An expansion tank is primarily designed to avoid damage to the dank of the water heater but have found that it too can assist with pipe rattling issues throughout the house.
Hot water heater pipes shaking.
Some homes use cpvc chlorinated polyvinyl chloride as their hot water supply pipes i e.
We had a loss of hot water for probably a good 30 minutes when i looked at the hot water heater in the basement the output pipe was luke warm and instead of seeing a light blue pilot light i saw a bright flickering orange yellow light and heard the sound of something like water dripping onto a very hot pan.
Pipes can vibrate and sputter or spit violently making lots of noise if there is air trapped in them.
Position your ear next to the hot water outlet pipe.
The pipes that deliver hot water to your shower sinks washing machine etc.
If your water pipes are making noises when you take a shower look into the potential causes of the problem to find a solution.
Turn off the water heater at the circuit breaker.
When you locate the banging pipe hopefully it will be exposed like in the basement or crawlspace.
Secure the pipe by adding a small piece of foam or rubber pipe insulation to the pipe and re strap it.
The water supply pipes that go to your shower normally should not shake or make noises as if they are shaking and hitting other surfaces in the wall.
For electric water heaters.
4 place the other end of the hose in an area like a basement drain where water can drain to and won t.
The expansion tank needs to be sized based on the gallon capacity of the water heater and installed on the cold water line no closer than 18 from the inlet to the water.
Turn the gas valve knob to pilot.
Now if a cpvc line was routed through a hole or area that is too tight you ll hear a rubbing clicking knocking noise anytime hot water runs through that pipe.
Again aside from the sound of water rushing through pipes or out fixtures there is nothing strange about these sounds.
3 connect a garden hose to the drain valve.
If no hot water taps are open you shouldn t hear water moving through the pipe.
Just leave your faucets on until the water flow returns to normal.
For gas water heaters.
Test both the hot and cold water from the faucet.
But what happens when you suddenly stop this flow on either your cold or hot water pipes.
The hot pipe may feel warmer than the cold pipe but if no hot water is being used it shouldn t feel hot to the touch.
The water that was once rushing through your pipes suddenly meets 100 resistance slamming into the closed valve.
If you have air in a pipe caused by a recent repair or another issue you will have to deal with the shaking and sputtering pipes for a short time until the air is forced out.