Hello 
Glad to have found these forums; plumbing advice and information is very scarce it seems.
My problem is very similar to this thread: https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15201 ("Humming Noises")
but I figured that I would start a new one, since it does differ in causes and possibly symptoms.
Anyway, a day and a half ago the pressure regulator valve to my house essentially burst (or broke completely - it was venting large amounts of water in huge bursts from the nearby emergency water vent, etc). The valve was replaced earlier today by a plumber (called by my landlord, the place is rented and we were not here to see his work), who did all the work externally and did not check anything beyond "the water main isn't leaking anymore." The pressure valve appears to be a Honeywell Braukmann type, but also appears to be covered in black plastic, and not metal like every single PRV model I've looked up.
Since the replacement, the use of any and all faucets/showers/toilets/hoses/water using appliances causes a foghorn noise and intense vibration that starts either right when the water is turned on and shuts off a few seconds after the faucet/etc. is turned off unless every single faucet, shower and toilet are run at the same time. Some details:
*Any use of water causes this noise, which gradually becomes louder
*The noise is a continuous vibration (cavitation) that changes in pitch, like a foghorn, not at all a water hammer or clanking.
*The house has 3 sets of pipes that seem to be tied together - downstairs faucet/toilet/shower, kitchen faucet/dishwasher, upstairs faucet/toilet/shower. An outside washing machine that is on another circuit. All three tie into the mainline, which also has 2 other branchings (another place for a hose and a long 1/2inch pipe line that goes up the entire hill to an irrigation system - these two are always shut off)
*The noise travels depending on where water is used; downstairs faucet or toilet causes intense vibration in the nearby shower, upstairs kitchen faucet causes vibration in a pipe that is in a far corner of the house (90 degrees, handy), upstairs bathroom faucet causes vibration in shower2, and vice versa. It's fairly random and travels all throughout the house, depending on which sets of faucets/etc have been opened most recently.
*The noise shuts off completely if all faucets/showers/toilets are off.
*The occasional toilet refill or dripping sometimes causes massive foghorn noises until the tank refills completely
*Both toilets have had fluidmaster valves installed in the past 6 months (since the old ones went)
*The intensity of the foghorn noise is related to the PRV pressure; we adjusted it so the sound is very minor and only starts a minute or two after a faucet is used - but this has made toilets and showers inoperable and water is a trickle.
*The noise, at default PRV setting, really sounds like it will cause pipe damage. Items flew off bathroom shelves, etc.
*If all faucets + showers + toilets are turned on full blast, there is NO noise. The dishwasher and washing machine do not have to be turned on for the noise to disappear, even though the dishwasher is on the same circuit as the upstairs faucets and shower.
*We've tried shutting off the water entirely and draining the entire system a few times (sequentially, from lowest to highest, all at once, you name it).
*We've tried having the water on normally and running all water using sources at the same time (for ~15minutes). This accomplishes nothing except a lot of traveling foghorn noises in different parts of the house in rapid succession if any single source is shut off at all.
Anymore info I'll be glad to provide even though I've probably written too much already. I'm thinking:
1) Faulty new PRV (what's the likelihood of a brand new valve doing this, but not resulting in any leaks?)
2) bad installation (backwards? is that possible)
3) trapped air (which we've tried flushing any which way, so I don't think this is it)
4) ?
I assumed that the plumber that did the job was a licensed plumber who knew what he was doing, but I'm thinking that this might not be the case - especially since the landlord is a contractor and this might just be a friend of his. If the house I'm describing sounds confusing and the downstairs sounds like the bedroom and upstairs the living room and kitchen, and if it sounds like there are a lot of too thin pipes strewn all around the house at 90 degree angles... well, that's all true. The place looks like it was a summer project built by a sleepy person.
Any input is appreciated!
Glad to have found these forums; plumbing advice and information is very scarce it seems.My problem is very similar to this thread: https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15201 ("Humming Noises")
but I figured that I would start a new one, since it does differ in causes and possibly symptoms.
Anyway, a day and a half ago the pressure regulator valve to my house essentially burst (or broke completely - it was venting large amounts of water in huge bursts from the nearby emergency water vent, etc). The valve was replaced earlier today by a plumber (called by my landlord, the place is rented and we were not here to see his work), who did all the work externally and did not check anything beyond "the water main isn't leaking anymore." The pressure valve appears to be a Honeywell Braukmann type, but also appears to be covered in black plastic, and not metal like every single PRV model I've looked up.
Since the replacement, the use of any and all faucets/showers/toilets/hoses/water using appliances causes a foghorn noise and intense vibration that starts either right when the water is turned on and shuts off a few seconds after the faucet/etc. is turned off unless every single faucet, shower and toilet are run at the same time. Some details:
*Any use of water causes this noise, which gradually becomes louder
*The noise is a continuous vibration (cavitation) that changes in pitch, like a foghorn, not at all a water hammer or clanking.
*The house has 3 sets of pipes that seem to be tied together - downstairs faucet/toilet/shower, kitchen faucet/dishwasher, upstairs faucet/toilet/shower. An outside washing machine that is on another circuit. All three tie into the mainline, which also has 2 other branchings (another place for a hose and a long 1/2inch pipe line that goes up the entire hill to an irrigation system - these two are always shut off)
*The noise travels depending on where water is used; downstairs faucet or toilet causes intense vibration in the nearby shower, upstairs kitchen faucet causes vibration in a pipe that is in a far corner of the house (90 degrees, handy), upstairs bathroom faucet causes vibration in shower2, and vice versa. It's fairly random and travels all throughout the house, depending on which sets of faucets/etc have been opened most recently.
*The noise shuts off completely if all faucets/showers/toilets are off.
*The occasional toilet refill or dripping sometimes causes massive foghorn noises until the tank refills completely
*Both toilets have had fluidmaster valves installed in the past 6 months (since the old ones went)
*The intensity of the foghorn noise is related to the PRV pressure; we adjusted it so the sound is very minor and only starts a minute or two after a faucet is used - but this has made toilets and showers inoperable and water is a trickle.
*The noise, at default PRV setting, really sounds like it will cause pipe damage. Items flew off bathroom shelves, etc.
*If all faucets + showers + toilets are turned on full blast, there is NO noise. The dishwasher and washing machine do not have to be turned on for the noise to disappear, even though the dishwasher is on the same circuit as the upstairs faucets and shower.
*We've tried shutting off the water entirely and draining the entire system a few times (sequentially, from lowest to highest, all at once, you name it).
*We've tried having the water on normally and running all water using sources at the same time (for ~15minutes). This accomplishes nothing except a lot of traveling foghorn noises in different parts of the house in rapid succession if any single source is shut off at all.
Anymore info I'll be glad to provide even though I've probably written too much already. I'm thinking:
1) Faulty new PRV (what's the likelihood of a brand new valve doing this, but not resulting in any leaks?)
2) bad installation (backwards? is that possible)
3) trapped air (which we've tried flushing any which way, so I don't think this is it)
4) ?
I assumed that the plumber that did the job was a licensed plumber who knew what he was doing, but I'm thinking that this might not be the case - especially since the landlord is a contractor and this might just be a friend of his. If the house I'm describing sounds confusing and the downstairs sounds like the bedroom and upstairs the living room and kitchen, and if it sounds like there are a lot of too thin pipes strewn all around the house at 90 degree angles... well, that's all true. The place looks like it was a summer project built by a sleepy person.
Any input is appreciated!
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