so, we've got knocking pipes—always from what seems to be (since they're in the wall, can't be absolutely certain) the same general vicinity—the pipes that lead vertically from our downstairs bathrom (tub, sink, toilet) to our upstairs (sink, toilet). The knocks are sometimes quite loud, sometimes soft, usually four to six in rapid succession. They're not totally metallic in tone—our kids always think there's somebody at the door.
I've tried a bunch of troubleshooting stuff, like:
- draining the whole system by turning off the water into the house, opening all the faucets, low to high.
- turning off the different items in the two bathrooms, systematically (one night with the downstairs toilet off, then the next night with the sink, etc. in various combinations).
Those don't seem to have done anything; the sound appears to be intermittent and not related to any particular appliance or attached item being on or off, either concurrently or recently.
We did have quite a bit of work done over the summer—new kitchen with new hookups for sink/dishwasher/washer/dryer; plus a water softener system. The sounds started a few months after the work was done. I've tried bypassing the water softener, as well, with no noticeable change.
Any other thoughts? Am I risking some kind of internal pipe damage? Any advice on what I should be looking for when/if I call a plumber?
Thanks!
I've tried a bunch of troubleshooting stuff, like:
- draining the whole system by turning off the water into the house, opening all the faucets, low to high.
- turning off the different items in the two bathrooms, systematically (one night with the downstairs toilet off, then the next night with the sink, etc. in various combinations).
Those don't seem to have done anything; the sound appears to be intermittent and not related to any particular appliance or attached item being on or off, either concurrently or recently.
We did have quite a bit of work done over the summer—new kitchen with new hookups for sink/dishwasher/washer/dryer; plus a water softener system. The sounds started a few months after the work was done. I've tried bypassing the water softener, as well, with no noticeable change.
Any other thoughts? Am I risking some kind of internal pipe damage? Any advice on what I should be looking for when/if I call a plumber?
Thanks!