Cold mains pipe clunking noise

[JohnL24]

Hi everyone,

Got an is issue that I would like some advice on.
I had a leaking tap on the upstairs bath, so I shut the water of and removed the tap to find out the rubber washer had perished, do I put everything back together opened the mains again went to shop and got replacement washers. Got home shut the water off again and replaced the washer. All seems good.

When I turned the shower top on the water just shot out she shower head like a canon I think there was air in it and this was a similar case on the other taps as well.

Now I got an issue where if I turn the cold tap of anywhere in the house the mains pipe clunks! But it also started doing it on its own every minute or so it will randomly clunk as well without any water running, it has never done this in the past.

What's happening?

 

[Madrab]

You are getting water hammer (usually loose pipes somewhere or the jumper on the mains tap is bouncing) Do you remember if the tap was fully open or turned down before you shut it off? The tap may have been closed a bit to reduce the flow.

 

[JohnL24]

I don't think it was funny open but possibly more than I have now.
I've closed off the main tap as much as I can, anything more makes the pressure to weak to be used properly.

I also don't get why it's clunking when water is not used

 

[Madrab]

Clunking when not used could be coming from the mains, you're not the only one on that mains supply so shock waves could be coming from a neighbour.

 

[JohnL24]

It's definitely the mains as that's the pipe that appears to be the one creating the noise. No sure if this is something that I have done. Sadly not easy to get to.

 

[JohnL24]

Not sure if it's related but a few times I also noticed that the boiler switched on briefly when cold tap was turned off.

 

[JohnL24]

Well this is odd, last night me and wife were trying to locate where exactly the clunking was coming from and she was turning the tap off and on again for a while and out of nowhere the clunking stopped!
However it didn't last long as it has just come back :S what is happening?

 

[Alec_t]

Water-hammer can result if an inlet valve on a toilet, or the ball-valve on a cold-water cistern in the loft, fails to shut off the water properly. Maybe a new washer there is all that's needed?

 

[denso13]

If it is when all taps are used and when none it suggests the main stopcock or noise form next door, as mentioned by @Madrab. Normally a dodgy tap or fill valve would only happen when that one alone is used.

 

[JohnL24]

It happens with any tap in the house and also the random clunking which I do think is the neighbours.
Got a combi boiler, so no atic cisterns.

 

[SpecialK]

I had this after turning off the main stopcock. Needed a new washer inside! Put a screwdriver to your ear and to the stopcock and turn on/off the taps quickly

 

[JohnL24]

I had this after turning off the main stopcock. Needed a new washer inside! Put a screwdriver to your ear and to the stopcock and turn on/off the taps quickly

How did you do that? How did you stop the water coming to your house?

 

[bourbon]

There is usually a tap on the pavement outside