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DUNBAR.
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MasterPlumbers
Hello. We bought a 20 year old house last year and ever since we’ve moved in, the hot water pipes creak when the water starts to heat up and then when they cool down. Lately, the shower head had been dripping occasionally. We’ve noticed that the dripping goes away if we run the faucet in the sink. Is this a problem with the water pressure? How do we fix this?
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The creaking/ticking is thermal expansion of the pipes dragging across wood or whatever clamps/jhooks they used to support the piping. It mainly is a nuisance problem before it is a mechanical one. Finding where those pipes are creating the noise can allow you to either “pad” the clamps or remove wood where the pipes are rubbing.
There is no way to control the expansion/contraction of the piping……especially if it is plastic piping. It could be the drains making that noise before the water lines. Run water into numerous buckets (hot) to see if the noise persists.
In regards to the leaking showerhead; check your incoming static water pressure and if it is above 60, look to see if there is a thermal expansion tank located near the water heater.
Once again thermal expansion can play a role in causing leaks and increased water pressure until the next faucet is opened or toilet is flushed.
Let us know your situation with the water pressure and the presence of a thermal expansion tank at the water heater.
DUNBAR
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