Hello,

I live in a small, one bedroom apartment. My hot water heater is located in an outside storage closet on the porch. Just this past week, I have been woken up at night and sometimes unable to fall asleep due to very loud "creaking" noises (almost like the consistent sound of a very noisy creaking stair) that last for approximately 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately, my bed is right up against the wall separating my bedroom from the hot water tank outside, so the pipes are extra loud. The creaking continues for the entire 10-15 minutes, making it very difficult to ignore.

I don't know anything about plumbing, though I am willing to learn! I called my maintenance staff at the apartment complex, but as predicted, they came in when I wasn't there and when the sound wasn't happening, so they left and did nothing. They are not very reliable even in the best circumstances. The sound seems to happen mostly at night, usually 15 minutes or so after showering. It sometimes happens in the morning also, and I am having a hard time figuring out what causes the sound. My boyfriend and I usually get ready at the same time, so I know the creaking noise can't always be because someone used water.

I have lived here for several years and this has never been an issue in the past. It hasn't been particularly cold this week, so I don't think it is due to pipes expanding, as a friend of mine suggested.

Any help would be tremendously appreciated! I feel like I am going to lose my mind if this continues every night!

"...almost like the consistent sound of a very noisy creaking stair."

Poltergists perhaps??? 'Tis the season!! I would venture a guess that it is the water heater that is firing during those 10-15 minutes that is creating the noise. And as a water heater ages, calcium deposits tend to 'stick' to the wall of the heater. This combination of calcium and heating can create noises during the heating process.

Is this an electric hot water tank? If the sediment hasn't been drained in some time it could be getting sediment up around the element. I have heard people say that they made noise before they went out, but I couldn't tell you if it was similar. If it is happening at night after a shower, it is attempting to reheat all the water in the tank to get it back to the specified temperature. I would recommend getting the sediment drained from the tank regardless and see if it stops the noise.

It is a gas hot water tank, and it is only about 4 years old. It was replaced when I moved in.

Should I ask the maintenance people if it can be drained?



Edited 1 times.

It can't hurt a thing, just let them do it so if it starts leaking it is on them.

I would bet the building was repiped. Or repaired in that area. The creeking sound is usually a "TALLON" pipe strap that is too tight and the expansion of the pipe causes that sound. Most common in cpvc systems going from the hot water source. The greater thermal variance the more the expansion and contraction will be there fore more noise ( sound almost like a timed ticking or a water drop ) I've had customers rip open walls and ceilings looking for a leak that wasn't there. Then when the wall was open the temp stabilized and would not make a sound. Had one lady damn near crazy from it.