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OldPete

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Found this question on another forum -- thought I'd ask it here:

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Ok, here's my plumbing question:

I've got this noise coming from my basement. It's a vibration that comes and goes throughout the day. WAIT - don't say "water hammer" yet, read the rest of the problem!

It seems to be coming from the general area where my supply line enters the house. All of these pipes are connected to the floor joists for the main floor so the vibration resonates through the floor and can be easily heard in my dining room above.

We've been in this house since 1992 and never noticed this problem until we had some plumbing work done (by pros, not me!). 1) We replaced the plastic pipe from the street with copper and 2) We had a new water heater installed.

I can't really isolate the exact source of the problem. It seems to be coming through the supply line from outside the house but I'm not certain. Sometimes it seems like it's coming from the pressure reduction valve that's in the same area.

There seems to be no correlation between the noise and any use or non-use of water within the house. In other words the noise does not start immediately after a toilet is flushed or a faucet is opened or closed.

The sound is a vibration that lasts up to 30 seconds or so. It's not violent or excessively loud but if you're in my dining room you can certainly hear it.

Ideas?
 
R

Rancher

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OldPete said:
Sometimes it seems like it's coming from the pressure reduction valve that's in the same area.
PRV's will sometimes hum, or buzz, try touching it...

Rancher
 

Jadnashua

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Did they replace the water meter when they replaced the pipe? It may have a check valve in it that wasn't there before. You may also need an expansion tank.
 

hj

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Prv

A failing PRV can cause a vibration, either because it does not open fully, or has a problem trying to close when the flow stops. You could have something leaking, such as a toilet, that makes the flow start periodically.
 
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