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Author:
vinnie (PA)
We had plastic pipe in our whole house. After shutting it down for the winter, (we weren't living in the house yet), then after turning it back on in the spring, it sprung a leak in several areas. We then had copper installed in the whole house. I told the plumber that it sounded like there was a leak in the hot water pipe in one of the bathrooms. When you turn the water on you can hear a dripping that continues until you turn the water off. He said no problem since they were replacing all the pipe. Well guess what? I can still hear the dripping. Probably means he didn't change out the pipe in the bathroom. What do I do now?
Thanks.
Vinnie
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Author:
NICK (CA)
It could be pipe expansion. It can sound like dripping when you have a pipe pressed on a stud or joist in the wall and the pipe heats up and you can hear a tick tick that resembles the sound of a drip. Did they bring th copper all the way down the wall? you can tell by looking at the shut off valves to sink etc... and see if they were stubbed out with copper.
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Author:
SwimRunPlumb (MI)
It is probably the drain line making the noise, and had nothing to do with the newly replaced water lines.
The expansion and contraction of a pvc drain line will do it every time if it is pressed tightly to wood.
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Author:
vinnie (PA)
To Nick from CA. Darn if you aren't the smart one. I checked the shut off valves, one under the sink and one near the toilet. Both have copper coming out of the wall.The valves are not but the pipes are. Thank you so much for the information. It has been driving me crazy for some time now thinking the pipes weren't changed. Too bad I can't do something about the dripping sound. Thanks for taking the time to write.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
NICK (CA)
I'm a little confused how you are hearing dripping while a faucet is running anyway, unless it is something louder than dripping, like pipe rattle. And it would be weird, whether it was dripping or pipe expansion if it stops immediately after the water is shut off, like you say. If you can't pinpoint it, you could give it a try to call the plumber back that did the job and he will probably know.
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Author:
hj
The fact that the noise was there before the repiping, and is still there afterwards, implies that it ia a drain line expanding, since the drain lines are the original ones.
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Author:
NICK (CA)
Sorry, I didn't catch that, even after I read it the second time. Ya, if it was an existing noise it really narrows it down now.
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Author:
vinnie (PA)
First of all thanks to everyone who replied to my post. Yes the dripping noise has been there from the very beginning. Sounds exactly like dripping water. Comes on when the water is on and stops when the water is turned off. My main concern in all of this was whether there could be mold behind the wall. You can hear the noise with the water running and it doesn't stop exactly when you turn the water off. It takes a few seconds and then stops. I do feel better thinking it is vibration rather than water. Thanks again.
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Author:
hj
That is because the pipe is still heating and expanding. IF you listened carefully, you might hear the same sound as the pipe cooled, although the "drips" would be further apart since the pipe cools slower than it heats up.
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