It’s October and Halloween is nearly upon us! The annual night of spooky ghouls and ghosts may provide some festive fun, and people everywhere get into the spirit. It may even seem as though your house is getting in on the act, making some creepy and unsettling noises or showing some unexplained behaviors you haven’t seen before. However, most of the time these creepy noises aren’t an indication that your home is haunted, but rather that it has a routine issue that needs fixed. This is particularly true for your plumbing, as your pipes run all throughout your home and can cause a variety of strange symptoms.
Here are three common plumbing problems that can make your home show some spooky behavior as well as some of the most common explanations for them.
Tapping or Thumping in Your Walls
Is there an unhappy ghost in your walls who’s determined to keep you awake like a noisy apartment neighbor? Not at all—tapping or thumping in your walls is often due to an issue known as “plumbing hammer,” and is caused by high pressure in your water lines. When you run your tap, pressure is what allows your water to come pouring out. However, if the pressure is too high, water will abruptly stop when you turn off the tap. When the water abruptly stops, the force of the moving water as well as the continuing pressure will continue to try to push water out, only it’ll have nowhere to go. When it has nowhere to go, it can cause your pipes to shake and vibrate, resulting in a thumping or banging sound in your walls. The easiest way to resolve this is to have a plumber check your water pressure and possibly have your water pressure regulator replaced if it has failed.
Toilets Unexpectedly Running
You’re sitting at home when suddenly out of nowhere your toilet turns on as though it were recently flushed. Did a ghost suddenly have the urge to use the bathroom? No, actually this one is easily explained as well—your toilet flapper has corroded and begun to leak. A leaking flapper is an extremely common problem, caused by the rubber or plastic your flapper is made from corroding due to exposure to water. As they age, they begin to crack, and cracks form leaks that allow water to slowly drip and drain out of your tank. Eventually, the level in your tank drops too low and the fill valve opens, causing your toilet to run.
Fixing this issue is a piece of cake—just drain your tank, detach your old flapper, hook a new one in its place, and reattach the chain to your handle. It takes about five minutes and requires no specialized tools or experience. It could also save you money by preventing water waste as well!
Whistling or Groaning in Your Pipes
Have you ever turned on a faucet only to be greeted by a strange whistling or groaning noise? No, this isn’t an indication that you have a ghost in your pipes which is disturbed by you turning on the water—this is an indication that you have one of two common problems—either a mineral buildup in one of your pipes or a faulty valve somewhere. Fixing these issues is generally pretty simple once you find the source of the issue, but finding the source could be tricky. Start by carefully listening as you turn every faucet in your home on or off. To narrow things down even further, turn on both the hot and cold water separately and see if you can figure out which one is giving you the groaning or whistling sound. Once you narrow it down, take that particular valve apart and clean it out. You may also want to take this opportunity to replace parts that are corroded or worn.
Let us solve all your unexplained plumbing problems this Halloween season! Call the team at Moe Plumbing Co. at (818) 396-8002 to request a quote today.