Peter's Processing and Manufacturing Blog

Water is a precious commodity that everyone's needs throughout their lifetime. This is why you must use it conservatively to ensure adequate supply for everyone in the neighbourhood and beyond. It is no surprise, therefore, that water has to be shared by many people in neighbourhoods just to maximise utility and cut down on the level of extravagance. In doing so, service providers must install pressure pipes within homes and business facilities to enable high volumes of water to move through the piping network. As the water moves at high pressure, there are incidences where it generates noise and causes discomfort in offices and homes alike. Here are some instances where noise might come from pressure pipes plus what you can do about it:

Whistling

It is normal for pressure pipes to produce a whistling sound after installation. This happens when water, travelling under high pressure, moves through a restricted area of the pressure pipes. Ideally, fabricators do their homework and ensure that the whole cross-section of the pressure pipe can handle the pressure of the fluid very effectively. The problem occurs at plumbing joints and connections, which create restrictions by allowing sediments into the pipe or poor sizing of valves.

Whistling can be localised to specific valve faucets or the whole system. Localised whistling when you open a certain faucet can be eliminated by replacing the valve seat with a large one. However, whistling whenever you open any faucet indicates a problem with the main supply line. Adjust the pressure of the main valve until the water can flow through without any whistling sound.

Cracking Sound

Cracking sounds result from the persistent expansion and contraction of the pressure pipes. As hot or warm water travels through the pressure pipes, they heat up and expand. Once the flow of water ceases, the pipes cool and return to their original size. This intermittent expansion and contraction cause creaking, which can be severe in cases where the water is very hot. Thankfully, you can solve this problem by insulating the pressure pipe to enable the pipes to maintain a constant temperature even when the water is hot.

Rattling

Rattling happens when vibrations occur along pressure pipes carrying water. They are a result of loosely held pipes with bad fittings that have worn out over time or weren't fastened properly in the first place. Fastening the pipe and replacing any loose nuts will resolve this problem. Alternatively, you can put some cushions around the pipe to restrict the vibratory movements.