# Why are teh pipes in my house so loud? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142 "2004-02-08T17:36:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142/1 "2004-02-08T17:36:24Z")
I live in an older home (in the US, 70 years is an older home. You Europeans can just stop with the laughing) which still has cast iron pipes. Is that the reason I can hear the water running through pipes in the walls? Or is it the utter lack of any insulation? It’s most apparent in the bathroom when there is laundry running. When the washer drains, it’s like it’s pouring on your head, the sound, at least. I’m not overly concerned about it, just curious. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142/2 "2004-02-08T19:14:12Z")
Actually, cast iron pipes are superior in terms of noise containment when compared with plastic (PVC/ABS). What may be happening is direct contact with a wall assembly which serves to transmit the objectionable noise. IIRC, care was taken back in the day to route piping through floor and wall penetrations affording an air space to effectively “decouple” the two assemblies from a sonic standpoint. Since it’s your clothes washer causing the problem, is it jammed up against the wall? Pull it forward an inch or so to see if that relieves the mechanical transmission of noise. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142/3 "2004-02-08T19:52:18Z")
It’s the sound of the water draining in the pipes, not the sound of the washer running that I’m talking about. It’s also apparent when draining the tub or running the dishwasher. You can clearly hear the water running out the drain pipe pretty much all the time, but it’s loudest when the washer is draining. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142/4 "2004-02-08T20:14:36Z")
My grandmother had the same problem in her home. When inside plumbing became the norm in home construction, the empty walls were a good a place as any to place the sewage vent lines. Houses built from the 50’s on placed the vent above the roof of the house to eliminate a common complaint, the sound of water running through the drain pipes. In my grandmothers case, we added 12 feet of PVC pipe to each of the 2 in wall vents and her noise problem was gone. It did require taking out a couple of walls though. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142/5 "2004-02-08T20:20:27Z")
Are these drain pipes, or water feed lines? Maybe air isn’t escaping like it should. Near faucets, there should be a tee fitting _|_. the vertical pipe would allow air to collect in it, therefore reducing noise in the pipes. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142/6 "2004-02-09T00:25:17Z")
Must be drain lines because it’s much more apparnet when something is, uh, draining. I’ll look into the vent pipe story. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-teh-pipes-in-my-house-so-loud/228142/7 "2004-02-09T00:35:34Z")
European-type stopped snickering here 😃 … To be honest, _not_ hearing at least some pipes in a home of that age would be a surprise to me.