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We've had a problem now for several weeks which is becoming worse. We would appreciate some advice on the way forward given this difficult time when we are in isolation due to chronic ill health.

Several weeks ago, on switching on the kitchen cold tap, we began to get an odd noise that seemed to be coming from the pipe work. At the time, a handyman was in the house doing some work in the kitchen and he altered the amount of water coming through the cold tap, by lowering the water pressure. Although this did not prevent the problem, it was certainly less worse for a few days. However, the problem did persist and then we began to notice that the tap would drip uncontrollably. We would have to turn the hot and cold tops on and off until it stopped dripping. Although the problem was irritating it wasn't bad.

For the last two weeks however the problem has got significantly worse. Whenever you turn the cold water tap on in the kitchen there is a most horrendous noise coming from the pipes. The same noise occurs when you switch on the washer or dishwasher. You can alleviate the noise by turning on the hot water tap. You don't need to leave the hot water tap on , just release some water and then close the tap off again and the noise resolves. The problem is also happening now when we use the taps in the bathroom, the shower and also flush the toilet .

It's difficult to describe the noise well, but it is almost like a shudder in the pipe work. We have not made any adjustments to the stop tap which is located in the bathroom. We have looked at it, and in all honesty because it is very old and look somewhat delicate I would be very nervous of touching it without a qualified plumber in the house !

We have tried looking the problem up online. There were suggestions that it could be air in the pipes. So we have put all of the taps on in the kitchen and bathroom, left them running for a few minutes but to no avail.

Any help or advice people can give would be most gratefully received!
 
I have had this is several households. Turning out to be a cracked ceramic disc in the tap. Not always dripping but always stops making noise by opening other side up.
 
I have had this is several households. Turning out to be a cracked ceramic disc in the tap. Not always dripping but always stops making noise by opening other side up.
What about the other taps and the shower, not likely a ceramic disk on one tap causing the problem.
 
I have had it before where everything has been affected by this cracked disc. I would assume it's only cold side as it happens after toilet is flushed. Try pushing handle of tap towards the tap body when the noise is happening to see if the tone changes or it stops
 
Do you have a unit under your sink or on your mains similar to this? It is a pressure reducing valve, if you have and yours has failed that would cause the issues you have.
View attachment 43610
We don't - but thanks for taking the time to reply.
One of the best things about forums is that, even if advice doesn't help the person directly involved, it can provide pointers for silent lurkers!
[automerge]1588155850[/automerge]
I have had it before where everything has been affected by this cracked disc. I would assume it's only cold side as it happens after toilet is flushed. Try pushing handle of tap towards the tap body when the noise is happening to see if the tone changes or it stops
This seems to be the case for us - any cold water (feed to clothes washer, shower, toilet) seems affected, but the hot water (which is fed direct from our hot water boiler) isn't - by switching on the hot tap, this seems to remove the pressure and we can then leave the hot tap on a slight trickle.

Does it sound as if getting a new tap fitted would alleviate the situation?
[automerge]1588155934[/automerge]
Thanks to all for their help, interest and advice.
 
Last edited:
We've had a problem now for several weeks which is becoming worse. We would appreciate some advice on the way forward given this difficult time when we are in isolation due to chronic ill health.

Several weeks ago, on switching on the kitchen cold tap, we began to get an odd noise that seemed to be coming from the pipe work. At the time, a handyman was in the house doing some work in the kitchen and he altered the amount of water coming through the cold tap, by lowering the water pressure. Although this did not prevent the problem, it was certainly less worse for a few days. However, the problem did persist and then we began to notice that the tap would drip uncontrollably. We would have to turn the hot and cold tops on and off until it stopped dripping. Although the problem was irritating it wasn't bad.

For the last two weeks however the problem has got significantly worse. Whenever you turn the cold water tap on in the kitchen there is a most horrendous noise coming from the pipes. The same noise occurs when you switch on the washer or dishwasher. You can alleviate the noise by turning on the hot water tap. You don't need to leave the hot water tap on , just release some water and then close the tap off again and the noise resolves. The problem is also happening now when we use the taps in the bathroom, the shower and also flush the toilet .

It's difficult to describe the noise well, but it is almost like a shudder in the pipe work. We have not made any adjustments to the stop tap which is located in the bathroom. We have looked at it, and in all honesty because it is very old and look somewhat delicate I would be very nervous of touching it without a qualified plumber in the house !

We have tried looking the problem up online. There were suggestions that it could be air in the pipes. So we have put all of the taps on in the kitchen and bathroom, left them running for a few minutes but to no avail.

Any help or advice people can give would be most gratefully received!

This is hydraulic hammer and I've had this problem in two properties, both times it was caused by a leaking ceramic cartridge in a Bristan Echo kitchen tap. For some reason these taps use a cartridge with a plastic thrust washer keeping the two ceramic discs together and the plastic washer doesn't stand up to the heat very well on the hot water side and so appears to wear more quickly than the cold. It seems counter intuitive that the hammer could start when you turn on a cold tap elsewhere in the property but replacing the hot cartridge fixed both cases. Incidentally, the hammer can become very severe so you should get it fixed ASAP before the violent shaking causes more problems.
 

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