I just had a plumber install a hot water recirculating pump. He ran pipe from the furtherest point and installed the return into the bottom of the electric hot water heater. He also installed a check valve on the cold water pipe going into the heater. I am now expericening noisy water pipes. Also we had to drain the heater to do this. Can anyone help?

It sounds like you have what is known as "water hammer". Whenever the pumps turns OFF, the water stops flowing suddenly and the shock wave travels through the plumbing system of your house.

You need a "water hammer arrester". These can be found at DIY stores (such as Lowe's) for around $10. Here is a link.

It consists of a small air chamber which acts as a shock absorber.

Installation would require a tee fitting where your water line goes into the recirc pump. You may have to put an arrester on each side of the pump for best result. If you are having a plumber do the work, the small additional cost for the second one is probably a lot less than a second trip by the plumber.

Best of luck!
Wally H.

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I am now expericening noisy water pipes

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Please explain "noisy"? Large one time bang? Buncha small bangs? Crackling? Tapping? Creaking? I could go on and on but you get the idea. Different causes make different sounds. What's yours sound like? Tom

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Originally Posted by Harold1

I just had a plumber install a hot water recirculating pump. He ran pipe from the furtherest point and installed the return into the bottom of the electric hot water heater. He also installed a check valve on the cold water pipe going into the heater. I am now expericening noisy water pipes. Also we had to drain the heater to do this. Can anyone help?

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Further explanation of problem. The noisy pipes is only when you turn water on in the house. It is not the recirculationg pump. I have never experienced this problem before this installation.

Wondering if you can follow the pipe from start to end of run? I would start by looking to see if the plumber hung his pipes properly. Wherever you can see the pipes... push them a little... do they make noise... rattle them a bit (I said a bit now... ;) )... what happens?

Check to see if running up tight against holes, other pipes... that kind of stuff. I do not think any bumpers in your house are not working as you guys obviously drained the pipes to do the job.. so like I said... chase out his work and then get back to us.

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Air in the pipes that got in when system was drained.

What is being said is that when you drained the water heater, you restored the air in the air chambers, on the hot side at least. This was a good thing, so you problem is unlikely to be "water hammer". Water hammer is a "thunk" or bang when when you turn off a fast acting valve such as a single lever faucet or a toilet shuts off. What is suspected is that the new pipes were not suspended and secured properly and are rattling or vibrating against something. Please describe the noise.

My home is on a slab. Only a few pipes are above the slab. Those pipes are the ones that is making noise. The house is 9 years old and it is the first time I have experienced this. The pipes react to any water valve, hot or cold, that is turned on and off. It stopped one day but the next day it started again. This trouble only begin when a hot water recirculaing pump was installed. The system was drained during the installation. I thought it might be air in the lines. Now I do not know. Any help.

Harold... call the plumber back.. see what he says. That is my first recommendation at this point.

One thing you could try would be to shut water heater (gas off too, or electric off) and drain it to below check valve level. Then using two wrenches remove the check assembly from the check valve... remove the check plate inside the cap if possible and teflon and replace cap into check valve body. Fill the system and check to see if you are getting same sounds... bet you're not..?

May be a defective check valve or it may have been placed inline incorrectly. Anyway... it really seems to me that it is the plumber's issue if noise was not present prior to recirc. Line installation.

Let us know what happens.. ok?