Intermittent noisy creaking mains water pipe

[Hubie]

Hi everyone. I'm a homeowner with no plumbing experience and I'm wondering if anyone can help me with a problem I've been having.

I live in a flat in a new-ish build (completed early 2013) on the top (5th) floor. We have a combi boiler. In the last couple of months my wife and I have noticed a strange creaking sound in our bedroom that occurs intermittently at random times of day and night. It sounds like someone stepping on creaky floorboards above our bed, but that is impossible since 1. we're on the top floor and 2. all the flats in this building have concrete flooring.

Anyway, after some investigation (and sleepless nights!) we've traced the noise to our flat's Mains water inlet pipe, which is located in our hallway cupboard. The mains pipes, as well as our mains gas inlet, are all in this cupboard and they are attached to the wall of the cupboard that adjoins our bedroom. These pipes all run up into our ceiling. Please see the attached photo.



I'm fairly sure the creaking noise has got louder recently, which has been waking us up at night. It's not very loud, but loud enough to be annoying when everything else is silent.

As far as we can tell, it occurs randomly and it is intermittent (a burst of 3 or 4 creaks, followed by silence for a few minutes sometimes, then a few more creaks). Since we're only really in our bedroom in mornings, evenings and at night, that's when we usually notice the noise, but we're fairly sure it occurs during the day too. It doesn't seem to be linked to our use of our taps, etc, in our flat as we notice it at random times during the night when we are in bed/trying to sleep.

Early this morning I tried turning off our mains water supply (at the stopcock) and noticed that the noise didn't occur after that, but obviously that's not a practical solution on a day-to-day basis.

Does anyone have any advice on this? I've searched Google and so far I haven't found any definitive solutions apart from the usual suggestions of 'water hammer', etc, (which I assume isn't the problem).

Thanks in advance for any advice and sorry for the long-winded post! I hope it makes sense!

Hubie

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I would check all your toilets ball valves and taps for dripping

As the pressure rises in the night sometimes ball valves can let by and make a noise

 

[Hubie]

I would check all your toilets ball valves and taps for dripping

As the pressure rises in the night sometimes ball valves can let by and make a noise

Thanks for replying. The noise is occurring in the mains inlet pipe, which is nowhere near our toilets, and nowhere else as far as I can tell.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

When the noise is happening touch the pipe is it vibrating etc and feel along does it get worse etc

It might be the nrv but double check your toilets as for dripping ball valves at night

 

[Scott_D]

Try shutting the valve while it's creaking

 

[Hubie]

When the noise is happening touch the pipe is it vibrating etc and feel along does it get worse etc

It might be the nrv but double check your toilets as for dripping ball valves at night

It doesn't vibrate in a big way. It's hard to explain really. As if the cause of the creaking is somewhere up/down the pipe. Tbh I wouldn't know what or where my toilet ball valves are! I guess I'd best get a plumber in to look at it

 

[Hubie]

Try shutting the valve while it's creaking

Not really a practical solution, turning off the water every night. Although if that's the best way to stop the creaking and get some sleep then so be it :/

 

[Scott_D]

Not really a practical solution, turning off the water every night. Although if that's the best way to stop the creaking and get some sleep then so be it :/

It was more to check its definitely the pipe you think. Noise and vibration can travel, its possible if you live in flats that its someone else that has an issue but you can hear the vibration

 

[Hubie]

It was more to check its definitely the pipe you think. Noise and vibration can travel, its possible if you live in flats that its someone else that has an issue but you can hear the vibration

Oh right, sorry. Yeah the noise seems to stop when I shut the valve

 

[Moffski72]

Might be worth getting a plumber in to change that silver globe jobby at the bottom of the cold water pipework in your photo. It's a device that absorbs minor pressure fluctuations in the cold supply and could be fooked.
If it's just started it suggests that something has failed, although that could be something as simple as a clip coming loose that was securing the pipework, which is almost certainly plastic if it's in the ceiling void and could , as earlier posts have said, be vibrating and causing the noise.
Might be worth getting a pressure reducing valve fitted if you have high water pressure also.

 

[Hubie]

Might be worth getting a plumber in to change that silver globe jobby at the bottom of the cold water pipework in your photo. It's a device that absorbs minor pressure fluctuations in the cold supply and could be fooked.
If it's just started it suggests that something has failed, although that could be something as simple as a clip coming loose that was securing the pipework, which is almost certainly plastic if it's in the ceiling void and could , as earlier posts have said, be vibrating and causing the noise.
Might be worth getting a pressure reducing valve fitted if you have high water pressure also.

Cool thanks. I'll make sure I mention all of this stuff when I get someone to have a look. Thanks for your help guys 🙂