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June 16, 2009
Strange Shower Noise
Q: Hello, Ed. I thought I'd ask a not-too-common question. In our home we are having an issue in the kitchen when the dishwasher cycles on and off. It sounds like pipes rattling inside the walls. The strange part is that the noise is in the master bedroom shower. What is going on here? I believe our water pressure may be high, and I've read somewhere about a water hammer. Is this what we're experiencing? If so, how do you fix this problem?
-Andy, Florida
A: Andy, you would make a great plumber's assistant since you included so much information with your question.
First, when plumbers look to pinpoint noisy pipe issues, the usual suspects are appliances and fixtures that turn on and off quickly. You noticed that your dishwasher was the trigger for the noise in the shower -- very good. Then you suspected that the water pressure may be higher than normal in your home -- again, a good call. Finally, you put two and two together and remembered a plumbing issue called "water hammer" that you suspect might be the problem. That is very good detective work!
From your letter, I agree that you are experiencing water hammer due to high water pressure combined with a dishwasher that is shutting off quickly. When the water is abruptly stopped, the "high" pressure in the pipes has to go somewhere -- and it appears to be rattling some loose lines in your shower.
You need to have a licensed plumber install what's called a "PRV" or "Pressure Reducing Valve" inside your home. This special valve is installed after the meter, right were the water line enters the home. Once installed, the valve can be adjusted to bring the home's water pressure down to normal levels.
Normal water pressure for a home should be about 45 - 70 psi, and anything over 80 psi is considered too high for most local codes. I suspect that you are over 80 psi -- and that might not only cause noises, but it can also stress out your plumbing system as well.
To test a home's water pressure, a "water pressure gauge" can be easily attached to any outside faucet. Then, you turn on the outside faucet when nothing else is running in the house, and check the gauge. If it reads over 80 psi, then you need to have the PRV installed.
In most cases, once the pressure is lowered, the water hammer noises will soften or stop completely. If not, another plumbing control called a "water hammer arrestor" can also be installed by the plumber. An arrestor is about the size of a baseball, and it contains a pressurized air pocket that absorbs water line energy.
Another good tip is installing "pipe clips" to secure the loose water lines. From what I've seen, or should I say "heard" with noisy pipes, doing one or all of the above mentioned fixes should turn your water hammer into a wiffle bat.
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 1:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 12, 2009
Plumber Ed's "Hot List" of Water-Saving Fixtures
For years I've been promoting the importance of every home saving water. I believe the urgent issue right now is not building new cars that can save more gas -- it's updating our present homes to save more water!
Ask anyone who lives in places like Atlanta, parts of Texas, and many areas out west about what it feels like to tighten the belt on the amount of water we can use in our homes, and you'll realize that water shortages are real and happening right now across the country. With that in mind, I put together my list of 5 water-saving plumbing fixtures that really work and can be installed easily in any home:
1. Install a "PRV" (Pressure reducing valve) on your main water line: A home will work fine with water pressure in the range of 35 to 70 psi, and anything over 80 psi is too high for most codes. However, many homes are unknowingly using water pressure well over 70 psi. Have your plumber check you water pressure and if needed have a PRV installed and save water as well as your pipes.
2. Install performance shower heads: Standard shower heads use about 2.5 gpm (Gallons per minute.) and performance shower heads use about 1.75 gpm. That's a savings of about 30% for all your showering water and with the new performance pressure head design you'll probably not even realize you're saving all that water.
3. Install a "HET" (High-efficiency toilet) with the EPA "Water Sense" label: Over 40% of us are still using older toilets that flush with about 3.5 gallons per flush. New high-efficiency toilets use less than 1.3 gpf by using flushing systems like "Class 6" technology. The Water Sense label shows that the HET was tested for maximum flushing power while saving thousands of gallons of water per year versus older toilets.
4. Install a re-circulating hot water system: Just like the hotels, new residential "re-circulating hot water kits" work with your present hot water tank to deliver hot water quickly to showers and faucets. You'll no longer waste all that cold water while waiting for the hot water to kick in -- your morning routine will be more efficient as well.
5. Install water-saving faucets: By dropping the gallons used per minute from about 2.2 gpm to about 1.5 gpm, new redesigned faucets are also saving about 30% of your faucet water without sacrificing good pressure. Some kitchen faucets also have special built-in filtered water taps that allow you to make your own bottled water.
If you do even one of these projects, not only will you see your own water and sewer bills go down, but you'll be able to help out the environment without even leaving the comfort of your own home!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 2:57 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
