Bathroom pipe noises are more common than you think
Do you hear strange noises coming from your bathroom pipes? Don’t worry. You’re not alone.
In fact, unless you attend parties in a submarine or a haunted mansion, you’re likely to hear a symphony of sounds every day in your bathroom. From squealing to shrieking, trickling to gurgling, and banging to splashing, it’s a veritable concert of chaos.
And the best part is that 90% of your plumbing infrastructure is hiding behind walls, floors, ceilings, and underground, making it a true mystery to locate the source of the sounds. In older homes, the lack of sound insulation on pipes only amplifies the situation, creating a cacophony of clatter that would make a rock band blush.
However, fear not, as we are here to help you solve the mystery of what’s causing those weird, bizarre noises when you’re not even in the bathroom. So, grab your detective hat and magnifying glass, and let’s investigate!
Gurgling Sound
1- Problem :
Do you hear a gurgling sound coming from your drains? Don’t worry. It’s not your plumbing trying to tell you a joke. Well, unless you’re the client who once claimed their gurgling toilet was sarcastically mocking them. In that case, we tip our hats to your imaginative description, but we’re here to tell you that gurgling sounds are pretty common in plumbing.
Typically, these sounds originate from your drains, with the toilet pan or bathroom floor waste overflow being the usual suspects. Sometimes, the source of the gurgles can even be your overflow relief gully outside, which is not as exciting as finding a lost treasure, but still worth investigating. So, if your drains sound like a tuba player warming up, call us, and we’ll help you silence the noise.
2 – Risk of damage :
Do you hear a gurgling sound that won’t shut up? Well, that’s a sign that your plumbing might be plotting against you. Just kidding, but it’s not a good sign, either.
In fact, if you hear gurgling sounds continually, it’s a red flag that your plumbing might be on the verge of a meltdown. And if your toilet is slow to drain, like a sloth in a marathon, followed by a chorus of gurgles, then you might as well start waving the white flag. This clearly indicates that your risk level is spiking faster than a stock market crash.
Why? Because a slow-draining or gurgling toilet is either a partially blocked toilet or a blocked sewer drain, both of which can lead to a messy situation. If you keep hearing gurgles after you flush the toilet, take a shower, or run your washing machine, the chances of having an overflow of sewerage outside increase faster than a balloon filled with too much air.
And if that’s not bad enough, you might even have a sewerage overflow inside your house, which is the plumbing equivalent of a nightmare. So, please don’t wait until it’s too late. Instead, call us ASAP, and we’ll save you from a plumbing apocalypse.
3 – Diagnosing a gurgling sound :
Do you want to know what a gurgling sound means?
Imagine your plumbing system as a set of lungs trying to take a breath but failing miserably. Yes, that’s what gurgling sounds are: your sewer drains are having an asthma attack.
It’s a cry for help, a plea for air, a sign that your plumbing needs attention. If you hear a gurgle once or twice, it’s like your plumbing system just coughed and cleared its throat.
But you’re in trouble if you keep hearing it like a chronic smoker with a persistent cough. You’re in so much trouble that you should call us immediately before you have a disaster.
Trust us, blocked sewer drains are not for the faint-hearted. They make a mess that’s more unpleasant than a bad haircut, and that’s saying something. So, don’t wait until your plumbing is gasping for air. Instead, give us a call, and we’ll give your plumbing a breath of fresh air.
4 – Gurgling sound solutions :
What do overflowing sewerage and procrastination have in common? They’re both terrible ideas that will come back to haunt you.
So, if you’re dealing with blocked drains, don’t be tempted to Google DIY remedies like it’s a recipe for a cake. Trust us, and it’s not. DIY remedies only delay the inevitable, like trying to stop a leak with a roll of duct tape. It rarely works and only makes things worse.
Speaking of things getting worse, overflowing sewerage is no laughing matter. A health and safety hazard can make your family, employees, work colleagues, and neighbours run for the hills. So, don’t wait until the gurgling sound becomes a “number two” emergency. Instead, call us, and we’ll take care of your blocked drain problems quickly and effectively.
After all, we’re the plumbers who know how to flush your troubles away.
Squealing Noises
1 – Problem :
Have you ever heard a high-pitched squeal coming from your taps or pipes? It’s like a bat in your plumbing, trying to communicate with you. Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy. It’s a common problem that occurs when you use a tap or flush the toilet cistern.
