Thread: Whistling hot water

I had a colleague ask me why the hot water "whistled" at their upstairs bathroom in the shower stall when activated - I didn't have an answer....any input would be greatly appreciated.

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Originally Posted by Mike Birenbaum

I had a colleague ask me why the hot water "whistled" at their upstairs bathroom in the shower stall when activated - I didn't have an answer....any input would be greatly appreciated.

Was it whistling "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!"

YouTube - DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER - LOST IN SPACE

Could be many things: air in the hot water lines (this should have been bled out by now on its own), steam in the hot water lines (this is bad), the water restrictor in the shower head, loose pipe/riser to shower head, debris caught in pipes/riser to shower head, ???

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Was it whistling "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!"

YouTube - DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER - LOST IN SPACE

Could be many things: air in the hot water lines (this should have been bled out by now on its own), steam in the hot water lines (this is bad), the water restrictor in the shower head, loose pipe/riser to shower head, debris caught in pipes/riser to shower head, ???

I'd guess 2 or 3 and yeah 2 is bad but would likely be noticed elsewhere unless maybe the shower is the highest part of the HW system.

The simple fix is to change the shower head. I had a brand new unit do that, you could play a tune by turning the tap up and down. "Good Vibrations". A different head fixed it .

Undersized piping can cause very high velocity, which causes turbulence which can lead to noises. Try this: unscrew the shower head and measure the GPM flow and listen. Now, replace the head ( after inspecting for trash or obstructions) and measure GPM. You may need to upside the piping or change heads. If there is a gallonage restrictor, measure with and without. Also measure static pressure before test then flow (residual) pressures during flows. Also look for any partially closed valves, partially clogged strainers,old pressure reducers, etc.

High velocity water is a problem, which can lead to pits and leaks and makes the piping more susceptible to water hammer and its resulting damage.
Bob

The washer on the hot water stem may be loose. We run into this a lot on the older homes here in the Buffalo, NY area. Be sure to use a flashlight and check the seat inside the faucet when you pull the stem.
I am not an inspector (we are a two man plumbing company) but the knowledge that can be learned from this site is invaluable.
Mike

Michael,

It's membership by professionals like yourself that make it so.

Thanks,

-Mike

Two other possibilities might be: shower head is the multi-spray type. These have internal parts that often move or spin and may be emitting a whirling noise during operation. Does it make this noise with just the cold water operation? Or... one of the exterior hose faucet backflow preventers is hooked to a hose and turned on. When the water is turned on at the shower there is a slight draw from the hose faucet causing the backflow preventer diapgram to flap at high intervals. I did one several years back where this was the case and the sound was transmitted through the piping, and only when one of the interior fixtures was operated.