Heavy Vibration

[topgazza]

This is difficult to suggest causes remotely but I would welcome any advice.

I have a pressurised system and it has been working fine for 4 years now. Recently when a hot tap or shower is turned on there is a deep, heavy vibration sound from upstairs. I have moved everything away from the pipes exposed in the cupboard upstairs where the cylinder is. Having a shower this morning this strange vibration , growling sound could be heard and I could feel this almost gentle but strong vibration in the shower head and the mixer. The sound does seem to come from upstairs where the cylinder is but obviously with any vibration it travels.

Could it be clogging in the large cylinder outlet somewhere ? The system has an electrode of course to reduce limescale but I do live in a very hard water area. Could it be a pressure valve of some kind. It seems to happen only when a hot water source is turned on.

Time to get a plumber qualified in pressurised systems out ?..Or any suggestions ?

 

[topgazza]

Bump:

This went away for a few days but is back again. I have tracked it down...so to speak...to the 22mm hot water out pipe from the megaflow cylinder. Its a real subtle vibration but quite strong and makes a hell of a racket somewhere in the wall. I know water flowing at pressure..any flow...produces a ripple effect and this can cause a vibration.

This noise/vibration can start from any hot tap, or the shower upstairs,in the house. Its worse when the bath mixer tap is used for some reason. So I suspect is something to do with the 22mm down pipe as it travels down the house. There is a plasterboard wall where the pipe goes down to its first T point to go off to the bathroom and the onsuite. So I'm guessing chopping the wall out....mmm..is the way to find out....

Obviously want to avoid that but wonder why its appeared now after 4 years ? Could it be limescale in the outlet hole or just simply something has moved ? Dou "you" need to desclae the hot water tank or replace it if this is the likely suspect. How do you find out if this is the case ?

I have the House plumbing cover so that would make an interesting challenge for them ....

 

[topgazza]

Sorry for the bump again but having fixed the problem...someone might be interested in reading it.....

My pressure vessel (?) has always been set at 2 bar as per original installation instructions...somehow...obviously me had moved the red indicator hand along to nearly 4 bar. I can't see the dial from the front very well due to small cupboard and I think on one of my regular checks and top ups of pressure knocked the red indicator along and have been setting it up at 3-4 bar..... as I look at it from an angle.

I would assume that the cylinder is dispensing hot water at 3-4 bar whilst the mains is at 2 bar...or something similar. Anyway after reducing the pressure to 2 bar everything went quiet and vibration has disappeared....

Obvious tip.....make a note of the bar setting and double check you don't top up above that......

 

[topgazza]

Final bump:

Honest....

Problem didn't really go away as I thought. In fact when it returned it was worse. This time turning the cold tap on full in the kitchen cause the hot water pipes to vibrate. just by chance I pressed the end of the hot tap on the mixer in the kitchen to feel the vibration.....and it stopped. Repated teh cold tap on and it started again...pressed, gently, the hot tap knb again...and it stopped. Very weird.

Removed the tap valve and soaked the ceramic "washer" in some descaling liquid refitted it and vibration has really gone for good. Obviously no pressurised system experts here as this thread has got no other replies but obviously something was causing an imbalance in the system because of the tap gland not sealing correctly ? Difficult to say but a strange fault that I sorted out for myself by a fluke without calling House out and possibly days of visits.

Would anyone have actually thought of this being the cause ?......I don't think so and would probably have replaced a number of components in the system. Sometimes luck is all you need....