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pipeproblems · Jan 27, 2006, 07:32 PM

Hi there,
Recently the pipes in our house have started banging. My initial thoughts were loosely hanging pipes or water hammer. I secured the pipes better/tighter with hangers, but the problem continues. Water hammer would be a possible idea, except it only seems to happen from the toilet pipes and only when the toilet STARTS flushing, not when it finishes filling like water hammer. Otherwise the bang is loud and sounds like water hammer. Any ideas?

Sincerely frustrated ;)

speedball1 · Jan 28, 2006, 07:43 AM

I assume that you have a regular float ball ballcock. It sounds like the washer may be loose and the water going by is setting up a "chatter" situation or you have a small pebble cought in the supply line that the flow of water bang against the seat when the ballcock kicks on. Try this. Shut the water of the tank, unscrew the three screws on top of the ballcock and lift the float ball and washer assembly up and out. Check too see if the washer is seated correctly and that the seat is clear. Now place a pan over the open ballcock and turn the water back on to flush out the supply line.
Reassemble and give it a flush. Sound better now? Regards, Tom

pipeproblems · Jan 28, 2006, 09:53 AM

Speedball1, to answer your question about the ballcock the toilet doesn't have a metal ballcock assembly as I remember them but rather has a styrofoam float that raises a flap. Same concept I guess but I wanted to mention it in case it made a diff.
I looked at the gasket on the bottom of the "flap" and it does appear that it is stretched or not seated well. Problem#1, so I will replace this although being all plastic it doesn't appear that there are any screws present. I will figure this part out. ;)
Some additional investigation has brought up that probably due to the gasket problem the water level in the tank decreases very slowly. Eventually there is a trickle of water in to refill the tank to the correct level. At the start of this refill there is also the familiar BANG. To me this would seem to imply that while the flap gasket will fix the slow leaking, the bang must be related to something else... something on the intake part of the toilet system. Thoughts?

Sincerely frustrated.

speedball1 · Jan 28, 2006, 11:01 AM

You might replace the flapper if it seeps a bit but the ball cock is a long way from being the flapper. Are we on the same page here? The ballcock lets water into the tank while the flapper lets it out. You problem sounds like it's in the supply system, you're addressing the drainage system. Regards, Tom