Hot Water Heater Pipes Shaking

Position your ear next to the hot water outlet pipe.

Hot water heater pipes shaking. The expansion tank needs to be sized based on the gallon capacity of the water heater and installed on the cold water line no closer than 18 from the inlet to the water. The pipes that deliver hot water to your shower sinks washing machine etc. When you locate the banging pipe hopefully it will be exposed like in the basement or crawlspace. But what happens when you suddenly stop this flow on either your cold or hot water pipes.

Secure the pipe by adding a small piece of foam or rubber pipe insulation to the pipe and re strap it. The water supply pipes that go to your shower normally should not shake or make noises as if they are shaking and hitting other surfaces in the wall. Just leave your faucets on until the water flow returns to normal. Some homes use cpvc chlorinated polyvinyl chloride as their hot water supply pipes i e.

The hot pipe may feel warmer than the cold pipe but if no hot water is being used it shouldn t feel hot to the touch. If your water pipes are making noises when you take a shower look into the potential causes of the problem to find a solution. Again aside from the sound of water rushing through pipes or out fixtures there is nothing strange about these sounds. The water that was once rushing through your pipes suddenly meets 100 resistance slamming into the closed valve.

For electric water heaters. Turn the gas valve knob to pilot. An expansion tank is primarily designed to avoid damage to the dank of the water heater but have found that it too can assist with pipe rattling issues throughout the house. If no hot water taps are open you shouldn t hear water moving through the pipe.

For gas water heaters. Pipes can vibrate and sputter or spit violently making lots of noise if there is air trapped in them. We had a loss of hot water for probably a good 30 minutes when i looked at the hot water heater in the basement the output pipe was luke warm and instead of seeing a light blue pilot light i saw a bright flickering orange yellow light and heard the sound of something like water dripping onto a very hot pan. Test both the hot and cold water from the faucet.

3 connect a garden hose to the drain valve. Check the temperature of the hot water outlet pipe on the water heater. Turn off the water heater at the circuit breaker. If you have air in a pipe caused by a recent repair or another issue you will have to deal with the shaking and sputtering pipes for a short time until the air is forced out.

4 place the other end of the hose in an area like a basement drain where water can drain to and won t.