Disturbance Noise Caused by Faulty Water Pipe System

[kcoh193]

Hi Good Day! I am new here and would like to seek expert advice in this forum, for disturbance noises caused by faulty water pipe system.

I am a resident of a public housing area and living in a 5th floor unit, in recent months it has been a loud “knocking” noise intermittently coming from the upper floor and it’s a serious disturbance noise even it happening in the middle of night, my family has been trying to endure but the problem does not seem to go away.

About 3 weeks ago, I had approached an upper floor neighbour for the problem and after a quick discussion, the owner has told me that he is fully aware the noise problem could be caused by the next door neighbour’s faulty water meter, which is the unit directly above my unit and he had advised me to provide a feedback to water department for a remedy action.

I had called water department for enquiries and they did sent a team arrived on-site for assistance. However they team could not carried out further checks for the problem as there were no one at home in upper floor neighbour’s unit and then they had advised me to contact local town council for help, as they explained that the problem root cause could be possible the local area water piping systems structure problem.

I had follow up contacted local town council and their team did a round of checking, interviewed the upper floor neighbour unit owner and claimed that the family members are not aware of such disturbance noises, as these noises are random intermittently occurs, therefore the local town council team needs to further investigate the problem to determine the root cause.
For past few days the knocking noise has been more intensive frequent in the night from around 8.30 pm onward and I started to search google website and I had found some information which describes …..….

{…Knocking noise or sound in water pipes can be due to several reasons, but if there is a ‘knocking’ sound from the water piping, this is known as water hammer. This can be heard when the tap turn off quickly and it could be caused by either faulty jumpers in stopcocks at the meter position or pipes which are not securely fastened. As the moving water in the pipe is suddenly stopped, a shock wave is created through the water which causes inadequately fastened pipes to vibrate and ‘shudder’, thus creating the knocking sound......}

I would like to attached a MP3 file here which I’ve used my mobile phone recorded it when the “Knocking Noise” occurred But I could not upload it here! (or anyone could advice how I can attach it here?)
Pindly I would like to seek some expert good advices from this forum here about this noise, whether could the prime suspect possible root cause by faulty jumpers in stopcocks (Main stop valve?) whereby if the water piping system structure not securely fastened will not cause a “Echo Knocking Noise”?

I look forward to hearing from anyone good advice and thank you.

Best Regards.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As your research has found, this noise could be down to faulty valves and/or taps.
This could be a isolation/stop tap (unlikely if not being used), an appliance tap for sink/basin or a ball/float valve in a cistern such as toilet or water storage cisterns.
A little more investigation would be required to nail this problem down and without the cooperation of your neighbours, it is going to be difficult. It could also be caused by unsecured pipework.

 

[kcoh193]

Hi PrenticeBoyofDerry,

Many thanks for your quick reply and I do understand the knocking noise occurs in random it not an easy task to determine the root cause, perhaps permit me to share some of my assumptions and observation as below:

1. The water supply is a cold water pipe systems structure as here in Singapore is a tropical climate near the Equator and the main water supply pipe are steel made, I thinks it may not expands or contract due to weather temperatures and pipe structure appears solid with no loosen brackets.

2. When I had approached the 6th floor neighbour owner and he has confirmed the noise existence for months but he was expressed with no choice and tried to tolerate with it, however he has told me to seek for water department’s help to resolve the issue.

3. I had observed there were heavy waters flow sounds in the drainage pipe plumbing located in the toilet just before the “knocking noise” sounds occurred, I suspect this could the indication of during a washing machine waters draining cycle then follow by a quick inlet water tap electrically turn off, thus create a shock wave back to trigger a “Echo Knocking Noise Vibration” within the stopcock package caused by the faulty loosen stopcock jumper? As such I suspect the prime root cause could possible the main stopcock (main stop valve) outside the neighbour’s unit at the meter position?


As I’m unable to upload the recorded MP3 file here to share with you the knocking noise that I’ve heard, perhaps if I could request for your permission to let me know your email ID as to allow me to email with the attach MP3 file for your good advice and I can be reached at email: [email protected]

I would appreciate your good advice and I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you again and best regards.

As your research has found, this noise could be down to faulty valves and/or taps.
This could be a isolation/stop tap (unlikely if not being used), an appliance tap for sink/basin or a ball/float valve in a cistern such as toilet or water storage cisterns.
A little more investigation would be required to nail this problem down and without the cooperation of your neighbours, it is going to be difficult. It could also be caused by unsecured pipework.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I am unsure what the legal requirements are in Singapore, regarding the undertaken of water and what the consumer is legally allowed to do, regarding maintenance.

It certainly sounds like your problem is regarding a faulty valve/tap and more investigation is required, by those people that have permission to do so. I don't really need to hear the recording, I doubt it will be beneficial to pinpointing the problem.

 

[kcoh193]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

In Singapore, the public housing maintence is local town council responsibility and it come under Ministry of National Development, where another Enviroment Ministry runs the Public Utilities Water Department, there are legal guidelines and requirements for building maintenance works. The residents must take care the house interior fixtures like the valves/taps etc. usually when these items faulty , owners will DIY or engage licensed plumbers for repair works.

I do not have the technical knowledge of plumbing trade and when I encountered this noise issue was taken quite a bit of times, tried to figure out which party to call first, after a few phone enquires and emails feedback before I came to realize the knocking noise could be possibly from the water pipes system structure, meanwhile the town council team is still investigating the problem whereby I hope to do my part by seeking some good expert advices from plumbing forum could help to expedite the troubleshooting progress... perhaps I maybe needed more patience.

Best Regards

 

[Agile]

Virtually any water item in a property can cause a knocking sound.

To identify exactly what, the property needs to be visited and with the help of the occupants determine what is causing the problem.

A problem here in the UK is that not all occupiers are helpful to neighbours.

Selamat malam.

 

[kcoh193]

Selamat Pagi .

Yes, this is exactly the same challenge here where most of the residents are uncooperative and reluctant to join in for for the problem investigation, in fact town council team said only received my feedback and the unit owner living directly above my unit claimed he is not aware of any noise existence?

 

[kcoh193]

Hi All,

Please be shared the below link of the MP3 file that I’ve recorded of the mentioned Water Hammer Noise:

http://www55.zippyshare.com/v/5wzVkLMT/file.html

I would appreciate to seek anyone good advice on this and thank you.

 

[cjard]

That is indeed the sound I would expect pipe work to make if it was not secure and a tap was turned off quickly. Happens in my mothers new build house when the kitchen tap is shut off quickly. What is odd is the pattern of noises, the random timing. I wouldn't expect something like a washing machine to turn its water supply on and off that quickly. Perhaps someone is washing something ( eg vegetables ) but turns the tap on and off for each one

 

[kcoh193]

Thanks for your reply and good advices.

Just to share that the water pipe structure were steel made and cemented through the building base floors, thus it seem firmly secured and apparently with no visible loosen clips found at 6th floor common corridor area.

Yes, i agree to your good point that washing machine would not turn its water supply on and off quickly in random pattern and I've tried to figure out the noises occurred timing were often in the night from 8.30 pm onwards lasted for a hour. This could not be a dinner time as usually by then the meals could has been over. There were some occasions the noise occurred in the middle of night that really a puzzle?

From the sound heard recorded, I've noticed the noises heard were 1 or 2 repetitive sounds with echo in background, it seem to be a loose part or component vibrates within a compartment knocking against the inner wall when rapid water flows passed through then the knocking noises got amplified travel downward to lower floors? I do not know could this be the suspect of a faulty loose jumper in a main stopcock valves as this valve is always in "Open" position?

Thanks again.