LESLIE: Sherry in Oregon is on the line with a question about popping sounds from tub. What can we do for you today?
SHERRY: What you can do for me is get rid of my fears.
TOM and LESLIE: OK.
SHERRY: I have a cast-iron tub and soon after I get out of it and it starts to cool down, I hear this horrible, loud snap. And it may happen once, twice or even if I walk into the bathroom before the tub is totally cooled down.
TOM: Mm-hmm. Is it a metal-sounding snap?
SHERRY: Yes.
TOM: I think the popping sounds from tub are probably oil-canning. Basically, as the tub is expanding and contracting, it pops as the metal expands and contracts and that’s probably what you’re hearing. It’s unusual with a cast-iron tub, though, because those are usually pretty stiff. But that sounds like what you’re describing.
SHERRY: Very good. And it’s not – it won’t be something that’s problematic in the future?
TOM: I don’t think so. I mean it’s usually just an annoyance. But as long as it doesn’t sound like you’ve got lumber snapping or something like that, if it’s the metal that’s popping like that, yeah, that’s oil-canning causing the popping sounds from tub.
SHERRY: No, it doesn’t like lumber.
TOM: You remember the old oil cans that you use – or the old soda cans that were very, very thick metal and if you sort of pressed your finger in the side, it would make a pinging sound?
SHERRY: Oh, sure.
TOM: That’s what that is; that’s what oil-canning is.
SHERRY: Mm-hmm. Well, fantastic, I’ve gotten rid of that fear. I really appreciate …
TOM: There you go. OK. Now we’ve cleaned the slate.
Leave a Reply