Every night for the last week or so, the water heater here starts making a loud humming/buzzing noise. Happens every night at 9 PM -- you could set your watch to it. This doesn't seem to correspond to anything going on with water usage here. Drained and flushed it a few days ago -- no change. The vibration seems to be concentrated on or near the cold water inlet pipe -- that is, if you touch it, the vibration is real strong compared to the hot pipe. Heater is 10 years old. Any ideas?
We have been having the same problem at the gun club. We have several plumbers as members, but no one has yet come up with an explanation that I know of. We checked to see if it were the relief valve opening slightly and stuttering, but that does not seem to be the case. If any of our "experts" comes up with an answer -- or a solution -- I shall post it or PM you.
Is your water heater an "energy conserving" type - and thus can be programmed or remotely controlled to go into power-saving mode?
"Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."
Can you check with neighbors to see if they are experiencing something similar? It might be a large pressure change from the water company. They might be working on the system during low demand time.
When it happens next time, try shutting off the supply valve that feeds the house. That way you'll be able to narrow it down to internal or external.
Last edited by K7SGJ; 10-16-2011 at 09:50 AM.
A clear conscience is usually a sign of a bad memory
RIP ALBI-W3MIV RIP RUSS-W5RB RIP BOB-VK3ZL
Nope -- just a plain Jane gas heater.Originally Posted by N8YX
Now, there's a thought! Thanks - will ask around.
Strange stuff -- does it happen every day at the same time there, too?
Can't say. We are only in the clubhouse during events and during practice hours on Weds and Sun of each week. When I heard it, it was on a Sunday mid-morning while I was manning the kitchen during a league shoot. At first I thought it was the new refrigerator -- we had just bought a new restaurant-sized refrigerator during the past year -- and I was about to have a fit thinking it was the compressor going bananas. One of our retired plumbers -- our egg cook ;) -- pointed out that it was the w/h just on the other side of the wall behind the fridge. We all went and gawked, feeling the pipes -- yup, heavy vibration from within -- and someone started a discussion about anodes, which did not seem to fit the symptoms (but I am no plumber --> I keep his number in my wallet, though ;) ).
Next time I am out at the club, I will try to remember to ax someone if any resolution was found. I confess, were it my w/h, I would be dialing the number I have in my wallet, since I am not a big DIY guy when it comes to pipes (or anything more than three or four feet in elevation ABSL).
Jeebus! This post is as long as one of IZE's.
Last edited by W3MIV; 10-16-2011 at 10:15 AM.
Water pressure changes from the supply side will make pipes knock like crazy. This has been going on at work for quite a while. One of the buildings will get up to almost 300 PSI at times. The city that does that to us is getting regular (and large bills) from us as we keep repairing the problems that occur.
We are at the "end of the line", it was overbuilt to add enough pressure for a couple of housing developments that never got built because of the recession. Instead of fixing the problem upstream, the solution is to come out and dump water from fire hydrants on a regular basis. But they forget to come out and check, and shit blows up... usually the check valves for our fire control sprinklers.
This same city is represented on our board of directors. Plenty of drama there, but they are liable, and it's locked in... won't be changed, they must pay to fix it.
Luckily, the building this happens to is mostly empty, as we went fully automated. No more cash, no more toll booth personnel.
Last edited by WØTKX; 10-16-2011 at 10:30 AM.
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world to attach the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?" ~ Professor "Dick" Soloman
It's them danged extraterrestrials agin. They's tryin' t' communicate with us through our water heaters. Git yer tin foil hats ready, they's gonna be here any time now.
All the world’s a stage, but obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines. Maybe that’s why it’s hard to tell if we’re living in a tragedy or a farce.
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