And the best part? It always sounds much worse at night, like a screaming baby that won’t shut up.
Squealing noises are a high-pitched symphony of irritation.
2 – Risk of damage :
So, what’s the risk of damage? Most of the time, it’s minimal, like a mosquito buzzing in your ear.
For the most part, the squeals and shrieks are an irritant. But don’t be fooled. These sounds won’t go away. Instead, they will only worsen, like a bad houseguest who overstays their welcome.
3 – Diagnosing squealing sounds :
If you want to diagnose the problem in your taps, here’s a tip: it’s usually the tap washers or O-rings that are worn out, or the spindle lacks lubricant.
And if you have mixer taps, the mixing cartridge is likely the problem. If it’s your toilet cistern, then it’s either the cistern tap or the water inlet valve.
And if it’s the hot water valves, you’re in for a treat. Unfortunately, locating and repairing the source of the transmitted noise from hot water valves can be more frustrating than finding a needle in a haystack.
4 – Squealing sound solutions :
So, what’s the solution? If it’s the taps, you can try replacing the washer yourself, but if that doesn’t work, then call us in. Stripping and replacing mixer cartridges is not recommended for beginners.
And if it’s the hot water valves, then you need to call us because I guarantee the problem will only worsen and potentially damage other valves. Trust us, we’re the plumbers who know how to turn down the volume on your plumbing’s high-pitched symphony of irritation.
Banging Noises
1 – Problem :
Have you ever heard a loud bang when you turn on or off a tap?
It’s like a rock concert in your plumbing. Unfortunately, moving water in copper pipes always has the potential to create sound, like a drum set in your walls.
And the most common loud bang will come from a tap being turned on or off, like a cymbal crash.
But if you hear sharp banging or hammering, then in all likelihood, your copper water reticulation pipes are trying to play the drums.
2 – Risk of damage :
So, what’s the risk of damage? Ignoring banging sounds is definitely a risk.
A water hammer has the potential to flood your home, like a mosh pit gone wrong. It can break pipes or damage flexihoses, fittings, taps, and appliances like a rogue crowd surfer.
And if you hear a ticking sound that increases in intensity and diminishes, that’s the sound of pipe thermal expansion, like your plumbing system is trying to do a slow, rhythmic dance.
3 – Diagnosing banging sounds :
So, what’s the solution? First, you need to diagnose the problem, which is usually caused by faulty taps, broken tap washers, or poorly clipped pipes and can be accentuated by excessive water pressure. And if you hear any noise, it’s like an early warning system telling you to rectify the problem before damage occurs.
If you hear a ticking sound that increases in intensity and then diminishes, that is the sound generated by pipe thermal expansion and is often heard throughout the house.
This is caused by the pipe heating up when the hot tap is turned on as the hot water replaces the cold water and then cools down.
Water hammer tends to be highlighted in copper water pipes but still exists in plastic piping systems, but frequently it is diminished greatly as the plastic pipe absorbs the sounds.
4 – Banging sound solutions :
The banging from the water hammer creates a shock wave which creates enormous pressure moving at 1280 meters per second inside your pipes.
Your plumbing reticulation pipes, taps, valves and appliances are all susceptible to damage created by the impact of shock waves, even if you hear no noise.
The noise is essentially an early warning system telling you to rectify the problem before damage occurs.
Plumbing Problems: More Than Just Strange Noises
So, we’ve covered the weird and wonderful sounds you might hear from your plumbing infrastructure, like gurgling toilets, squealing taps, and banging pipes.
But there are also plenty of symptoms of plumbing issues that don’t require funny or strange noises to originate from your bathroom, like leakages and drips from taps and pipes, like a kitchen mixer tap that won’t stop singing. And if the water isn’t draining correctly down the sink, the bath, the shower, and especially down the toilet, then it’s like a traffic jam in your plumbing system.
So, what’s the solution? Look and always listen, and don’t wait until the situation becomes a plumbing emergency. If in doubt, call us, and we’ll ensure your plumbing problems are resolved quickly and efficiently, like a superhero who saves the day. After all, we’re the plumbers who know how to keep your plumbing system running smoothly without any strange noises or traffic jams.
