Pipes banging after a toilet is flushed is common in residential properties. Unfortunately, this banging noise is a symptom of a problem that can cause damage to your pipes. Knowing what you can do to stop the noise can help you take care of your property and save you a lot of hassle. Keep reading to find out what causes this problem and some solutions.
What’s Causing the Noise
The banging noise you hear after your toilet flushes is very likely caused by a problem known as a “water hammer.” To help you understand your plumbing, imagine water flowing through your pipes like cars driving on the freeway.
If the car at the front of the line comes to a sudden stop, vehicles driving behind it will crash. A water hammer is like a 10-car pileup on the freeway. The water inside your pipes has come to a dead stop. Then the water hits the wall of the lines at high speeds, which causes a bang.
Why Water Hammer is a Problem
Every time you hear the bang, the echoing may damage your plumbing. The hammering noise isn’t just an annoying noise: it’s also bad for your pipes. Over many months or years, these vibrations can cause leaks and extensive water damage.
What You Can Do to Fix It
There are serval ways that you can fix this problem. First, your pipes should all contain air-filled chambers that act like shock absorbers in each corner. However, if these chambers become filled with water, that water must be cleared out before the air chambers will work again.
Luckily, emptying these chambers is generally straightforward. To do this, you’ll need to drain the pipes of water. Start by turning off the main water supply to your home, flush every toilet, turn on every faucet, and run your washer for a few minutes.
Once your pipes are empty of all water, open your home’s main water valve and turn back on your faucets. To see if this has worked, flush the toilet and listen for the banging noise after the toilet stops working.
If the pipes still make the noise, try installing a new slow shut-off toilet valve. This toilet valve can be purchased at hardware stores and home improvement centers. Read the package to be sure that the valve you select states explicitly that it’s a slow shut-off valve. Then, to replace the parts of your toilet tank, follow the instructions included in the package.