# Air in my pipes? I'm going insane! HELP ME! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107 "2001-07-19T22:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/1 "2001-07-19T22:03:44Z")
My pipes have decided that they want to be car horns. Long, stuck car horns. They sound like this whenever anyone does anything with water anywhere in the house. Tell me how to fix it, or I’m gonna do it my way–dynamite. Please? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2001, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/2 "2001-07-19T23:34:46Z")
From [Plumbing Noises](http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/PipeNoises.htm): > [@](#): > > Often a faulty toilet ballcock (fill valve) will cause resonance sounds like these. At least it’s easy to check – here’s how to tell if this is the cause. Close the supply valves to all the toilets. If the noise disappears, open them one-by-one till the noise starts again. Replace the ballcock in that toilet. > > If there are no shut-offs handy, sometimes you can locate the offending ballcock by lifting up on the float ball while someone starts an offending faucet. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/3 "2001-07-20T00:02:08Z")
The pipes could be almost closed off with sediments also. I sure hope not. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/4 "2001-07-20T00:35:46Z")
See if [this article](http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/features/brown/831868) helps. It better explains the procedure (down at the end) that I was going to try to explain. ---
**Author:** ![Neurodoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neurodoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurodoc)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/5 "2001-07-20T07:51:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OpalCat \* > \*\*My pipes have decided that they want to be car horns. Long, stuck car horns. They sound like this whenever anyone does anything with water anywhere in the house. > Please? \*\* Since you say this happens whenever ANY water fixture is used, your problem is clearly not due to the faulty toilet cock the other posters refer to. You have garden variety “water hammer,” which is due to the vibration of pipes when the column of water starts and stops and transferrs its energy to the pipes. During actual flow, resonance can also be a factor. The sounds range from banging (hammer) to “moaning” and “sighing”, which are merely produced by different vibrational spectra. The best ways to eliminate these annoying sounds are: 1) fasten all pipes securely so they cannot vibrate; 2) install shock absorbing units in the circuits…these are of two types: air-filled lengths of pipe intalled in parallel with the fixture supply pipes, or commerical air-hammer units intalled likewise; and, 3) make sure all the faucet/valve washers and their seats are clean and smooth. BTW, I used to be a plumber and supported myself through medical school in that trade. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/6 "2001-07-20T11:32:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurodoc \* > \*\*BTW, I used to be a plumber and supported myself through medical school in that trade. \*\* And you gave up that lucrative field of plumbing for the less-well paid field of neurosurgery?!?! Now that’s dedication to your calling! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/7 "2001-07-20T11:51:14Z")
I would love to help, but I can only think of two sugesstions 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/8 "2001-07-20T12:21:06Z")
With all due respect to Dr. Plumber(“Nurse, Basin Wrench. Uh, make that forceps”), perhaps the columns of water have become waterlogged. I read about that once, while working flipping burgers to pay my way through my physics education. The way to fix this is to cut off the water to the house, open faucets, including outdoor water bibbs (taps, faucets, whatever you attach hoses to), drain all the water out, letting all that nice dampening air back in. If your house has a stop-and-spill valve as the cutoff, even better. You may want to look up stop-and-spill valves on the web, so you’re not unduly alarmed when you turn the valve and water sprays out of it(as the one at my house did to me unexpectedly). Since this is a new problem, draining may fix it, otherwise, maybe a plumber’s help is needed. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/9 "2001-07-20T12:36:49Z")
Problems with the pipes, Opal? Let me take a look. Ahhh, they just needed to be snaked. ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/10 "2001-07-20T12:41:21Z")
Jeez, Columns of Air have become waterlogged, that’s what I meant to say… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/11 "2001-07-20T12:49:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Philster \* > \*\*Problems with the pipes, Opal? Let me take a look. Ahhh, they just needed to be snaked. > > \*\* This is not a gynecology thread, **Philster**. Just kidding people. [sub]Please don’t kill me.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/12 "2001-07-20T15:00:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beatle \* > **sometimes you can locate the offending ballcock by lifting up on the float ball while someone starts an offending faucet.** [Beavis & Butthead]huh, huh, he said “ballcock”[/Beavis & Butthead] ---
**Author:** ![Neurodoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neurodoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurodoc)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-in-my-pipes-im-going-insane-help-me/73107/13 "2001-07-21T05:23:46Z")
Yes, I DID support myself through med school by plying my trade as a plumber. I’ve often thought about going back to my old line of work, just to be free of the managed care way of life. We don’t have managed plumbing yet… I’m not a neurosurgeon; I’m a neurologist. You’d think a tradesman would go into surgery, but I didn’t. Got a couple of good jokes for you Straight Dopers: 1. At a conference for neurosurgeons and neurologists, a neurosurgeon took the podium. He expressed frustration that the layfolk were always confusing neurosurgeons with neurologists. The old USAF veteran lamented that it was kind of like confusing a pilot with a flight attendant. This led to many guffaws from the audience. A neurologist, an old US Army Vet, next took the podium and lamented that neurosurgeons were frequently referred to as neurologists. He said, "You know, that’s kind of like calling ab guy with a Black & Decker drill an “engineer.” 1. A neurosurgeon and his general surgeon wife got home from the hospital sometime after midnight. The wife went to the kitchen sink and noticed the faucet was dripping. He husband decided to try to “fix” the leak, but his efforts led to a minor deluge under the sink. They got out the Yellow Pages and called in a 24 hour plumbing service gut. After 15 minutes he had the leak fixed and presented the good doctors with his $300 bill. The husband was flabbergasted…“Listen here…You’re charging us $1200 per hour. I’m a neurosurgeon and I don’t make &1200 per hour for what I do!” To which the plumber replied, “Well, I didn’t make that much when I was a neurosurgeon…”