What’s Causing Rattling in Pipes?

Do you hear rattling pipes when you turn on any faucet in your home? There could be few different issues causing rattling pipes. Because there are various reasons that lead to the rattling of pipes, the best plumbing services in Edmonton have various solutions too. 
Here are some of common reasons that cause rattling pipes in your home:

High Water Pressure

When your water pressure is too high, it can cause the pipes in your home to vibrate and also lead to long-term damages to your pipes and appliances. Professional plumbers say that the indoor water pressure should be between 40 to 60 pounds per square inch (PSI). You can add a pressure reduction valve to your incoming main line to correct the issue of high water pressure. You can also purchase water pressure test gauges to test the water pressure by yourself. If you do not want to take the trouble, you can call professional plumbers to check the water pressure in your home.


Water Hammer

When you close a valve quickly water hammer occurs. The sudden stop of the flow of water creates a shock wave that travels back up the line. If you place a water hammer arrestor at the first change of direction in the pipe it will absorb the shock wave. Water hammer is sudden and is not sustained for a long time.

Thermal Expansion

Rattling pipes can be caused when the CPVC pipes rub against the structure of the building. These pipes expand due to thermal expansion caused by the water heating up in the pipes. The noise will start off and it’ll gradually increase as the water becomes hotter. It might continue even after the water supply is shut off until the pipe has fully expanded due to the temperature change. You will not hear rattling pipes when the pipe shrinks back as the water in the pipe cools down. It takes a long time for the water to cool down and thus it will contract slowly.


Air Chambers

If you have air chambers connected behind the walls of your home, the hammering effect will slowly get worse. The air chambers help to cushion against water hammer but if they are not maintained properly, they will make the problem of rattling pipes even worse. Air chambers get filled with water over time and should be drained for it to refill itself with air. You can do this easily by shutting off the main water valve, flushing the toilets, opening up the faucets starting from the highest level of the home and working down to the lowest level until all the pipes have been drained. When the lowest pipe is clear, you need to close that drain and turn the main water back on.


Rattling pipes in your home are not only irritating but they can be a sign of major pipe breakage. To avoid these major plumbing problems, you should call professional plumbers who provide best plumbing services in Edmonton to check and get the problem of rattling pipes solved.