How to fix noisy bathroom pipes?

[veruska]

Hi there 🙏

I moved into my new townhouse and the pipes in the walls are very very noisy. This means that anyone showering when I am sleeping would wake me up, even with earplugs. It’s like having someone with a power toll in my room.  It’s  especially the shower wall taps ( which I recently changed into new 3/4 levers from Bunnings). 
also if they use the laundry tub taps downstairs it makes a huge noise, we have changed the valves as well. 

what can be done please? I am afraid if I call a plumber he would have to open the wall, break the tiles, cost me a fortune. 

thanks! 

[Jason]

Hi @veruska,

Sorry to read of your plumbing problem. 

We would obviously recommend a qualified plumber to assist. But in order for the community to provide some suggestions about what the issue might be, could you please describe the sound and when it occurs? For example, is it water hammer?

Thanks,

Jason

[veruska]

Hi Jason thank you for your reply!

its not water hammer,  it’s like someone has a very noisy engine on in my room. I have a video of the noise. Noise it’s louder when the taps are firstly turned on then it stabilises to less noisy  but still very loud! 

thanks again 

[Jason]

If you could pop the video on YouTube you can embed it in a post here on Workshop @veruska.

Jason

[EricL]

Hello @veruska 

What you're hearing could possibly be trapped air in the copper pipes. When it's run at high velocity it sounds like the roar of an engine. I'm afraid there's not much you can do in regards to getting it repaired as it would require the cooperation of the rest of the building. If the noise is localized in only one section of your house, I propose installing a lightweight timber frame to hold insulation and cover it up with plasterboard.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[veruska]

Thank you so so much! 

[Nailbag]

Hi @veruska 

as @EricL mentioned there possibly it's much that can be done to the pipework itself. But if you haven't already, I would get the body corporate involved to get a decent plumber out to check the entire building system. It is possible that checking and adjusting the water pressure can have an impact, so can changing the tap valves and even shower roses in one or more other units.

Nailbag

[Dave-1]

Morning @veruska 

I have installed different types of washers in taps of the house that slow the shock of water rushing through the pipes and taps themselves. I am not wholly confident they work greatly but they do lesson the amount of shudder In the pipes.

Kinetic 12mm Brass Dome Tap Valve - 2 Pack  are the type i installed for my Grandma. They are meant for easy turn on and off but also lessened the noise of the pipes. 

Please Note - I did have to change them much more frequently as they do tend to perish after awhile. (year - 2 years depending on how overtight you tighten them)

Maybe you could change out the pair of the noisiest tap fittings with these washers instead and see if it lessons the "engine" sound as a  first step?

Dave

[veruska]

Thank you so much for your help, it’s a 2 levels townhouse, but the body corporate cannot help inside the house, it’s all my responsibility. 

[veruska]

Thank you so Much Dave, I will def have a look at this! 🙏