What have you been doing today?

[fillyboy]

Been keeping my mouth shut as best I can when a lady engineer from the water board was telling me that the hours of screeching from their street stopcock was caused by my pipework 'water hammering' (or two pipes rubbing together) when no water was being used. When she (reluctantly) replaced the non return valve in the street stopcock and fitted a new meter, the 'water hammer' stopped. She couldn’t explain that except for saying that it will return. I hope she is wrong about that!

Not a problem I've ever experienced in my house, but having worked in hundreds of other houses, the problem has always been the Torbeck Valve on one or more toilets. (plumbers diagnosis not mine). There's no way of telling where the noise is coming from, the screeching noise will travel throughout the house like a screaming banshee and manifest itself a long way away from the offending valve. Never heard of any other cause.

Sometimes you can get away with just replacing the rubber diaphragm but the complete valve is cheap enough.

edit: a water tank in the loft can have a similar valve.

 

[Diver Fred]

Made Tea (the drink) for house full!

 

[fillyboy]

Made Tea (the drink) for house full!

White, no sugar thank-you. I'm sweet enough.

 

[Elsa TLC]

Not a problem I've ever experienced in my house, but having worked in hundreds of other houses, the problem has always been the Torbeck Valve on one or more toilets. (plumbers diagnosis not mine). There's no way of telling where the noise is coming from, the screeching noise will travel throughout the house like a screaming banshee and manifest itself a long way away from the offending valve. Never heard of any other cause.

Sometimes you can get away with just replacing the rubber diaphragm but the complete valve is cheap enough.

edit: a water tank in the loft can have a similar valve.

Get an old one of these thats diaphragm thats not aged well will give a surprising loud noise.

Had with a small hotel. Reverberated throughout the pub Restaurant as well as the hotel.

Delchem Adjustable Arm Fill Valve Side Entry | Toolstation https://share.google/X6a7wUSy42zvP4MEY

 

[Mottie]

Get an old one of these thats diaphragm thats not aged well will give a surprising loud noise.

Not a problem I've ever experienced in my house, but having worked in hundreds of other houses, the problem has always been the Torbeck Valve on one or more toilets. (plumbers diagnosis not mine). There's no way of telling where the noise is coming from, the screeching noise will travel throughout the house like a screaming banshee and manifest itself a long way away from the offending valve. Never heard of any other cause.

Sometimes you can get away with just replacing the rubber diaphragm but the complete valve is cheap enough.

edit: a water tank in the loft can have a similar valve.

I can understand that if the noise was coming from anywhere near the toilet but that’s the quietest place in the house. Honestly, would a faulty valve in the toilet result in this noise, probably 80ft away at the street stopcock/water meter that would run literally forever unless I turned the street stopcock off?

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Even if it was that, why would changing the non return valve and meter in the street, stop the noise?

Just keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Elsa TLC]

Next time it happens lift the lid of the toilet cistern and feel the ballcock.

Its a process of elimination

 

[Mottie]

Next time it happens lift the lid of the toilet cistern and feel the ballcock.

Its a process of elimination

Tried that this time. Cisterns full, no flow from ballcocks. It was the sudden stopping of the flow that would start the screaming off - I could make it start by shutting off my kitchen sink tap quickly.

 

[Elsa TLC]

Tried that this time. Cisterns full, no flow from ballcocks. It was the sudden stopping of the flow that would start the screaming off - I could make it start by shutting off my kitchen sink tap quickly.

Just do as I say.

It doesn't have to be a flushed toilet that activates the noise.

Yes do the sink thing.

It's a process......​

have you got a stop cock of a lever valve in the house as an isolation?

 

[fillyboy]

Tried that this time. Cisterns full, no flow from ballcocks. It was the sudden stopping of the flow that would start the screaming off - I could make it start by shutting off my kitchen sink tap quickly.

As Elsa says, shut off the water inside the house, and if you still get the noise it aint the outside shutoff.
None of the customers believed it could be the toilet filling valve because the noise wasn't coming from there, I didn't believe it myself but I was wrong.
I doubt you have a cold water tank in the loft, probably comes off a combi boiler.

Toilet cistern, you heard it here first.

 

[Mottie]

have you got a stop cock of a lever valve in the house as an isolation?

Yeah, I changed the old stopcock for a new full bore 90° one when I did the kitchen up…..and then sort of boxed it in! I can get to it and it just involves removing a cabinet door, a couple of screws and a panel can then be released. TBH, I only made it removable in case I needed to get to the plug, fill valve and waste connection for the dishwasher. If it happens again, I make the effort to get to it.

Just do as I say.

No! Don't need to at the moment but may do next time.

 

[fillyboy]

Yeah, I changed the old stopcock for a new full bore 90° one when I did the kitchen up…..and then sort of boxed it in! I can get to it and it just involves removing a cabinet door, a couple of screws and a panel can then be released. TBH, I only made it removable in case I needed to get to the plug, fill valve and waste connection for the dishwasher. If it happens again, I make the effort to get to it.

No! Don't need to at the moment but may do next time.

OK keep us updated.

 

[Elsa TLC]

Yeah, I changed the old stopcock for a new full bore 90° one when I did the kitchen up…..and then sort of boxed it in! I can get to it and it just involves removing a cabinet door, a couple of screws and a panel can then be released. TBH, I only made it removable in case I needed to get to the plug, fill valve and waste connection for the dishwasher. If it happens again, I make the effort to get to it.

No! Don't need to at the moment but may do next time.

Is you valve if this type?
Pegler PB300 Compression Full Bore 15mm Ball Valve with Blue Handle - Screwfix https://share.google/ECKrQ5xPCSjJZuqlR

 

[Mottie]

Is you valve if this type?
Pegler PB300 Compression Full Bore 15mm Ball Valve with Blue Handle - Screwfix https://share.google/ECKrQ5xPCSjJZuqlR

Pretty sure that was the one.

 

[fillyboy]

Pretty sure that was the one.

Ball valves don't make a noise. Torbeck valves have a thin rubber washer, which acts like the reed on a trumpet.

 

[Elsa TLC]

Ball valves don't make a noise. Torbeck valves have a thin rubber washer, which acts like the reed on a trumpet.

Stopcock do Lever valves dont