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07-26-2006, 01:01 PM
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#1
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Newbie
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2
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Knocking Copper Hot Water Pipes in Winter
Copper water pipes are in unfinished daylight basement and basement is unheated Average temp in basement is 58 to 65F. During winter months when the hot water is turned on it sounds like a knocking sound coming from within the walls. I was told this is due to Thermal Expansion since the basement is unheated.
Is this true and short of heating the basement what can be done? Would insulating the pipes correct the problem or is there anything else that could or should be done? Thanks!
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07-26-2006, 02:08 PM
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#2
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They're all fixer-uppers
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 877
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Knocking Copper Hot Water Pipes in Winter
Regardless of whether or not it stops the banging, you should insulate your water pipes if they pass throught an unheated area. In fact, if it gets very cold in winter where you are, I'd insulate my hot AND my cold. Cold water pipes that are insulated are slightly less likely to freeze. Hot water pipes passing through an unheated area will put extra strain on the water heater as the pipes lose heat. Conserve energy and insulate those pipes, if the banging stops, awesome. If not, you may build up or hammering or other problems.
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07-27-2006, 09:18 AM
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#3
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Journeyman Plumber
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 1,993
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Knocking Copper Hot Water Pipes in Winter
Expansion and contraction of the hot water pipe is the cause, if in the wall, finding the source is the only way to fix it, what is happening is the pipe is attached tightly to a stud, when pipe heats up it needs to expand, so it is forced the expand in a tight spot. This is the noise you hear.
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11-18-2009, 04:28 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Montreal
Posts: 53
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Knocking Copper Hot Water Pipes in Winter
In searching for expansion noises, I found this thread, and had one more question. Is it worth fixing, looking into, or leave as is? I have encountered the same problem, where the pipes know when heating in the winter.
Thanks!
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11-19-2009, 08:04 AM
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#5
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gravity always wins
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Annville, PA
Posts: 1,361
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Knocking Copper Hot Water Pipes in Winter
If you can, locate all of the places where the pipe travels through a floor, stud, hanger, etc. Apply a small dab of silicone plumbers grease. You may not be able to get to all of them, but........
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11-19-2009, 11:24 AM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Montreal
Posts: 53
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Knocking Copper Hot Water Pipes in Winter
thanks!!
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