Hey All,

I looked this topic up online and haven't found any solutions yet, so opening it up here.

Current Scenario: My house cold water lines (City water) are vibrating
My system:

• Cold water into house through flexible hose-> gate valve ->Water meter->gate valve w/ threaded hose connection ->ball valve -> then copper piping distribues to 2 full baths, laundry and kitchen, dishwasher, 3 other outdoor hoses and boiler system. Boiler has a pressure reducing valve before it.

What I know:

• City just flushed hydrants, noise started right after
• Put a pressure gauge on city line and said 100PSI, also on my hose connection outside 100PSI. Gauge might be broken because my water pressure in my house or hose doesn't seem high.
• Called city and they said water pressure is constant and wouldn't be that high.

What I have done:

• Closed all valves in the basement (city water in, before PRV at boiler, random ones located before T's that branch off to different rooms) and nothing has stopped vibrating.
• valved off city water to house, then opened up upstairs faucets, downstairs hoses, and vibrating stopped. Turned water back on and it continued.
• Have run kitchen/bathroom faucets and it doesn't stop vibrating
• I've looked at all the brackets that secure the pipes and have made sure they are not loose. I can't see the ones in the walls obviously.

I've read up on this and most responses say its the PRV or high pressure. I've isolated my PRV and it doesn't stop. I don't think my pressure is 100PSI as my gauge reads, but I need to double check this.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

 

How did you isolate PRV?

Adjust prv and lower the pressure.. see if it goes away. Crud may have got in there.

Turn nut out to lower PSI. Do it with water running at a faucet or two... Get it down to 60 psi.

Also check expansion tank at water heater. You have one right?

 

If I'm reading correctly..... there is only a PRV on the boiler..... not the whole house.

 

LAW,

Just so we are clear, my city water goes into the house, and has a T that goes to the boiler. In that pipe run, there is a ball valve, then PRV, then it goes into boiler. I isolated PRV by turning the ball valve before. I don't have a water heater, just a zone off my boiler that heats a domestic hot water tank. I do have an expansion tank off the boiler though.

If my pressure off my PRV was 60PSI my Pressure Relief Valve on my boiler would pop (set to 35PSI).

Another tidbit of info is that my relief valve did pop on my boiler the night of the city water flushing. There was some water on my basement floor.

Do you still recommend doing your recommendation with the new info?

 

PJ. Correct! Not that I can see anyways. I read about ones being in the ground before the house. Not sure if thats common, but my city water official didn't mention anything like that.

 

If your house water pressure is high...... the boiler PRV will have absolutely no effect on it.

 

Agreed - a pressure reducing valve before my boiler should have no effect on the vibrating cold water line before it.

 

so no prv for the house side.... OK. well you need to get one...

First get a new pressure gauge and get accurate readings..

Where is your water meter? Have the township check that...

 

I think I solved the problem. I went to HD and bought a 3/4 pressure reducing valve (PRV), some fittings and a pressure gauge. I installed the gauge right after the water meter and before the PRV. See images before and after. An old guy at HD walked me through exactly what to get, where to find everything and even sat on the ground with me to lay everything out. Amazing.

Anyways after I soldered my pipe (first timer!) and screwed in my fittings I turned the water on and bingo problem solved. THERE'S A TWIST THOUGH!. My new gauge said my incoming water is at 95psi which agreed with what I had measured before. When I installed my new valve I put a piece of wood under it to help support the weight. This was the thing that solved the vibration! If I take my wood piece off like in the picture it still vibrates. Even with the wood my pressure gauge needle is vibrating. Not sure if city water typically vibrates but apparently mine does.

 

Great job, looks nice and clean. The only thing I would have added is a valve on the house side of the PRV. It would allow replacing the PRV/Meter without draining the whole house.

One other suggestion is to get two ground clamps (like the one that's there) and add a 2' jumper of 6ga copper wire from the copper pipe on the street side of the meter, over to your copper house piping. This ensures you have a solid ground for safety.


As for your vibrations, it's possible the valve on the right is causing the vibrations. Ensure it's fully open, or close it a half-turn. It could have a washer that's loose or wearing that's causing the vibrating. Then the fact that it's all just sort of hanging there is amplifying the vibrations.

 

There should definitely be a few standoffs there. Everything is just hanging on itself.
That's not good for connections either.