Weekly Q&A Archives

How do I stop water pipes from making a humming noise when water is turned on? Pipes make noise when water is turned on. This usually stops if water is turned off then back on or when running water and another faucet is turned on or toilet flushed. Noise seems to be coming from around hot water heater area.

You may have a problem with too high water pressure. There could also be a problem with the heat traps inside the nipples on the water heater. They can sometimes vibrate and cause the noise you are hearing. Have a plumber check your water pressure and the nipples on the water heater.

Why is black iron the most commonly used pipe in the natural gas application? Does the price of galvanized make it unjustifiable?

Galvanized pipe is for water. The galvanizing coating protects the iron from corrosion stopping rust. Black pipe is steel pipe that has been Lacquered on the outside. Black pipe is meant for gas only because gas wont corrode the iron like water does.

We've just installed an "apartment" in our barn. Our kitchen faucet is an American Standard Culinaire. The faucet works fine, but the water flow is very modest to say the least. The barn plumbing is on the same well as the house (about 100 feet away) ... the power there is terrific. Is there some sort of flow controller on the AS Culinaire ... and if yes, how can I get rid of it?

I doubt there is a flow re-stricter in your kitchen faucet. Here are some things to check: The line runs a 100' from the well to the barn. Is the line at least 3/4"? If its less than that there may be some flow restriction going on because its undersized. Is the apartment on a second floor? If it is you loose pressure about 1/2 pound per foot of rise from the well. If this was installed by a plumber he should have sized everything correctly for you.

I think my hot water heater is leaking but I don't see any water. Whenever I turn it off, the arrow on the water meter stops turning, and when I turn it back on the arrow turns. My water bill is very high, and I need some insight on what can be done. I called a plumber and he said the water pipe under the concrete seems to be cracked and he would have to tear the concrete to repair the pipe. This seems a bit much, since the bill just started getting high and the concrete job was done almost 3 years ago. I don't know what to do. PLEASE HELP. Thanks

It sounds like you have a slab leak. The water is leaking under the ground but is not visible above ground. The leak needs to be located and the floor jack hammered up so they can dig down to the pipe and repair the break.

The pilot light on my gas water heater keeps going out. It is vented to code. How do I fix this?

It is likely a bad thermocouple. This sits in the flame and generates a voltage that goes back to the gas valve to keep the gas on. If the thermocouple fails the gas shuts off. If after replacing the thermocouple it still happens the gas valve will have to be replaced.

Hello, my faucet in my tub won't stop running. I have turned off the water that is directly connected to the tub but now...that doesn't stop it any more...it continues to run. How do I fix this...easily? And do I do this directly from the bathroom or do I need to go into the basement and work from it from under it? I have the One Round Knob Style for Turning it on and off and for Hot and Cold Selection.

You are going to require special tools to remove the stems and seats so the seats and washers can be replaced. Its just too complicated to give you a step by step process here in writing because there are so many variables. If you want to try it you need to buy the tools and then do some research online on your particular faucet. I recommend getting a licensed plumber to do the work for you.

Hi, Half hour after taking a shower, I noticed a water stain on my ceiling in the lower floor. I suspect that the leak stain that just appeared two days ago in my living room ceiling could be caused by my shower (as this part of the ceiling is just underneath my shower). Any advice or information that could help detect / repair or prevent further damage is appreciated. Thank you.

Look around the entire shower at all the seams and make sure they are caulked properly. If you notice gaps its best to take all the caulk out and re-caulk everything. Second, check the seal between the drain and the shower pan, it should be tight with no gaps. Changing the seal is something you might want to attempt but a plumber should probably do it. If after this the shower still leaks then you will need to cut out the drywall under the shower so you can see the pipes. A joint could be cracked somewhere.

Thank you for taking my question. I would like to know ‘why’ this is happening and is there a fix? I installed a Bradford –White, 40 gallon, gas, water heater about a year ago. It was probably the 5th water heater I have installed in 30+ years. Everything on this water heater worked fine until about a week ago; now the pilot light won’t stay lit.

1) I have bought 2 different thermocouples to help fix this problem.
2) I can use any of the 3 thermocouples to get the pilot light to light and keep it lit. Even as long as overnight. It has always lit and it never goes out until…
3) As soon as I turn the gas control knob, and it reaches the point where the thermostat opens the gas valve to heat the water (you know it by the subtle “click”) then the pilot light shuts off.
4) At that moment I can light the burner manually (not the pilot light) and it will stay lit to heat the water to the temperature I indicate.
5) But… since the pilot light won’t stay lit, the water heater shuts down after the water reaches its full temperature. And, I have to repeat the cycle every time I want hot water. I thought one aspect of the thermocouple was to produce enough ‘charge’ to keep the pilot light's gas valve open. Or is there some other problem I am not aware of?

There are only a couple of things that can go wrong with a water heater.