Pipes Roaring

[ob12013]

Over the last couple of weeks our pipes have started making a roaring noise, as if water is being drawn. Its loudest in the bathroom and under the kitchen sink. Initially this was a dull noise, hard to hear and intermittent but now its considerably louder and constant, regardless of whether the heating is on or any taps are running...Should i call a plumber? Thank you

 

[HERTS P&D]

"Should i call a plumber?


Or a priest.

Andy

 

[45yearsagasman]

If you have a water meter, then when not using ANY water inside the house, check that the meter is not spinning. If it is, you have a leak.

 

[ob12013]

Thank you for your reply, we don't have a water meter, but i do know of another test to prove a leak, but i'm a bit dubious if i'm honest, if thts the case...surely we'd have seen evidence of it by now...is there nothing else it could be?...

 

[GavThePlumber]

What is your other test?

 

[ob12013]

Something about turning the stopcock off, then filling a glass of water, submerging the end of the tap and then open the valve...if the water is sucked back, then there's an internal leak...if its not, well, then i don't know what really?...

 

[Galoka]

Probably not a leak on your internal pipework, as you say, you'd probably have seen something by now.

but other thoughts?

Does your water main run under the floor of the house at all, could that be leaking? would an underground leak cause such a noise (I've no idea), any eternal pipes/taps in the garden?

Is you water main shared, the sound could be from a problem someone else has?

Might be worth getting your water co. to check for leaks in your supply. This is normally free.

 

[ob12013]

As far as i know, the water, i think, is shared...at least that's my assumption, we have no external stop valve to switch the mains off to the house i.e. an independent tap out the front...but I'm not sure if that means we share the same intake as our neighbours...

Our main runs up through the kitchen, through a concrete floor...the noise can be heard here too, although not as loud...our external tap runs straight off that...

I will ask the neighbors this eve if they're experiencing the same problem, if they are, that could mean its a problem externally, in which case, i may contact the water co... as yet though, there are no reports off any leaks on the website...which may suggest something else...

Just to confirm the noise is loudest under the kitchen sink, and at the base of the towel rail in the bathroom, actually under the floor...is this a characteristic of something else...

 

[Galoka]

Even if the neighbours have noticed no problem, doesn't mean your problem is in your house - water noise is a funny thing. I am reminded of apost on her previously where someone was having noises in their pipes when the neighbours drew water, but the neighbours didn't suffer. We have two incomers off one mains (used to be two houses many moons ago). We get noise in one ipipe when there is a draw from the other, but not vice versa.


I'd just ring them, tell them them about the noise and that yo can't see anything wrong in your house and see if they think it might be an external leak and if they will come and have a look. (I think this sort of basic leak checking is free for all companies, it'll say on their website).

Website means little, that's only the leaks they know about and are important enough to mention.