The reason for noisy plumbing and other unexplained sounds.
Having noisy plumbing in your property is not always a product of a supernatural occurrence, sound is often used by plumbers as a diagnostic tool to identify plumbing problems. Noisy plumbing is a clear indication that there is a problem associated with the water supply in your property. This is usually associated with the mains incoming water supply and its outlets rather than the waist/sanitary side of the plumbing.
For example some toilet inlet valves contained within the cistern are fitted with a plastic membrane this is used to reduce the sound of water splashing as the cistern is filled. A damaged or faulty valve will become noisy with the endless sound of running water. This is not a noisy process under normal circumstances, it usually cuts off after about two minutes. The sound of a toilet refilling is quite normal, it is dampened with the cistern ceramics encasing its inner working mechanism.
To achieve an adequate flow rate at a water outlet requires a combination of factors one these being pipe diameter the other a driving force i.e. pressure. Whenever a toilet replenishes its water supply immediately after a flush, the sudden closure of the toilet inlet valve will bring the pressurised water supply to a stop. This process can be noisy the intense force of water pressure can be transferred through losing fitted pipework creating a banging noise each time the toilet has been flushed.
Noisy boiler and central heating pipework below flooring.
A malfunctional boiler will indicate a fault via a code, this will usually be displayed on the facia panel of the boiler whenever it stops working. If this process is accompanied with extreme irregularity in sound i.e a nosiy boiler, this is a definite sign that there is a serious problem. A nosiy boiler should be turned off, unlike plumbing a nosiy boiler is not just annoying it can be dangerous. A boiler could be dangerous and needs to be handled by a qualified gas safe engineer. The best course of action is to turn it off and enlist the services of a gas engineer. There are numerus reason why a boiler becomes noisy, sound accompanied by diagnostic electrical checks will help a engineer decipher the exact cause of the problem.
Its quite common to hear sounds when a boiler fires up and your radiators start to warm up. The expansion of the water contained within the heating system when heated up will inturn through heat and expansion affect the surrounding pipework. A crackling sound below flooring where the central heating pipework is situated is common, tightly installed pipework pressing against rafters and wooden flooring will create this sound. To eliminate a problem such as this may require the removal of flooring or any other obstructive barrier covering the affected pipework. Padding between joist and the flooring accompanied with an expansion gap to allow movement. This accompanied with the added sound insulation of securing the flooring will bring the cracking sound associated with central heating pipework below flooring to a minimum.
How to turn off a noisy boiler in an emergency.
Most boiler are turned on and off by either a button or a knob situated on the facia panel. This is usually a very simple process by either pressing a button or turning a knob to the off setting this should be clearly marked giving the user the simplicity of the on and off control or if you are aware of the location of the fuse spur turn your appliance off from there. If in doubt refer to the user manual where there will be full instructions on how to use the appliance.
