Hot Water Singing...

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Thinkly

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We moved into our new home a few months ago. Shortly after moving in i noticed that whenever any of the showers (3 of them) are turned on there is a singing noise throughout the house.

I wouldn't describe it as a whistle because it isn't that high pitched, but rather like a high pitched hum or "singing." It's not REAL loud but is audible everywhere if you listen for it.

What can this be?
 

Jadnashua

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Do you have the same model showerhead in each one? Maybe the restrictor is singing...
 

Cass

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It may be a bad pressure reducing valve if you have one...I have also seen the check valve that some meters have do it...
 

hj

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hum

It may be the "heat traps" in the water heater inlet or outlet lines. Bad water softeners and defective pressure reducing valves can also cause the noise.
 
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Do you have the same model showerhead in each one? Maybe the restrictor is singing...

I've seen this exact thing recently, althought intermittently. The pressure compensators of some designs are more sensitive to this. It might be worth experimenting with another showerhead.

Is it only doing it when the shower runs, not faucets?
 

Thinkly

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Just happens with the showers. Oddly enough, we replaced both two of the three shower heads after moving in for aesthetic reasons. Still it sings. This is a fairly new house (only 8 yrs old), and will have to do more digging to find the answer.

No other hot water sources cause this, so has to have something to do with showers, i.e. restriction of water flow.
 

Jadnashua

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pull the water saver disc out of the shower head.

And run out of hot water in a few minutes...

Are these tub/showers? The divertor in the tub spout can often make some nasty noises. Do they sing when filling the tub as well? Or only when diverted to the shower?
 
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Cass

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Pulling the disk will cause you to run out of HW sooner but will help you figure out if the disk is the source of the noise...
 

NHmaster

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I have no water savers in any of my faucets and I don't run out of hot water. Then again I have a 60 gallon indirect piped to a Buderus 125
 
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I have no water savers in any of my faucets and I don't run out of hot water. Then again I have a 60 gallon indirect piped to a Buderus 125

And as a result you likely also spend twice as much on hot water (plus water and sewer if it is not a well) as the normal customer. Not very good advice other than as a troubleshooting aid.
 
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