Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    JackStraw's Avatar
    JackStraw Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Jan 27, 2007, 12:14 PM
    Strange pipe noise.
    Hello. I'm living in a 2 story house with 1 bathroom on the 2nd floor and one in the basement. We keep getting these increasingly loud pulsating sound throughout the main water pipes. It lasts about 10-15 seconds and happens inconsistantly about every 20 minutes. One of the effects that it has is that it forces air bubbles up through the toilet tank in the 2nd floor bathroom. It also makes the water pressure in the shower pulse while this is going on.

    Can anyone give me some troubleshooting tips to help figure this issue out?

    Thanks in advance,
    -Jack
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
    		  
    #2

    Jan 28, 2007, 02:44 PM
    Jack, Are you on a pump or city water? Cheers, Tom
    JackStraw's Avatar
    JackStraw Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #3

    Jan 29, 2007, 07:39 AM
    I am on city plumbing.

    I fixed the thrusting problem. There was a filler system in the upstairs toilet tank that looked like this:



    I replaced it with one that looks like this:




    What exactly that old one was doing that would cause such a ruckus through the house, I have no clue. There is a new noise now in the upstairs toilet, a whoooshing sound that lasts 1-3 seconds that happens about every 5-10 minutes. It's as if water is slowly leaking through the flapper, eventually causing the valve to open and let a very tiny amount of replacement water to come in. I can't hear any kind of leak or tickle coming from the toilet between 'whoooshes' that would indicate a defective flapper. I guess I'll replace it anyway and see if that fixes the problem.
    iamgrowler's Avatar
    iamgrowler Posts: 1,421, Reputation: 110
    Ultra Member
    		  
    #4

    Jan 29, 2007, 07:58 PM
    Did you adjust the new ballcock correctly?

    The water level in the tank should be about an inch below the overflow tube of the Douglas valve.
    JackStraw's Avatar
    JackStraw Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #5

    Jan 29, 2007, 09:27 PM
    Well, I adjusted the ballcock to the highest point (allowing highest possible water level) when I first installed it and it's still 2-2.5 inches below the top of the overflow tube. Do I need to purchase a 'taller' fill value?
    iamgrowler's Avatar
    iamgrowler Posts: 1,421, Reputation: 110
    Ultra Member
    		  
    #6

    Jan 29, 2007, 09:37 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by JackStraw
    Well, i adjusted the ballcock to the highest point (allowing highest possible water level) when i first installed it and it's still 2-2.5 inches below the top of the overflow tube. Do i need to purchase a 'taller' fill value?
    No, I'd look elsewhere.

    Is water leaking past the flapper valve, causing the ballcock to cycle?

    As for the pulsating sound -- This is usually indicative of a worn washer vibrating against the seat -- Usually in a fixture shut-off valve.
    JackStraw's Avatar
    JackStraw Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #7

    Jan 30, 2007, 07:35 AM
    I can't hear water leaking through the flapper. I sat there and watched it last night and I can't see the water level change or the ballcock dropping between cycles. One interesting effect I did notice is that air bubbles shoot out of he bottom of the ballcock stem when the water turns on. Is it possible air is getting in the line and filtering up? Could having a build-up of air inside the stem cause the valve to open? Then again, there is no sound of sputtering air coming out with the water when the valve is turned on...

    Thanks for your time!
    -Scott
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
    		  
    #8

    Jan 30, 2007, 08:29 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by JackStraw
    Well, i adjusted the ballcock to the highest point (allowing highest possible water level) when i first installed it and it's still 2-2.5 inches below the top of the overflow tube. Do i need to purchase a 'taller' fill value?
    2 to 2 1/2" below the white overflow tube won't give you the volume needed for a good flush. If you can't adjust the FluidMaster ballcock any higher then I would opt for a new ballcock. Let us know. Regards, Tom
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Noise in pipes and refrigerator noise with water chugging out of drink mechanism [ 4 Answers ]

Originally, we heard a noise from the refrigerator once in a while, changed the filter which lessened the noise. Now we hear a chugging in the pipes in our bedroom ceiling, kitchen ceiling and in both bath rooms. It occurs occasionally. One night we shut off the hot water heater and it was...

Strange toilet noise [ 3 Answers ]

Hi, My toilet is scaring people away. Every time after I flush, it makes the strangest, loud noise. I think it might have something to do with the water pressure... because it only happens when I flush and it stops once the toilet stops filling. The noise was bareable before but now its...

Dryer Making Strange Noise [ 2 Answers ]

:confused: My GE Electric Dryer is making a strang "ching-ching" noise with each rotation. But there is nothing in the clothes that would explain this noise. (It is doing this with every load). It is drying the clothes fine, but the noise is very loud and annoying. What is wrong?

Strange noise [ 3 Answers ]

there is a strange noise that randomly occurs in the morning in my house. It sounds like a jack hammer. It is most prominent in my master bedroom bathroom, where there is a vent on the low part of the wall, but I can't figure out where it's coming from. My furnace and ac are not on and haven't been...

Gurgling Noise from old pipe [ 3 Answers ]

I have an old pipe in the basement that was used as a drain off from a washing machine. When I flush the toilet upstairs I can hear the water gurgling in this old pipe. Why is that and how can I stop it? Thanks, Mike :confused:

View more questions Search