There have been two instances now when my water pipes began vibrating out of the blue. I think it's coincidence on the time, but both times were around 3:00 in the morning, and I was woken from a dead sleep, both times, thinking a semi truck was crashing into my house. The first time was on a Friday, and the second time was the following Monday (which is the same day I'm posting this).

No faucets were being operated at the time, and no toilets were being flushed (so doubt it's water hammer).

The pipes were vibrating, and I could hear what sounded like a ticking sound. Hard to really put the noises together, since by the time I'm awake enough to comprehend what's going on, it stops.

I did read somewhere that sediment in the bottom of the water heater could cause something like this, when the water bubbles up from under the sediment...so I just finished flushing my WH for a bit and got probably +/- a cup of what looks like calcium build up (little white rocks). I let it drain for maybe 15 minutes or so, but doubt I got all of it out. The WH is fairly new too...being installed within the last year to year and a half'ish.

I really doubt that little bit of sediment caused the issue though. Any ideas of other causes?

Thanks for any guidance!

 

Where are you located? Are you in a city on municipal water or in the country with a well?

 

I live outside the city limits, and am served by a municipal water corporation. I'm going to contact them to see if they've been doing any work/testing on their lines recently.

 

Whenever pipes stat rattling and such, I first suspect over-pressure.

If you have a PRV or check valve near the meter, the piping in your house becomes a closed system. Overnight, the water heater heats the water, which expands, increasing the pressure in the system.

I'd consider getting a pressure gauge and attaching it at the laundry sink or outside faucet. Check it a few times throughout the day, and especially when you get up in the morning. It should always be in the 50-70 range, and never about 80psi.

 

Thanks for the tip. I do have a PRV downstream of the meter. Water Dept. is supposed to come out and just put their eyes on it sometime to make sure everything is good.

Spoke to a plumber, and he had no idea what was causing it...said to check with water dept. that maybe they were pressure testing the line or something; but, they advised that they weren't

Also forgot to mention that I've lived in this house for 17 years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened.

 

You might take a look at the toilet fill valves. A loose washer can make a truck-crashing-into-the-house racket. If there's a toilet flapper that's seeping, the fill valve will actuate.

You can check toilet flappers by putting food coloring into the tank. If it seeps into the bowl, replace the flapper and test again.