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SMD5950 · Mar 12, 2008, 08:48 AM

We have random pipe pinging noises in our master bedroom bath mostly in the early morning between 3 and 6. They can be faint and several seconds or louder, trailing off to nothing. They are never the same. Last night this occurred at least 15 times over 2 hours. Pipes have been checked and there's no problem that we can see. Our house is built on ledge with lots of rocks and chipmunks under the front lawn (which slopes down). Could these critters be playing or running on the pipes? We've lived here for 4 years and this started only 2 months ago. I need to get some sleep. Thanks for any thoughts on this problem. Sue

massplumber2008 · Mar 12, 2008, 03:27 PM

Hi SMD5950:

I doubt that animals are causing the pinging noises. Can you tell me if these noises are strictly associated with water being used in the house? How about heat.. what kind of heat system..

Pipes can make all kinds of noise if they have been hung so well that they do not allow for expansion and contraction.

Get back to me with information asked... will see what we can do to help you get back to sleep! Talk soon... MARK

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speedball1 · Mar 12, 2008, 03:42 PM

Here's another take on your problem. Knocking, popping, creaking and crackling pipes are a common complaint, especially in colder weather. I can tell you what's happening and take the mystery out of it but you're not going to like the repair. When a draw is made on a hot water line the line expands against a pipe strap next to a stud and when you drain hot water from your tub or shower it goes into a chase that is a little cooler then room temperature. The heat expands the pipe causing it to rub against the stud to which it is pipe strapped. This is the sound you hear. As it cools it contracts and the noise is heard again. To repair it you must tear open the walls and locate the pipe strap that's causing the problem and shim it tight. Most people when they learn what causes it just elect to live with it. Regards, Tom

It happens between 3 and 6 in the morning, after evryone has been in bed for a few hours. No water has been running and it's very random--some nights, nothing at all. It does not seem to have anything to do with weather (rain, wind, etc.).
Any other thoughts? I still think the chipmunks are having a party on the underground pipes...
Sue

Let's see, about 3 AM everything starts to cool down. Does it do it more when the weather changes? I hate to keep correcting razor but air in the lines would'nt cause a "pinging" and if you did have air in the lines you wouldn't haqve to drain the system to bleed the air out. Siumply open the topmost hot and cold and let it run. Air will always raise to the highest branch.

razor96 · Mar 12, 2008, 03:43 PM

Just a question so I can get an idea of what is happening , do you have an irrigation/sprinkler system? It doesn't really matter if you do or not but sometime they make the pipes move when it is on. Other than that I would try turning off the main water and turn on on the taps until completely drained and then turn the water back on and wait until water comes out of the highest tap and start turning them off from the highest to lowest. This should remove any air from the lines and hopefully solve your ping problem.

hkstroud · Mar 12, 2008, 07:34 PM

I think I'll take a different approach here. Mark will call it thinking outside the box. Everyone else will just call it weird.

I am interrupting "pinging" as a metal hitting metal, ringing sound.

I don't think any animals would have a watch and I don't think they would stop any activity as quickly as you describe.

I don't think the temperature changes inside the house would be great enough to cause the pipes to move with out water being used. You would also probably describe that noise as a popping or cracking sound.

Is there any construction going on in your area, particularly any digging. If so there is probably some one working on the water system. Probably doing it at that hour to minimise the disruption to residents.

You would be surprised how far the sound will travel through the pipes even underground.

speedball1 · Mar 13, 2008, 05:28 AM

Kudos and congratulations to hkstroud! I think he nailed it. Something bothered me about this thread but I just couldn't put my finger on it until after I kicked back last night. It was the word PING. Because we get so many complaints about pipes snapping, crackling, poping moaning, etc. But hey! They don't "ping". Plastic doesn't go "ping" Even copper doesn't go "ping". Hmmmm! What goes "ping"? Well something made of metal will "ping". What do we have built into the house made of metal that can go "ping"? A Heating and AC manifold is metal and is exposed to both heat and cold,( heating and expansion) Older air ducts are made of sheet iron. A gas hot water heater has a metal flue that can flex with heat. We're so used to blaiming the pipes for weird noises that we forgot, As Harold sez, to think outside the box Maybe it's not the pipes after all. Good thinking Harold! Tom

massplumber2008 · Mar 13, 2008, 12:24 PM

Harold.. you are just plain scaring me now... to even think that... I mean.. WOW! You may not be a plumber... but you should have been. I am glad you are on board... reminds us that years and years (and in Tom's case... even more years and years... ;) ) of experience are not always enough.. huh?

Can't wait to hear what Sue thinks or can find out.

SMD5950 · Mar 13, 2008, 02:02 PM

Thanks to all you guys for your suggestions and comments. My husband is thinking the noise might be related to the 2 water towers on the hill above us. He's wondering if the town might be filling these up at that time of the morning. He's going to put a water pressure gage on the faucet right behind the meter and see if there's a fluctuation when the noise happens.

Sue

massplumber2008 · Mar 13, 2008, 04:34 PM

Not to be a smart-aker.. I swear.. OK? BUT how about just calling town hall and asking them to connect you to the water department... ;)

Harold is so cool...

Keep us posted. Thanks.

SMD5950 · Mar 13, 2008, 04:38 PM

Also, there's a large (20' by 15') rock garden on the hill that our bedroom sits on. There's a large hole (bigger than a chipmunk). We're thinking that there could be a larger critter (rabbit) living next to a pipe (the pipes are copper coming into the house right under our bedroom). The pinging almost sounds like a critter scratching away at itself while leaning on (hitting) the pipe.

(I'll bet you're all laughing at me at this point but I intend to get to the bottom of this !)
Sue

massplumber2008 · Mar 13, 2008, 04:55 PM

Sue... I promise knowone here takes loss of sleep lightly... sounds awful!

I have been teasing Harold because I knew he was right as soon as he stated it.

Call the local water department and then call pest control... please keep us posted.

SMD5950 · Apr 9, 2008, 06:36 AM

Problem solved!! I've actually had 3 nights of uninterrupted sleep !

The noise last Friday was real loud and constant. My son was able to pinpoint the problem when he turned off the main water valve and the noise stopped. He adjusted the regulator and the problem finally went away. It only occurred in the middle of the night when the pressure rose since no one in the neighborhood was using any water.

My husband called the water department and they said there have been problems in this area with faulty regulators. (Should have called them 3 months ago!! )

Thanks for the input...