Cause of Noisy Pipe Drip

Find out how the dripping sound coming from behind a wall may just be the expansion and contraction of the pipe and is nothing to be concerned about.

LESLIE: Janie in Florida’s up next. What’s going on in your house?

JANIE: I had my house re-piped with the PVC pipe and when I turn the water on, it sounds like water is dripping behind the wall. And I was wondering if I need to be concerned about it.

TOM: Probably not. It sounds to me like what you’re hearing is the expansion and contraction of the pipe. I bet that you will hear this more with hot water than with cold water, Janie. Because what happens is as the pipe expands and contracts, if that piping is rubbing against a wood stud, it makes a sound that sounds just like a drip inside the wall. It’s sort of like a crick-crick-crick-crick-crick sound and it’ll start when you turn the water on and then when you turn the water off, it’ll basically contract so it’ll go back. So what you’re hearing is most likely the expansion and contraction of the pipe and nothing to worry about.

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