fluidmaster" is probably better. Armitage shanks is a copy of the Torbeck. Observe that it does not look the same as the old brass ballcock with a long arm and a round float.

The ones with a brass shank are better as you are less likely to cross-thread the nut and make it leak.

You can buy one in a DIY shed if you want to pay double.

If you are not fond of DIY, your friendly local plumber can fit one in his sleep.

Original poster
jojosapphire · 06/08/2016 10:17

Yes about a secound after the tap goes off. Most are ceramic taps but one is a screw down and it still does it with this tap.
The bathroom tap just sprays everywhere but doesnt make a bang when i do this...
Yes we are in a valley sort of. I havent found any redundant pipes yet but i suppose there could be under the mountains of insulation in the loft.
Thanks jo

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 06/08/2016 10:35

I think the problem is caused by unusually high pressure and/or loose pipes.

Low-down home means the pressure is higher due to height difference between supply and home

You can get a water-hammer shock arrestor fitted to the pipes. If it is a common problem in your area, an experienced local plumber will have come across it before and tried some solutions.

However I would start by finding all the pipes and ensuring they are securely fixed to walls or joists so they can't vibrate. This is fairly easy, I expect the pipes will be in 15mm copper (some pipes to the bath or boiler might be 22mm copper) and you can get hard plastic pipe clips which are attached with a single screw (if you can't get behind the pipe, use clips with two screws). Buy a bag of 50 or a hundred, they aren't expensive unless you buy them in tiny quantities. If you have any that are really difficult, you can buy brass Munsen Rings with an adjustable brass stem. They are somewhat expensive.

If you grab hold of a pipe while someone turns a tap off you might be able to identify an area that is banging badly.

While you're at it, you may as well put insulating lagging on them, it will reduce heat loss and may muffle the noise.

Original poster
jojosapphire · 07/08/2016 22:31

Thanks, unfortunately most pipes are hidden so would mean floorboards up etc. We have found a capped off pipe in the airing cupboard.... We were hoping not to have to get a plumber in untill we start on an extention but DH cant put up with the bang... So im going to get a new cloakroom basin fitted at the same time!

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 08/08/2016 00:19

well start with all the visible pipes, especially those near a tap. It won't be a radiator pipe.

Usually a clip every metre is enough, but where there is an angle, e.g. vertical to horizontal in a "L" shape, do both arms of the "L"

You say you have an airing cupboard. Do you have a hot-water cylinder? What colour? Is there a white metal expansion tank near it? Does its pipe vibrate with the bang?

Original poster
jojosapphire · 08/08/2016 07:10

No there is no cylinder any more, just a small radiator. Im guessing it was removed when the combi was fitted in 1994!

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